John Mangru With his hyper-feminine designs, which bring silhouette and form to the fore, stylist John Mangru National College of Art and Design’s graduate class of 2020 is determined to rewrite the codes of modern dressing. Just take a look at the emerging designer’s Instagram account, where you’ll find a smorgasbord of visual goodies most notable are Mangru’s recognisable handmade corsets in a fizzy colour palette of fire-engine red, zingy neon green and candyfloss pink.
“I have always been obsessed with undergarments being worn on the outside,” the young designer says of his passion for classic silhouettes. “I love the way they’re tight to the body and I love creating shapes that may not be there normally. On a deeper level, I also love the idea that the corset was always seen as a symbol of oppression and I wanted to take it out of its original context by mixing new techniques and fabrics.”
So. That was 2020 then. A year packed with developments, newcomers and innovations, and it looks as though 2021 will be every bit as eventful on that front at least. Taking a look inside our crystal ball may seem like a fool’s errand after the year that was, but let’s see what trends 2021 might have in store for us.