Spring 22: Homebound Comfort
With the COVID-19 pandemic sparking shelter-in-place orders around the globe, people began to reflect on what was most important: family, friends, comfort, safety, and care.
Sure, being stuck inside a small apartment in the middle of a once-bustling city, or in a quiet home in the middle of Big Sky country led some to feel trapped, depressed, and anxious. But as the sheltering-in-place continued on, people found joy and gratitude through slower and more accessible aspects of life: baking bread for their roommates, taking care of plants, and taking a long-awaited breath that needed to be let out.
Joe Holder, a Nike trainer and founder of the OCHO system, exemplified this move toward nesting, relaxation and mediation through his social media channels, primarily via Instagram. In his routine posts, whether from his home base of New York City or the outdoor forests of Denver or the desert of the American Southwest, his fans were able to find peace and serenity translated from the outdoors in. Holder showcased the beauty and serenity of nature through his posts, but additionally those images contrasted well with serene views of the home: crisp and clean lines, minimalist aesthetics, and muted but warm colors.
The dichotomy between the two is thus brought together as one, allowing for a focus on mindfully preparing your space to inspire wellness and holistic meaning as you continue to nest indoors. Not only is it feasible, but it is also vital to become one with the uncontrolled essence of the natural world.
Reflecting on a 2016 trip to Big Sur earlier this year, Holder said it helped him to understand: “Man lives in symbiosis with nature, not in spite of it.” We’ve seen that come to fruition even more during the pandemic, as many have focused on utilizing their green thumb during time at home, reflecting even more on bringing the evolution of nature into the evolved sense of home.
These feelings and reflections took shape with the Spring 2021 collections, as designers aimed to reflect the goals of rest, relaxation and meditation. Focusing on soft and calming textures, loose geometric shapes and cubist styles, designers such as Jason Wu and Johanna Ortiz kept an eye on nature. Looks were styled — whether it be rooftop garden wear from Jason Wu or a modular outfit from Prada — to connect the wearer and the viewer back to nature, holistic practice, and soft methodologies.
For the Homebound Comfort story, the studio asked artists to reflect on how nature has inspired calmness and sincerity in a world of uncertainty. Experimenting with all shades of green, analog printing, embracing imperfection and exploring loose geometric shapes were all encouraged (to beautiful effect).
