Jason Wu Teams Up With Shoe Brand Dear Frances For A Boot-Filled Fall 2021 Collection
Shannon Adducci
Style Director
So much for the “ugly” sandal.
The shoe trend may be extending its reach to summer 2021, but come fall, boots — with real heels — will be back in a big way.
At Jason Wu‘s fall ’21 ready-to-wear show, the designer tapped U.K. brand Dear Frances to create a variety of heeled boots to go with his brightly colored and patterned collection of dresses, coats and separates.
The designer showed Sunday, kicking off New York Fashion Week with a small in-person runway show that was also live streamed and sponsored by Coca-Cola. The runway was set up to look like a market, with fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables. Turns out, the collection and set were both inspired by a 1950s general store; the food and fresh goods courtesy of The Chef’s Warehouse, items that were all donated to City Harvest after the show.
“During the past year, cooking has proven to be an amazing outlet for me creatively,” Wu wrote in his show notes. “The joys that I experience from cooking and spending time with loved ones make me hopeful to celebrate the moments that really matter. This show represents who I am, not only as a designer but as a person.”
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The boots were just as vibrant as both the clothing and the produce, with a variety of silhouettes, colors and heel shapes. A pair of snake print caramel-colored wedge boots with an almond toe were paired with a black wool coat accented with fringe on the hemline. A pointy-toed, croc-embossed pair in a blush hue contrasted with a floral printed pleated skirt.
Wu has a long history of collaborating with footwear brands for his runway collections. For years, he worked with Manolo Blahnik to create elegant heels to go with his luxe evening wear. As the designer has dialed down his creations over the past few seasons to focus more on everyday wear, he’s tapped a series of mid-level contemporary brands: Last season, he teamed up with Arizona Love to customize the French brand’s cult Trekkie sport-inspired shoes — yes, that aforementioned “ugly” sandal — with printed fabrics to match his Tulum-inspired spring ’21 collection.
