Frequently, Isabel Marant and her family leave Paris to stay in a cabin they own in the forest. Without water or electricity, they spend their time gardening, cooking and hanging out together. “It’s more a question of emptying your mind of all the stress from the week and doing very simple things – playing cards with friends and building tree houses with my son,” the designer told us in HERO 19. “We have a river so we do a lot of paddle-boarding in the summer time.”

During lockdown, Marant designed her SS21 collection remotely in the French countryside, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city to spend within nature. Taking a step back, this environment gave Marant a refreshed clarity that flows through her latest collection.

Here, Marant looked at dance for inspiration, specifically the Centre national de la danse – in Pantin, Paris – and its geometric concrete architecture (the location for the season’s lookbook). Exploring ideas of movement, form and shape, this season, flexibility and freedom were key words, as clothes were built with roomy proportions and adaptable detailing. Think oversized knits you can hide away in, lightweight nylon jackets, pastel weave and loose-fitting tees. Merging polished and bohemian, sports and luxury, this collection highlighted what Marant is all about: dressing people for real life.