Grandmasters of Fashion
Lately, the fashion scene looks like a chess game. Who will make the smartest next move?
Alexander McQueen Spring 2005 Fashion Show (marieclaire.co.uk)
Within the last few months, there has been intense mobility in the fashion world. Designers have come and gone from one fashion house to another. Some others preferred to split from the luxury group they once used to be under. Everyone is moving like pawns in a chess game.
Riccardo Tisci | Photo- Inez and Vinoodh (BoF)
The first move was made by Riccardo Tisci and Burberry. In early March, the British luxury brand announced that Riccardo Tisci would be the new Creative Officer. Tisci succeeded Christopher Bailey who after 17 years decided to leave the company.
“Riccardo is one of the most talented designers of our time. His designs have an elegance that is contemporary and his skill in blending streetwear with high fashion is highly relevant to today’s luxury consumer. Riccardo’s creative vision will reinforce the ambitions we have for Burberry and position the brand firmly in luxury,” said Marco Gobetti, Burberry’s chief executive.
“I have an enormous respect for Burberry’s British heritage and global appeal and I am excited about the potential of this exceptional brand, I am honored and delighted to be joining Burberry and reuniting with Marco Gobbetti,” said Tisci.
Kris Van Assche gets studious in the Dior Homme studio. (WWD)
The next strategic move was made by Dior Homme as Kris Van Assche exited after 11 years at the brand but he’ll take up a new role within the LVMH Group, according to WWD. Kim Jones will undertake the duty of artistic director for Dior Homme, and according to sources, he will present his first collection in June 2018.
“I am deeply honored to join the house of Dior, a symbol of the ultimate elegance,” said Jones.
Kim Jones (BoF)
Virgil Abloh (BoF)
And as Kim Jones moved to the Dior team, it was Louis Vuitton’s turn to shake things up. Virgil Abloh will now be the new artistic director of Louis Vuitton menswear. The founder of the haute streetwear brand Off-White and Kanye West’s longtime creative director announced that he feels honored in accepting that position. He finds that the house’s heritage and creative integrity are the main key inspirations. So, his main goal would be to present them alongside with nowadays.
StellaMcCartney (the guardian.com)
After 17 years in a joint venture with the luxury goods group, Kering, Stella McCartney decided to make a very smart move and buy Kering’s 50% stake in her fashion label. “It is the right moment to acquire the full control of the company bearing my name,” said the designer. Rumour has it that Sir Paul McCartney has helped her financially to get the Kering’s share.
This chess game is not over, yet.
Brands Boost Influencer Marketing Budgets
Brands Boost Influencer Marketing Budgets
Influencers taking selfies in Milan | Source: Shutterstock By Victoria Berezhna April 6, 2018 05:28 LONDON, United Kingdom - Not all that long ago, many brands viewed using Instagram influencers to promote a new fashion line or attend a product launch event as a promising experiment.
Is This The Beginning Of The End For The Fur Trade?
It seems that many fashion houses and major US cities have started to ban the use of fur in their clothes and shops.
(AOL)
San Francisco is one of the first major US cities to ban the sale of fur, after the city’s Board of Supervisors’ unanimous vote. The ban goes into effect on 1st of January 2019, and the city’s retailers have until January of 2020 to sell their fur stock. Clothing and accessories made from animal fur will no longer have a place on the shelves of San Francisco’s retail shops. Currently, San Francisco is the third Californian city banning the sale of fur after Berkley and West Hollywood.
This is a very encouraging move, at a time when more and more designers are declaring their cessation of animal fur use. Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, and now Versace recently announced that only eco-friendly “faux fur” will be used in their collections.
Michael Kors (Fashionista)
In October 2017, Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of Gucci, stated in the Business of Fashion that using fur today is out-dated, and that’s the main reason why they stopped using it in their collections. In 2016, Giorgio Armani announced that he’ll stop the use of real fur. He also said that new technologies “render the use of cruel practices unnecessary as regards animals.”
Model at the Gucci Cruise 2018 show in Florence, Italy. (Pietro DΓÇÖAprano/Getty Images)
At the end of 2017, the iconic American designer, Michael Kors, announced that his company would no longer use real fur. The top Italian brand Versace, known for its unique Italian aesthetic has officially stated that it will stop using real fur, with Donatella Versace telling The Economist’s 1843 magazine, “Fur? I am out of that. I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion. It doesn’t feel right.”
Donatella Versace. (Alberto Scarpinato/IPA/RexShutterstock)
The “fur issue” will continue to bother the majority of fashion designers, since it’s not just about the use of real or fake. It’s more about sustainability and the way the faux-fur is produced.
PFW F/W2018. We’ll Always Have Paris.
February 27, 2018
Christian Dior
First, it was the “We should all be feminists” T-shirt, now the “C’est non, non, non et non!” sweater. It’s been 50 years since the student riots in May 1968, and Maria Grazia Chiuri decided to make another social-political statement. Inspired by the tumultuous protesters of 1968 and Diane Vreeland’s “youthquake”, Chiuri wanted to target younger customers but retain Dior’s high-fashion aesthetic and legacy. A wardrobe that is revolutionary but also highly creative.
Saint Laurent
Anthony Vaccarello was inspired by the Yves Saint Laurent’s “Russian Peasant” couture collection of F/W 1976, an extravagant collection in its time. But, Vaccarello gave a more Parisian direction of that elaborated and voluminous collection of Monsieur Saint Laurent. Mini shorts, large brimmed hats, fiercely impressive décolletés and the sparkling Eiffel Tower as a background accessory created a strong, contemporary fashion statement.
February 28, 2018
Maison Margiela
Décortiqué. John Galliano loves to name his collections with French adjectives. In this collection, he stripped down the garments to their essence and just kept their skeletal structure. Unconscious glamour was the collection’s name, but it looked more like ‘Rushed Dressing’ glamour. Coats worn before dresses, blazers before sweaters, holographic coats and a lot of deconstructing garments all over the catwalk. Galliano loves the pair-if-you-dare game of fabrics.
Dries Van Noten
Fashion is good, fashion is nice. It sounds like a mantra but that was the message Dries Van Noten was passing through his collection. We live in a very complicated and wild world, and maybe the Dark Ages are back. But, fashion should reflect the bright side of life. That was what Van Noten’s collection was all about. Utilitarian sportswear, ‘70s glam, and Paul Poiret references. Fashion is good, fashion is nice.
March 1, 2018
Ann Demeulemeester
The dark romanticism of the British poet, William Blake, was what Sébastien Meunier had in mind while creating this strong, aggressive but feminine collection. Clothes for modern amazons. Unfastened leather straps, painted black clothes, but there was also a hint of innocence. Jeanne d’Arc could have been Meunier’s muse for this collection.
March 2, 2018
Loewe
Five classical novels in their native language, with jackets photographed by Steven Meisel, were placed on every chair. “Classicism is always there…sometimes you change the cover and make it relevant for today,” Jonathan Anderson referred to the reading material. Loewe craftsmanship and the meticulously detailed mixing of the fabrics created an updated classic collection.
Balmain
Olivier Rousteing’s “Balmain Army” became fierce disco queens this season. They love wearing ripped jeans with holographic jackets, quilted leather, PVC thigh-high boots, and whatever has a shining effect on the designer’s favorite ‘80s silhouettes.
March 3, 2018
Comme des Garçons
Rei Kawakubo always loves to deconstruct the shape of the clothes and create theatrical figures inspired the history, even if she has stated that she doesn’t like to look back. For this season, CAMP was the name of her collection. She referred to Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on Camp”. “I think camp can express something deeper, and give birth to progress,” Kawakubo wrote in her show notes. The progress of thinking and feeling the world around us.
Altuzarra
Joseph Altuzarra designed a collection that was all about the women he grew up with. His mother, his friends, all the women who work and get dressed to go to the office. La Coupole restaurant at Montparnasse was the perfect choice for this real collection to take place.
March 4, 2018
Givenchy
If someone wants to learn about the ‘80s in East and West Germany, Clare Waight Keller’s collection for Givenchy would be the best fashion history class. Rich faux furs, leather, sharp tailoring and lace created the desired contradiction so as to present those two different sides of a country. Glamour and cruelty.
Valentino
“Sometimes it’s felt as if a woman had to dress like men to be more powerful. Today is a different moment. People can be exactly how they are,” said Pierpaolo Piccioli. Flowers, the symbol of romance, were the collection’s main theme. Flowers that were a reminder of Georgia O’ Keefe paintings but much more minimal. Long dresses, coats, jackets; everything a romantic Valentino woman would wear.
March 5, 2018
Alexander McQueen
A McQueen woman is always powerful, and so was Sarah Burton’s show. Metamorphosis was the name of the collection, and it was an ode to powerful womanhood. Like a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful and ethereal butterfly, so does a girl become a mighty woman. Undoubtedly, throughout the collection butterfly wings had a special place.
Giambattista Valli
“Humanity, much less politics,” Giambattista Valli said backstage. Valli’s collection was a collision between different cultures and politics where everyone accepts each other as they are. A journey through different countries, unique civilizations and unlike mentalities, but with bohemian attitude.
March 6, 2018
Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld always narrates a personal story through each of his shows, and he did so again this time. Twelve old alleys decorated the runway, at Grand Palais, along with a German forest that is usually spotted somewhere in north Hamburg, a memory from Lagerfeld’s childhood. Everything that one needed for a stylish walk into the woods was in the collection.
The #CHANELFallWinter 2018/19 show, presented by Karl Lagerfeld yesterday in Paris. #PFW
A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial) on
Miu Miu
Miu Miu is about girls who love to have fun with fashion. This time, Miuccia Prada mixed the ‘50s and ‘80s and the outcome was an eccentric and colorful collection. Different types of models, but all were referring to strong personalities. One thing in common… they all love the ‘80s powerful dress code.
MFW F/W2018: La Divina Moda.
Hybrids. Clans. Cyborgs. Religion. Everything looked surreal in this still-real-world we live in.
February 21, 2018
Gucci
The fashion week in Milan initiated quite dynamically, shockingly dynamic someone would say. The invitation to Gucci had already prompted that the guests wouldn’t be watching an ordinary runway show. A timer in a plastic bag which counted in reverse until the beginning of the show, that was taking place in a surgery room. Alessandro Michele titled the Gucci show “Cyborg” after Donna Haraway’s 1984 “A Cyborg Manifesto” essay. Two models were carrying their own heads as accessories, another holding a dragon, and a third eye was staring from a model’s forehead. Living in a world full of uncertainty, where many questions have been risen and found no answers, Michele created a hybrid that surpasses dualisms and dichotomies. Velvet dresses, tweed jackets, distressed jeans, and furs covered with tulle. A futuristic collection with a grim touch.
Moschino
It’s very obvious that Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe were the inspiration for Jeremy Scott’s fall collection for Moschino. Bobbed hair and pillbox hats were reminiscent of the First Lady, but with some Pop Art and alien characteristics. However, it was the bombshell who came out wearing evening looks because something’s got to give.
February 22, 2018
Max Mara
Max Mara is synonymous with powerful and beautiful outwear since its foundation day, back in 1951. With this collection, Max Mara wanted to gain the appreciation of a younger generation. Power dressing with some ’80s punk chic details created a very strong theme. Large coats, leather skirts teamed with slim pants, and T-shirts with Francoise Berthoud illustrations are waiting to be worn by powerful Millennial queens.
Fendi
“Romantic femininity for a powerful woman,” were Silvia Venturini Fendi’s words about the last collection. This time Karl Lagerfeld and Fendi focused on men’s fabrics and detailed tailoring. Double-breasted glossy coats in Prince of Wales checks, handkerchief linen transformed into coat collars and embroidered dresses, Texan boots, and the new version of Peekaboo bag, the Peekaboo X-Lite brought the perfect balance between strong lines and the delicacy of the ‘40s.
Prada
Miuccia Prada decided to match two opposing types of women in order to create a superwoman, who isn’t afraid to fight if needed while wearing something extremely feminine. On the one side, bustier, tulle, and sequins and on the other protective tight knit dresses, and jackets in neon colors were worn as armor. Also, the “Hot Rods” shoes are back, but with an upgrade and perfectly matched with the Fondazione Prada’s view of the post-industrial Milan.
February 23, 2018
Etro
Etro becomes 50 years old and the creative director, Veronica Etro wanted to celebrate it with the most Etro-ish way. Prints and glamorous bohemian aesthetics were the main ingredients for the “Folk Deco” collection. Fringes, suede boots, printed dresses and shearling jackets proved that stylish can be also cozy.
Versace
For the Italians, “La Famiglia” is the most important, and sacred, thing. The family is something that proves where you belong, it’s a form of identity. Maybe that was what Donatella Versace had in mind when she named the last collection “The Clans of Versace.” Tartans, African graphism, total monochrome mixed with a multitude of styles and decades. Many designs were from her brother Gianni, but Donatella produced a collection that belongs in the “Famiglia Versace”.
GUCCI
MOSCHINO
MAX MARA
FENDI
PRADA
ETRO
VERSACE
GIORGIO ARMANI
MISSONI
JIL SANDER
MARNI
DOLCE & GABBANA
TOMMY HILFIGER
February 24, 2018
Giorgio Armani
“Inspired by many cultures as an ode to co-existence as opposed to exclusion,” were Giorgio Armani’s notes about the collection. Clothes in pale colors were succeeded by jackets and then by embellished gowns. The many fabrics created a collection that can travel around the world through textures and design.
Missoni
Missoni is well-known for its zigzagging, multicolored knits. For this season, Angela Missoni created another story mixing Caribbean colors and references to Jamaican colorful layering. Icons such as Lisa Bonet, Basquiat and Hendrix were an inspiration for this ‘70s and early ‘80s super colorful collection.
Jil Sander
A collection inspired by the sci-fi movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”, a nostalgia for what the future holds for humans. Outfits with references to astronaut uniforms that exhaled purity. “We’re surrounded by technology and AI and all these things that are always in the news and in the consciousness. We thought, ‘Why can’t the future be beautiful, soft and human also?’” said Luke Meier backstage.
February 25, 2018
Marni
“Techno-primitivism” is what Francesco Risso named his Fall 2018 Marni show – a contradiction in terms. Marni is a synonym to minimalism, yet this collection was dedicated to the use of contrasting colors, fabrics and prints. It was referring to that type of women who, at the same time, can combine fragility and powerfulness in a creative way. Well-constructed coats and dresses mixing two opposite fabrics produced a weird but very beautiful outcome.
Dolce & Gabbana
A Catholic ceremony with a touch of technology; that was Dolce&Gabbana. When the golden gates opened, eight drones appeared and each of them carried a D&G handbag. “Fashion Devotion” was the title of the collection, and not by chance. Every outfit was inspired by the Catholic church; the colors, the fabrics, the accessories. Even slogan printed t-shirts were referring to Church in some way. A collection made for sin.
Tommy Hilfiger
All started in New York, went to London, then Beijing and now Milan, the fashion capital in Tommy Hilfiger’s mind. It was something like a World Tour or pit stop of racing cars. Hilfiger’s spring #TommyNow see-now-buy-now collection was not only a celebration of his love for fast cars but also a celebration of his partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas, through which he will be its official apparel partner. Racing tops and jackets with Hilfiger’s logo, stripes, denim and sheer dresses. Everything looked so authentic. And, Gigi Hadid was there to add more cuteness and youthfulness at this “Fast and Furious” show.
