With the fashion industry slowly recovering from the pandemic, 2023 was a year of news in many different fields. What stories have left the most lasting impression on you?
In fashion business news, the year was marked by the bankruptcy of a major media company, a series of mergers and acquisitions of fashion and beauty brands, and a slowdown in sales in the luxury industry. There were also increased standards for more sustainable and transparent corporate initiatives, such as issues surrounding traceability and fair wages for garment workers.
In addition, many major fashion brands had a change of creative directors, and many maisons started under a new organization. There was also an active movement among celebrities to launch their fashion lines.
In this article, OSF’s editors have carefully selected the most noteworthy news in the fashion industry in 2023.
The legendary fashion designer Paco Rabanne Has Died at the age of 88
In February 2023, fashion designer Paco Rabanne passed away at the age of 88.
Rabanne was a designer who made clothes using unconventional and special materials such as plastic and aluminum, and who stunned the haute couture industry with his unprecedented and unusual career.
The brand Paco Rabanne was founded in 1966 and made its haute couture debut. His first collection, “12 Unwearable Dresses,” was made of modern materials,” and featured novel materials such as plastic, metal, and paper that had never been used in clothing before. In addition, the process of making clothes was not “sewing”, but finished by joining different materials with pliers or sticking them together with adhesive. Such a “Ravanne method” created a great sensation within the industry and brought a breath of fresh air to the fashion world in the 1960s.
Rabanne was also one of the most famous names in the fragrance industry as well as fashion. The news of his passing was met with sadness by many in the industry.
【MET GALA 2023】Celebrities’ Red Carpet Outfits Dedicated to Karl Lagerfeld
MET GALA 2023, the biggest festival in the fashion world, was held with great fanfare in 2023.
The Met Gala, organized by Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue since 1995, is the opening event celebrating The Costume Institute’s annual special exhibition.
To celebrate the exhibition “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” guests were given the dress code, “in honor of Karl.”
The celebrities who gathered at the event interpreted and expressed Karl’s worldview in their way. Dua Lipa, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Jennie of Black Pink, and many other celebrities were seen wearing “Chanel” archives as a tribute to the creations left by Lagerfeld. Jared Leto also made a big splash, appearing in a costume of Lagerfeld’s iconic beloved cat “Choupette,” and Doja Cat showed up in a Swarovski-filled cat look by Oscar de la Renta.
Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring Summer 2024 | Beginning of the Pharrell Williams Era
Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2024 men’s collection in June marked the beginning of the “Pharrell Williams” era.
The show, held on the iconic Pont Neuf bridge in Paris, was the largest ever for the brand’s men’s collection and boasted the largest number of guests ever invited to the event.
New to Pharrell’s Spring/Summer 2024 men’s collection was Damoflage, a fusion of the brand’s signature Damier pattern and camouflage patterns. Other bold Damier motifs were also incorporated into the collection in various forms, from the pixelated Damier checks to colorful Damier-style denim and tailoring.
Williams, who originally comes from a background as a music producer and artist, showed in this showcase a brilliant ensemble that truly expressed gratitude and unity. The graceful live orchestra in the first half and the lively live gospel choir in the second half made the new collection, which was given new life, very emotional and powerful.
The long-awaited unveiling of the PHOEBE PHILO collection
In October, designer Phoebe Philo’s eponymous brand “Phoebe Philo” released its long-awaited first collection.
Dropped with much anticipation, Phoebe Philo’s collection was a collection of the refined design and understated elegance that she embodied during her Celine years. The materials, the items, and the silhouettes were updates of what she once loved in a way that was appropriate for 2023.
The brand also committed to sustainability and pledged not to overproduce, which has become a problem in the fashion industry in recent years. Because of this policy, the brand plans to continue releasing collections according to its schedule, rather than the traditional fashion calendar.
Within hours of the launch, most of PHOEBE PHILO’s products were sold out on the website, sending fashion lovers into a frenzy.
Kylie Jenner Launches New Fashion Line “Khy”
Also in October, Kylie Jenner launched her new fashion brand “Khy.”
Jenner is one of the business world’s most prominent celebrities, becoming the world’s youngest self-made billionaire in 2019 at the age of 21.
The youngest sibling of the Kardashian clan is also fashion savvy, constantly working with the current lineup of creative directors at major luxury maisons. The reality TV mogul and business owner, who has her successful beauty brand, Kylie Cosmetics, took on the new titles of creative director and apparel brand owner.
Khy is committed to creativity and quality, working with a variety of brands to offer products at affordable prices. Also, less than two weeks after the first drop, Jenner was named a WSJ. innovators.
Edward Enninful, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Is Stepping Away
British Vogue has announced that Edward Enninful, who serves as both Vogue’s European editorial director and editor-in-chief of British Vogue, will retire from his current position in March 2024.
In recent years, Condé Nast has been streamlining and cutting costs by eliminating country editor positions at Vogue’s international editions, but Enninful was the only one to retain his position as editor-in-chief. (Anna Wintour, Vogue’s global editorial director, was an exception.)
However, over the past few years, the top stylists and fashion editors who had worked for the company have left, and in their place have been replaced by younger, web-savvy editors who now report to Enninful. Enninful’s decision to leave his position as editor-in-chief and contribute to Condé Nast in his new position appears to have been made to streamline editorial operations and harmonize content strategies for each edition.
New Leadership At Gucci, Tom Ford, Moschino, and McQueen
The year 2023 was a year of leadership change in many fashion houses.
In January, GUCCI announced the appointment of Italian designer Sabato De Sarno as its new creative director, succeeding Alessandro Michele. The first collection created by Sarno was unveiled at Milan Fashion Week in September 2023, bringing new life to Gucci.
In April, Tom Ford made a surprise reveal of his Fall 2023 collection and simultaneously announced that Ford himself would be leaving the brand. Soon after, it was announced that Guillaume Jesel would succeed Ford as the brand’s president and chief executive officer and Peter Hawkings as creative director.
Furthermore, in October, Alexander McQueen announced the appointment of Seán McGirr as Maison’s new creative director. McGirr succeeds longtime Creative Director Sarah Burton and it is expected that he will bring his creativity to the Maison’s unique legacy.
Moschino’s Creative Director Davide Renne Passed Away at Aged 46
Also causing grief around the world was the passing of Davide Renne, MOSCHINO’s new creative director. Renne, who was 46 years old, reportedly died of a sudden heart attack.
Renne was appointed as the new Creative Director of Moschino in October 2023 and was scheduled to present his first collection at Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2024 in February 2024.
