Your Dose of Fashion Insights: Week VII
News blast
Our top headlines of this week
On December 2nd, 2024, Patrick Demna will unveil BALENCIAGA 's women's and men's fall collections in an undisclosed venue. The Paris-based fashion house operates a flagship boutique on Rodeo Drive and will also stage a show during Paris Fashion Week in September.
On Thursday, the French luxury group 开云 revealed its acquisition of a 30% stake in the renowned Italian fashion label, Valentino , from the Qatari investment fund Mayhoola, for a sum of 1.7 billion euros ($1.87 billion) in cash. This move comes after Kering's recent announcement of a major management restructuring, which includes the departure of Marco Bizzarri, the long-time CEO of Gucci . The group has appointed Jean-Francois Palus, the managing director, as the interim CEO for Gucci.
Excitement builds as phoebephilo.com opens for registration, signalling the imminent launch of the former Chloé and Celine creative director's own brand. The Instagram announcement appeared on Thursday, with the collection expected to be released for purchase in September.
Most viewed look of the week
Both of this week's most viewed looks came from London-based brand ERDEM . Inspired by British socialite, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, Deborah Mitford ("Debo" to her five sisters), the "bourgeois " tag is the key to this collection, making up 14% of looks. The collection draws on her penchant for leopard print and jewel-encrusted insect brooches, incorporating her idiosyncratic tastes into elegant off the shoulder evening gowns, ladylike checkered suiting and A-line swing coats. While the collection is rooted in 1950s aesthetics, its preppy sensibility feels of the moment. The thirty second look features a boyish shirt and slacks, paired with silky red flats and an oversized leopard-print clutch - a perfectly modern iteration of the 'old money aesthetic', which currently has over 3.5 billion views on TikTok.
Trending search: bodycon
In recent years dress trends have tended towards more voluminous silhouettes, with the 'prairie girl' trend coinciding with the saccharine 'cottagecore' aesthetic last summer. Billowy linens and floaty ruffles have been replaced this season with skin-tight bodycons. Searches for the tag have increased by 6685% compared to the previous week, reflecting the preponderance of the trend in Spring Summer 2024 looks. Initially popularised by supermodels such as Cindy Crawford in Hervé Léger bandage dresses, the silhouette is emblematic of the current 90s revival, best exemplified by Maison Ala?a 's more traditional take on the look in their Spring Summer 2024 collection. While it could also speak to the worrying rise of ultrathin models on the runway, the trend has also diversified significantly and a number of brands, including Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY , Juun.J and Burc Akyol, offered gender neutral takes on the bodycon. However, only MARINE SERRE and Sagaboi featured the trend on plus-sized models, suggesting that there's still a way to go before the trend is truly inclusive of all body types in high fashion.
Trending theme: fruit
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Warm weather dressing lends itself to bold prints, which we reported to be on the rise in last week's newsletter. This week, it seems that the trend has become more niche and people are searching for fruity inspirations ('tomato girl' aesthetic, anyone?). From JACQUEMUS ' whimsical cherry necklaces, to Walter Van Beirendonck's strange cherry hieroglyphics, to Sakuanz's bratty rhinestoned cherry-print crop tops, it seems that the cherry is the fruit of the summer. While Resort 2024 saw a proliferation of Amalfi Coast-chic cirtrus prints at Valentino , the trend could take an autumnal turn in the upcoming season. Think Puppets and Puppets's moody still lifes printed onto blazers and slacks in their Spring/Summer 2022 collection, or AREA 's Josephine Baker-inspired black banana dresses for Spring/Summer 2023.
Weekly poll
This week we asked users which new creative director’s first collection for a brand they were most excited to see. Out of 458 respondents, 52%* said that they were most excited to see Sabato De Sarno’s debut for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week this September. Following the shocking departure of Alessandro Michele after seven years at the helm, the announcement of his successor was hotly anticipated. Michele raised Gucci’s profile enormously with his eccentric, maximalist aesthetic. His otherworldly creations were worn by celebrities from Harry Styles, to Jared Leto, to Lana del Rey, making the brand one of the most worn in the world. Comparatively, Sabato is an understated choice. His impressive CV includes overseeing the ready-to-wear department at Valentino for the last thirteen years, where he is credited with bringing a modern sensibility to the traditionally romantic brand. Although his name is well known by industry insiders, he is not instantly recognisable to the general public, perhaps fuelling the aura of mystery and intrigue around his first showing. With Gucci’s sales reportedly flagging , Sabato could bring a much-needed injection of interest to the brand.?
30% of users said they were most excited to see Peter Do 's debut collection for HELMUT LANG , which will be shown during New York fashion week this September. Do refined his craft at Phoebe Philo's Céline and Derek Lam before launching his own label in 2018. The brand quickly garnered a cult following for its sharp, pragmatic tailoring and insousiant sex appeal. Meanwhile, Helmut Lang redefined 90s cool with his utilitarian, androgynous looks. The growing fascination with archival fashion and 90s aesthetics has sparked renewed interest in Lang's legacy, and Do is a natural fit to take the brand into its next phase. A buzzy legacy house combined with an insider-favourite young designer could explain the appeal of this creative collaboration.?
Peter Hawkings for TOM FORD FASHION and Stefano Gallici for Ann Demeulemeester came in at 13% and 10% respectively. Peter Hawkins is a relatively safe choice comparatively, given that he has worked with Tom Ford for over 25 years, first at Gucci and then in house for his eponymous brand. Hawkings was rumoured to be his replacement for a while and will likely continue Ford's brand direction fairly consistently. Gallici is also an in house hire, having joined their menswear department in 2020. Following the abrupt departure of Ludovic de Saint Sernin after just one season, playing it safe is an appropriate strategy for the brand. While both are respected designers who know their house codes intimately, the fact that they are smaller names and coming from inside the brands likely contributes to the lower share of votes.
Finally, with 2% of votes, Simone Bellotti for Bally came in fifth. Rhuigi Villase?or's short tenure as Creative Director did little to inspire confidence in the brand's vision and it makes sense for the house to choose an insider for the top job. Bellotti is an industry veteran, with two decades in design roles at Gucci, Bottega Veneta and DOLCE&GABBANA under his belt. Although he has only been at Bally for a year, his quiet but consistent work ethic may be what the brand needs to restore confidence in its legacy.
*?Percentages may exceed 100 due to participants being able to choose multiple options.
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