SS24 Fashion Month from Milan to Paris to New York to Copenhagen is like Christmas for me. Waking up to hundreds of articles deconstructing incredible looks that set the precedent for the seasons to come is every &tosters dream. But this year? It didn’t feel like Christmas at all.
It felt more like when you go to the dentist and have to get a cavity filled and they don’t even let you have fun with laughing gas and you’re forced to watch a sports game and you’re sad and all you want are gorgeous pearly white teeth and you have coffee stains on them instead. The drama! I felt uninspired from Copenhagen to New York to Milan (sorry, Prada, I just wasn’t into it. Let’s forget the fringe). Paris, while being the standout, was still not as infatuating as previous years.
Prada SS24
Of course I am overgeneralizing, because some brands presented some of the most innovative Fashion Week looks I have seen in my life. Balmain screamed French luxury and honored its signature looks with the cone boobs and broad shoulders, exactly what it came to do. Marni deserved a standing ovation for overriding the seen-before neutrals displayed in The Row and Dior with colorful patterns and an overall feeling of fashion as a celebration, rather than a dull, quiet party in midtown with no snacks. And John Galliano’s collection? Maison Margiela played with craftsmanship and theatricality unlike any other show I have seen, acting as a disheveled yet high-end costume from the clothes to the way the models walked. Though I’m still on the fence if I’d consider it up to par with other high end fashion shows, its sheer creativity warrants an honorable mention. Miu Miu had my jaw on the floor with their bright underwear styled with preppy, sophisticated tops.
Miu Miu SS24
Margiela SS24
Marni SS24
After reflecting on the standouts, I can’t help but realize that the smaller brands made a bigger splash than the pioneers of the fashion industry: the LVMH brands. From Marni to Miu Miu, the previously second tier brands have proven their creativity and design power year after year, and SS24 was the icing on the cake of this hierarchical change. What altered this power dynamic? Creative direction.
Where are all of the creative directors going???
Alessandro, we miss you. The biggest Fashion Week letdown was by far Gucci, proving the end of Alessandro Michele’s reign to be the start of the dark ages for the brand. Kering and Gucci announced Sabato De Sarno as Alessandro’s replacement, and his work was showcased for the first time in Milan. Alessandro’s time at Gucci proved pivotal for creating the powerhouse that is the brand we know today. Through playing with maximalism, romanticism, and a pinch of 70s and glam rock, Alessandro cultivated a playful category for both menswear and androgynous clothing that had been historically restricted (think Harry Styles’ black and white floral suit he wore to the 2015 Music Awards). De Sarno had giant stilettos to fill, and he broke his heel on his way out the door. Gucci SS24 was anything but eclectic and playful; a back-to-basics cleanse of anything creative. De Sarno showcased short lengths of clothing with a subdued color pallet of black, gray, white, navy blue, and deep red. And the Gucci print? Who is she? Colorful florals? Never heard of her. Minimalism and branding were taken to a new level in a way that stripped the brand of any spirit Alessandro cultivated.
Alessandro’s SS23
De Sarno’s SS24
Gucci’s new Creative Director is not the only major turnover in the fashion creative industry this year. After her outstanding work of 13 years, Sarah Burton directed her final Alexander McQueen show. Without a replacement revealed to the public, we are left wondering who can create the fierce femininity and power that is McQueen. After the passing of Virgil Abloh in 2021, Louis Vuitton recently announced Pharrell Williams to fill the role of Men’s Creative Director.
Such intense creative direction turnover leaves me questioning how the new generation of creative visionaries will shape the fashion world to come. If it’s anything like Gucci, we can expect a whole lot of … a little. AKA minimalism. With all of the funding brands under LVMH receive, I have to wonder why they not only did not showcase such high quality looks as smaller brands, but were overall less talked about. My thoughts? Because of the power that is social media, to not get lost in the plethora of fashion brands popping up on everyday feeds, the smaller brands are forced to define themselves as distinct and individual, whereas bigger brands solely rely on their names for their status. These brands create playful looks that showcase their personalities on media platforms that, in turn, generate their runway identities during Fashion Month. While Gucci has more followers on TikTok, Miu Miu gets the same – if not more – views on videos. Miu Miu embraces this new generation of Fashion Month being just as much as on the runway versus off. People now have unlimited access to understanding brands’ identities more than ever, and while Gucci’s media presence feels unattainable, stoic, and similar to advertisements you’d expect to see on cable in 2015, Miu Miu, Maison Margiela, and Marni welcome the joy of fashion through diversity of color, fabrics, and unique ensembles. People scrolling are more likely to focus on the eye-catching, rather than the minimal. Because of this, the intentions of the fashion industry have turned over a new leaf. Ready to wear is praised for its eccentricity and individualism, rather than an unattainable Parisien who only wears neutrals. So there is still hope! As long as the smaller brands continue to rise to the top, we can rest assured that the fashion months to come will be just as playful as Balmain’s Parisian tour de force that made denouncing climate change fabulous.
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