Most Memorable Fashion Moments of 2023
From the big debut at Gucci to Sarah Burton's final collection for Alexander McQueen, 2023 gave fashion fans plenty to talk about.
If we had to remember anything about the fashion industry this year, it would certainly be the constant stream of news announcing the departure and appointment of new creative directors. The race for the top spots in the fashion industry continues throughout 2023, turning fall-winter and spring-summer 2023 into a series of farewell (and welcome) parties. Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, Jeremy Scott at Moschino and Tom Ford with his eponymous brand are just some of the names. Appointments and shows were plentiful: Sabato De Sarno finally proved his worth when he was appointed Creative Director of Gucci and Pharrell Williams successfully led the grand launch of Louis Vuitton Men in Paris. L'OFFICIEL has highlighted the most important catwalk moments of 2023.
30 сентября Сара Бертон представила свою последнюю коллекцию в качестве креативного директора Alexander McQueen, попрощавшись с брендом, к которому она присоединилась в качестве стажера в 1996 году. Коллекция Anatomy II вдохновлена формой женского тела, королевой Елизаветой I, кроваво-красными розами и Магдаленой Абаканович. Жакеты тщательно расшиты, чтобы подчеркнуть фигуру, тонкую талию и грудь. Мероприятие завершилось появлением супермодели Наоми Кэмпбелл и объявлением о том, что Шон МакГирр сменит Бертон, начиная с 2024 года.
Coperni brought robots to the stage
Last year, Coperni shocked the fashion world by creating a dress that was sprayed all over model Bella Hadid's body. This year, creative director Sébastien Meyer and CEO Arnaud Vaillant attempted to recreate the same magical performance by once again applying technology to the models on the runway. This time, however, humans were replaced by robots. Spots dogs from innovative robotics company Boston Dynamics roamed the stage and shared it with models presenting Coperni's latest collection. In the finale, one of the five animals interacted with model Rianne Van Rompuy, removing her jacket. The robot then held up the purse of model Lila Moss - Kate Moss' daughter - and returned it to her. At the end of the show, the robots bowed to the audience in applause.
Sabato De Sarno, who took over as Gucci's creative director after the departure of Alessandro Michele last year, held his first collection presentation at Milan Fashion Week in September. De Sarno's collection features special details such as leather jackets, knit jumpsuits and neon brocade jackets, showing the influence of previous Gucci creative directors including Alessandro Michele and Tom Ford.
Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoren, two Dutch designers, always bring unique artistic ideas to the fashion runway. At the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 show, they created an elegant yet humorous atmosphere. Models appeared in exquisite evening gowns, but in strange "poses". It seemed as if one dress was about to fly off the body, another was flipped 90 degrees off the ground or pulled up to the neck. There were dresses that were worn completely upside down and even separated from the model's body. These creations that shattered all fashion standards caused a wave of fierce controversy. Some people felt very uncomfortable, some exclaimed, "They are geniuses," while others said it was unacceptable. But this is the Viktor & Rolf style - innovative, creative and free from the opinions of others.
Tom Ford released his Spring/Summer 2024 collection under the direction of Peter Hawkings at Milan Fashion Week. We saw traces of the past in the collection as he referenced the time when his predecessor worked at both Tom Ford and Gucci. The sexy element is expressed through short leather pants, see-through dresses combined with metal belts with undersized waists and a few monochrome satin suits that are not too sexy but still eye-catching. The models on the runway wore large Tom Ford sunglasses, as a tribute to the brand's founder and also "implicitly" signaling the beginning of a new era.
In creating Helmut Lang's first collection as new Creative Director, Peter Do drew inspiration from New York. The collection is predominantly black and white with red, pink and bright yellow accents. Classic suits are embellished with belts and denim is used in a variety of styles. Pleated dresses and jackets are embellished with abstract images using silk-screening techniques, while shirts feature buttons on the back and chest with Vietnamese quotes by author Ocean Vuong. Comfort is at the heart of this collection, and this was also a key intention of Peter Do. The designer wants to create a new system so that everyone can go to the store and find a nice suit at an affordable price or a pair of sturdy jeans.
Schiaparelli and surrealist aesthetics
The Schiaparelli couture collection, directed by Daniel Roseberry, was inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. He created a surrealistic style characteristic of Schiaparelli. On the runway, models wore leather dresses covered in pewter and their faces were completely covered in gold. There were three dresses in the collection that caught the eye. Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow and Irina Shayk respectively placed images of a wolf, leopard and lion on their shoulders. This is a reference to the three animals that Dante encountered on his journey, which represent the three parts of hell and the three sins: greed, lust and pride.
After the sudden death of Virgil Abloh in November 2021, many wondered who would take over as creative director of Louis Vuitton Men's. After several seasons without any official announcements, LVMH finally announced the appointment of Pharrell Williams in early 2023. At first, many were skeptical of the decision, as Williams is mostly known in the music industry and not in fashion. However, his experience with his own brand Billionaire Boys Club and his close relationship with luxury fashion houses such as CHANEL and even Louis Vuitton convinced LVMH.
This means that during his first show in June 2023, all eyes were on Williams and Louis Vuitton's spring/summer 2024 menswear collection. Williams has closed the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris, enlisted celebrity friends like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, launched a new model called "Damoflouge," focused on accessories and unveiled a new slogan for the fashion house inspired by the slogan of Virginia, where he lives: "Virginia is for lovers."