That’s Fashion, Sweetie: Challenge accepted

Right now, if someone asked me what object physically personifies fashion, my answer would be that robot toy that continues to push its own lever back into place. Fashion is constantly pushing back against norms and causing change, in both good and bad ways. 

We see this daily as people work — or rather, rework — regular clothing items to give a new breath of fresh air (the good) or when retail giants like Urban Outfitters attempt to provide affordable, but obviously copied, luxury items to their consumers (the bad).

Even in high fashion, this past Paris Fashion Week had huge press coverage, particularly on Schiaparelli, their animal heads and guest outfits — most notably, red-crystal covered Doja Cat, and Kylie Jenner’s dress that Irina Shayk officially debuted in the same show. Viktor & Rolf also got coverage for their physically off-centered gowns, which were worn flipped on their side, upside down and even next to the model. 

A special shout-out is owed to Maison Margiela. I will always have a soft spot for them. Their latest collection was a fantastic homage from Creative Director John Galliano to the late Vivienne Westwood and her doctrine of the classical, coy and feminine application of punk past anarchy into creative, visual journeys. Leon Dame’s closing walk felt so soft, delicate and — dare I say — maternal, and overall the collection was incredibly cohesive. It felt like listening to that song your favorite artist had been teasing for a long time. 

But with these fashion victories, I’m keeping my eyes on the futures of three brands.

First: Louis Vuitton. Since former creative director Virgil Abloh’s passing in 2021, the brand has not yet named nor demonstrated taking any steps to find its new creative director. But after three successful collections, including their latest menswear collection featuring Rosalía and live music from Kendrick Lamar and conductor Gustavo Dudamel, there may be a future of fashion houses without leading directors. 

Instead of pulling back, Louis Vuitton has increased funding in their marketing, acquired new A-list and international spokespeople and has still managed to keep their consumers engaged. Their starting sprint isn’t looking like it’s going to slow down anytime soon, so it will be interesting to see how LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) will move forward regarding the face (or lack of) for the luxury powerhouse. 

The second is Valentino. Their PFW collection received a standing ovation from Anna Wintour (not only that, she was the first to stand up in the audience), but the show went viral for another reason: the continued feud between models and Valentino shoes.

Don’t get me wrong, these models are doing much better than I ever could. Some shoes are incredibly difficult to strut in, and even the most experienced veterans take a tumble — throwback to Naomi Campbell and the “super elevated Gillie” heels at Westwood’s AW93 show. 

But what is up with Valentino’s shoes? Their newest collection had supermodel Kristen McMenamy give up entirely, taking off her shoes mid-runway to finish her walk after a large tumble. But in October’s Spring/Summer23 runway show, models were not only teetering side to side, but were also confused about where to walk and the layout of the runway. Some speculated a publicity stunt to gain more attention from the media, but I think it’s just poor fitting, poor planning and not enough attention to detail in regard to the models. 

The third brand is the one-and-only Gucci, who has actually had a rough couple of years after being hit harder than other luxury brands.

Interestingly enough, the newly named creative director as of Jan. 28 is Sabato de Sarno, who is a close associate of Valentino’s own creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. While not new to the world of fashion, as de Sarno worked at Valentino from 2009 after Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, his name is not (yet) a fashion-household name. 

According to Business of Fashion, previous creative director Alessandro Michele tripled the company’s annual sales and quadrupled profits in his years before the pandemic slowed Gucci’s growth. Part of this came from his maximalist aesthetic and incorporation of bright designs, streetwear and logo mania; heavier emphasis on classic styles like the Jackie bag, stripes and the bumblebee; as well as bringing in A-list ambassadors, including Harry Styles and Billie Eilish. 

However, BoF’s prediction is that de Sarno will be “likely to keep the focus on stabilising its brand image with more classical identity.” 

I personally hope this means returning to the classic, minimalist era of Gucci by Tom Ford. 

I don’t have a problem with Michele’s Gucci, but two characteristics have caused me to stray away from his era of Gucci: my love of the black and silver combo and the less-flashy designs, as well as a feeling that Michele’s Gucci was — and bear with me — too Gen-Z. 

The former is a matter of personal taste; my mother dresses this way and gravitates towards quiet, luxury and minimalist design, and I am, after all, my mother’s daughter. 

The latter, though, stems from a desire for brands to stick to their classic roots. I know this is wishful thinking, because all brands must grow and change as people do, but I truly believe that Ford’s era was the best. It was exciting, it felt luxurious in the classic, old-money, quiet luxury-“my dad has a yacht,” way and it was a style that was so obviously Gucci. Playing devil’s advocate, Michele has also created a Gucci that is iconic in its own right. 

However, the vibrant oranges, greens and purples felt almost too rich for the eye to take in and appreciate the actual quality of design — including the careful choices of fabric, stitching, hems and silhouette. It became almost a distraction, and with the striped sneakers and logo mania blowing up, the ready-to-wear collection no longer had the same feeling as their runway. Of course, I don’t mean this in a literal way — collections and ready-to-wear collections are different, and not all runway pieces are sold retail, especially couture and high fashion collections — but since 2018-ish Gucci seemed to be listening to numbers, sales and customers more than the voice of the brand and the history behind their name. 

I’m excited to see de Sarno’s first collections and where he will take Gucci. He has some large shoes to fill, but that doesn’t mean he can’t meet or even exceed expectations. As seen with Ford, sometimes a quiet name is what a brand needs – and, just as excitingly, we all love a good underdog story. 

In bocca al lupo e buona fortuna, de Sarno! Let’s see what you’re made of. 

Hadyn Phillips is a sophomore writing about fashion in the 21st century, specifically spotlighting new trends and popular controversy. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” runs every Tuesday.