§018: Is fashion back? Or did it ever leave?
Because there is nothing new under the sun.
I don’t know about you, but the last few months have left with me with a severe case of brain rot. Writing about fashion has been the last thing on my mind considering the current state of the world, but recent shows, like Maison Margiela’s Spring 2024 Couture experience by John Galliano, helped reignite my flickering flame.
*bows to Pat McGrath*
This show proved how important all of the supporting factors of a fashion show contribute to a brand beyond just the clothing. It was a striking collection, but if Pat McGrath did not make the models look like actual porcelain dolls, would we have cared about it this much? It was a great reminder of what a huge contribution hair and beauty teams have on a final look. I think we’re about to see a whole lot more creativity in these categories and I could not be more ready to see what’s coming next.
What a year we’ve had so far– the 75 Hard Style Challenge, HighSnobiety’s top 20 ranking of New Luxury’s Top Brands, the Mens and Couture Paris and New York Fashion Weeks have bombarded our feeds, all while we’re trying to survive the Stanley cup plague.
Imagine if you told someone ten years ago that brands like Salomon and Stussy would sit next to names like Prada and Balenciaga, or that the top trending lifestyle item would be 40 ounce water cup. 2024 is off to a wild start.
In the early days of collaborations, we saw a juxtaposition of luxury brands partnering with streetwear brands, and now we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing this range of names next to each other that they’ve become intermixed completely.
“Luxury brands are now redefining value, not by price tags but by their products' cultural journeys. Engaging with them today isn’t just about walking into a store and picking something off the shelf; it's about becoming part of a narrative, a cultural exchange where every item from these luxury brands represents something beyond its price point or appearance.” –Riccardo Zazzini,
Luxury Brands Every HIGHSNOBIETY Reader Should Know & Where to Buy Them
I was talking to someone the other day who was dressed in full “finance bro” attire:
• Light blue button down shirt
• Patagonia vest
• Jeans
• White On sneakers
From my experience, this type of person is usually the first to admit they aren’t a “fashion person,” but have completely bought into a specific look and lifestyle through these brands. Talk about a strong brand value proposition.
Cultural signifiers like a Patagonia vest say just as much as a Margiela Tabi Boot. It’s also interesting to see products take on totally new identities over time– like your Stanley cups or Birkenstock Bostons.
A few years ago it finally felt like we were entering into a period of “anything goes” fashion, but now it seems that trends have taken over completely while moving at an impossibly fast pace. Adidas Sambas. Onitsuka Tigers (specifically, the silver ones). Bows. Ballet flats. Clean girl aesthetic. Mob wife.
Here today, gone tomorrow.
It is encouraging to see movements that encourage intention, like the 75 Hard Style Challenge, born to cut through the static noise of a trend cycle. All hope is not lost.
Like HighSnobiety’s top 20 ranking of New Luxury’s Top Brands argues, brand value is the new key component in luxury terms:
“It’s about rocking a piece from a luxury brand that says more about you than just your bank balance. It's the difference between wearing a random luxury sneaker and one from a new luxury brand with its unique story that resonates with the person wearing it.” –Riccardo Zazzini,
Luxury Brands Every HIGHSNOBIETY Reader Should Know & Where to Buy Them
The desire to find community through clothing/accessories, conscious or subconscious, remains stronger than ever. Stanley cups are the new Motorola Razr’s, Drunk Elephant is the new Baby Lips, and Paramore is still winning Grammys, so I guess some things never change.
