Style moved from Having It to Faking It. As with so many elements in modern life, expensive handbags may not be what you think, fake handbags are stylish. Once a secret, today buyers and influencers proudly display cheap knock offs.
Fashion designer Brett Johnson talks about creativity in this Before Tacky Brief.
Check out the entire podcast here:
From Paris Fashion Week July 2024, some images from our visit in the city.
Change is inevitable, in the fashion business, change is often. The news from New York took the industry by surprise. Calvin Klein announced the appointment of Veronica Leoni as creative head, the female to lead he label. The brand plans to return to the runway schedule. Why this change of strategy? Parent company owner PVH withdrew the fifty-six-year-old designer brand from the ready-to-wear runway shows, instead focusing on the label’s core sellers, underwear and jeans.
Little is known about Leoni other than the Italian designer worked for Celine and Jil Sander. Calvin Klein was once the crown of the fashion world with is minimal sensuality built around youth. Can Veronica Leoni bring the buzz back to an once New York Fashion Week marque? Curious choices are interesting.
The other news of the day report came from Paris. The Grand Dame of fashion labels released a statement stating Virginie Viard would resign as head of the Paris based house. After five years at the position inherited from Karl Lagerfeld. After 30 years with the brand Virginie’s stay comes to an end. What was the reason? Chanel plays its hand close to its chest. There were no rumors of strife or lower sales. The company recently paid big dividends to its owners.
However, Viard has some big shoes to fill. The larger-than-life Lagerfeld left his mark on the prestigious womenswear line. His magnificent shows, the sardonic wit filled pages of fashion reports. While The headline adverse French born designer was competent the grandiose excitement seemed missing. The airport runway sets or the multimillion-dollar celebrity commercials disappeared after 2019. After all, Chanel is really about classy sensations.
It is only halfway through 2024.
The rise and fall of fashion wonderkid John Galliano was a magical story of success. Championed by industry heavy weights as a visionary, Galliano gave the world frivolity on the runways of Dior. However, under the surface of smiles, showmanship and Champagne toasts lurked an individual coming off the rails.
Academy Award winning director Kevin Macdonald stripes away the gloss, putting the former Givenchy fashion house head front and center of a documentary film about a man trying to his road to redemption.
Check out the Before Tacky Podcast on the film.
The musical chairs continue in the fashion world as yet more creative heads have departed major houses. I was in a state of shock when Pierpaolo Piccioli exited as head of Rome brand house Valentino after twenty-five years. The couture label epitomized glamour with its monochromatic pink looks and feathered head pieces. All great rides come to an end. Piccioli’s clock rang. However, the clock was ticking. When powerhouse Kering bought 30% of the house in July 2023, changes were coming. As a media sweetheart, Valentino matched Louis Vuitton with celebrity filled fashion shows in Paris. As a major sales force, the numbers came up short. Enter the former Kering alumi and past darling Alessandro Michele. The once head of Gucci has been given the task make the sixty-four-year-old brand commercially relevant. It is a curious mix of bling meets classical style. It will be interesting to see the next evolution of the big V logo brand in Spring 2025 collection
Menswear Fashion Designer Brett Johnson returns as a guest to the Before Tacky Fashion podcast. The head of the Milan based brand will talk about his latest collection and the state of men’s style.
During Milan Fashion Week fashion designer Deborah LaTouche spoke about her label SABIRAH. In the MFW HUB the UK based designer discussed the collections modest looks made for a woman seeking glamor.
“WORK IS NOT WORK IF YOU LIKE IT“, PILATI
Fashion designer Stefano Pilati gave a talk during Milan Fashion Week at Istituto Marangoni on his career and the state of fashion. The Italian born former head of YSL spoke about practicing patience for young designers, not thinking success will come immediately, but taking time to build a career. The current mass production of luxury goods sold over the world makes once sought after goods less desirable, said the one time Miu Miu designer.
Currently based in Berlin, Mr. Pilati spoke about his new Random Identities brand and the trends in the fashion arena during the one hour discussion.
More looks from Milan Fashion Week.
