At Pitti Uomo, the words new technique are applied to the Japanese textile houses and brands. The final feel of the pieces shown in Florence is a bolt of blue. The JQ exhibit in the center building is always fascinating because of the way the fabrics feel: light and fine. The same question: How? The way the producers handle cashmere and silk should motivate designers to study the material process in Japan. Why these shirts and suits are not sold in major stores in the West is a mystery.
The Donald Trump influence on Fashion and Masculinity will be felt in the fashion industry. Professionals should not underestimate the influence of a President’s outlook on style. John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, the President went hatless on a cold January day, that styling decision placed a once accessory staple to the back of the men’s closet for a generation. Men dropped the headwear. Of course, his First Lady who needs no introduction, Jackie, is a timeless fashion icon.
This election could mark an unexpected shift in many ways. People turned away from mass media for opinions. Mainstream channels took a credibility hit. Not only did they get it wrong by a September Issue Size Vogue issue, television commentators could not hide the disbelief on live television. The fashion press misread voter sentiments, publications placed a bet on the wrong horse, then lost. What does that say about their insight? No amount of deflection or no comments can cover up the scale of this pubic misread. After putting Kamala Harris on numerous covers, no one expects Head Editor in charge Anna Wintour to have a public make up phone call to Melania Trump.
Creative directors will need a rethink over the next months and years. Since the term “gender” became a political toxin, consumers may move away from gender free fashion, out of style. Sure, the houses can produce it. Who will buy the collections outside of four stores in NYC and SF? The marketing and messaging will take a different course. Companies are ditching DEI initiatives faster than a Shein can copy a runway look. Bottom line decisions trump social movements in boardrooms. The 47th Unites States leader’s 75 million voters are too big a market to ignore.
There could be a silver lining, style hope. Brands could become counter reactionary, more underground. The Gap was born in the counter culture of San Francisco. The Mini Skirt shock off the feminine rigidity of the fifties.
The 47th head of the United States will leave an imprint on the way we dress, like or not.
At the recent press events I attended, noticing the fashion tribe I wondered. Why do they wear everything but the frying pan? Many were gussied up wearing all the labels from their shelves popping in and out of offices and showrooms. I wondered if there had been a looting at a luxury department store. The pride of being kitsch while not understand the meaning of the word scares me.
Chanel’s quote is, “The last thing you put on, take off.” This has been lost on the Kill for TikTok crowd. When at one time anyone with an eye could see quality and style, in today’s social media driven world standing out as if you were the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile at a 4th of July Parade means everything.
It is sad to look dated after only two hours. A great style is eternal. Jackie O never wore a brand emblazoned on her chest. Before Covid, around 2018, many fashion houses redesigned logos to take advantage of the camera phone ratio in an attempt to attract younger buyers. Monogramed mania took over the fashion industry. Every piece had to display a name.
The world had been hit with a name brand sledgehammer. The influencers, TikTokers wear everything all at once. This embellishment veers to pathological bad taste. Imagine stuck in a room with a person who has a big Louis Vuitton bag, Chanel glasses, oversized Balenciaga sneakers and a shinning Gucci jacket. I needed a certified CPA degree to track all the names. How many of these items were fake? No clue!
The shift to subtle fashion has taken place, however I do not think it has made its way to the younger crowd. “Bling” is still a way of life, showing off for the camera. Thankfully, kitchen items do not have a YSL monogram on the side.
Streetwear fashion label BruceGlen has an expressive take on streetwear. The Los Angeles based brand goes for vivid looks. I met twin brothers Bruce and Glen Proctor at the Milan Fashion Week Hub while the duo were showing some of the expressive pieces. Are these pieces a person would wear everyday? Who cares! As they said, “It’s about fun.”
As Generation Z gets squeezed, facing gaping economic inequality, the expense to show off becomes harder. In 2024 trade down and keep posting model reigns. If the bank account cannot afford the real thing, get the fake one. The rise of the super counterfeit luxury goods means bling, bling without the high price tag. Fakefluencers brag about purchasing fake luxury goods, glamour on a shoestring budget. Even when they are showcasing their false items, perhaps even looking silly, fakefluencers have taken influencing to the next level, Fakefluencing. These style setters are no longer waiting for brands to dm their Instagram accounts asking for a collaboration. Why go to Saks Fifth Avenue? Now, Fakefluencers buy the sort of real thing online or on the street corner.
Excess, no questions asked is the philosophy. That interlocked Double C Chanel handbag under an arm was probably made who knows where, by who knows whom, under what type of conditions.
At least the world’s most expensive logos are being seen with people who count. Next time looking over a lifestyle of the rich and famous social media post just remember “If it looks too good to be true, it is probably fake.”
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.
At the 96th Academy Awards artist and filmmaker Donata Wenders wore a one of kind Cruba Berlin VCR Tape Dress to great acclaim from the global fashion press on the ultimate Hollywood Red Carpet.
On this reposted podcast from 2023 we spoke with fashion designer Mira von der Osten along with actress Eugenia Kuzmina about the material and production of this unique creation.
Here are more looks from Milan Fashion Week.
Some images from Milan Fashion Week.
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