Designer Musical Chairs 2024
And Predictions For 2025
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It's been a pivotal year for creative director changes at some of the largest luxury houses. The musical chairs of talent can change the course of a major fashion house in one season; just look at Valentino. Once the dust settles, 2025 is poised to be a fertile year creatively. In the meantime, here’s my year end take on the most consequential moves of 2024 and what I’ll have my eye on.
Changes are often necessary but the cavalier fashion in which the powers that be hit refresh often stymies creativity and breeds similarity among many of the major houses. As it is now, we barely get a chance to learn the name of the designer before he, or occasionally she, is bounced out. Talent and originality takes time to evolve. Unfortunately that is not the business model now; it’s brand over the individual designer and for practical reasons. Conglomerates cannot stake a brand’s continued market share on one person. We’re living in a post designer driven time in fashion and it impacts creativity.
In decades past, the founders of houses like Balenciaga, Halston and Azzedine Alaïa reflected the designer’s unique aesthetic which evolved over time. Today we have Rick Owens and Miuccia Prada. Dries Van Noten also had his own unique creative stamp. The common denominator is they all owned their name (Dries sold to Piug six years before he retired). Simon Porte Jacquemus has bravely gone it alone as the founder and owner of his atelier. My point is, we need independent designers who can evolve their unique aesthetic without fear of being replaced when their contract expires.
One of my hopes for 2025 is that a business model emerges to incubate independent designers and help them maintain their autonomy as they grow. I know this is wishful thinking, but there it is. The current system relies too heavily on logos, branding and marketing rather than an individual vision that is allowed to evolve organically.
Chloe
There are successes in this system worth noting. The debut of Chemena Kamali kicked off the year with positive change. Her debut show for Chloe in February of 2024 was met with immediate accolades. Her first collection soft opened with no fanfare for Pre-Fall 2024, though it was an excellent collection which accurately previewed her plans for Chloe. On a roll, her next two collections, since the much heralded fall show, demonstrate her confidence in her role and defined aesthetic which happens to meld well with the brand DNA of Chloe. I predict Kamali will inspire a 70’s revival mixing soft with hard, ruffles with leather and leaning into femininity with strength. It’s a welcome change after years of hiding under oversized clothes. I also predict she will have a long and successful tenure at Chloe. She’s the right person for the job.
Valentino
Another change that sent shock waves through the system was the appointment of Alessandro Michele to creative director for Valentino in March of 2024. His first collection for the house was for Resort 2025. With 171 looks the collection firmly established Michele’s continuation of his quirky, maximalist vision first honed for Gucci. If you were to change the V for a G no one would be the wiser. I expect more of the same for 2025. It must have been why they hired Michele. He has a large fan base and brings in a youthful edge, though the individual pieces are often quite Auntie. Take away the eccentric styling though and you have beautiful, even timeless pieces that are quite wearable.
Many of the resort pieces I saw in the Valentino store could pass for vintage Valentino except for it being brand spanking new which is not at all a bad thing. Michele also has a talent for developing accessories that become ubiquitous, which keeps the suits happy. His hyper femininity and all out opulence will be an influence throughout the industry. The minimalist look which has dominated fashion, coincidentally while he was out, will be challenged. Though true believers (I’m talking to you Row fans) are not going anywhere. There’s certainly room for both. I do believe we will all feel inspired to be more extra in 2025 and I, for one, am looking forward to it.
Dries Van Noten
The entire fashion industry expressed shock and sadness when Dries Van Noten announced he would retire after his men’s show in June of 2024. I was not shocked, though I was saddened. When he sold a majority stake to the Spanish luxury group Puig in June of 2018, I knew it was just a matter of time before he stepped back. Van Noten always did things his way and with integrity. A designer of his caliber and success would not work any other way. He was planning a smart, and lucrative exit strategy. Another smart move was to appoint the new creative director, Julian Klausner from within. Klausner has had the benefit of working directly with Van Noten since 2018. His first show will be in January for menswear. In 2025 I’ll be watching DVN closely and hoping for a smooth transition for a fashion house that has contributed so much to the artistry of making clothes.
Chanel
To cap off the year we have the much anticipated answer to the question of who will replace Virginie Viard as creative director of Chanel. It was announced that Viard was stepping down in June of 2024 setting off rampant speculation of who would land one of the most coveted roles in fashion. Karl Largerfeld owned the role for over 35 years. Viard worked with Largerfeld for nearly 30 years before her own stint as creative director for the past five years.
On December 12th it was announced that Matthieu Blazy was named creative director of Chanel. Blazy spent the past three years as creative director of Bottega Veneta. I’m excited. I love what he did with Bottega Veneta and he clearly has original ideas. He also champions real clothes for day that people can actually wear to an office or meeting. Something many designers have forgotten how to do.
In my opinion, Chanel has been overdue for an update, even before Largerfeld’s death. I know that’s a form of fashion blasphemy, but it’s how I feel. Viard had an impossible job working under not one, but two ghosts. Throw in a pandemic and the press that were against her from the start and I would imagine she isn’t looking back. Nevertheless, Chanel grew under her tenure. I hope she received a very generous package, she deserves it.
Blazy hopefully has permission to throw out the Largerfeld handbook, go back to the beginning with Coco Chanel and develop his own code for madame and the house. He’s clearly talented and knows accessories to boot. Let’s hope he gets the breathing room he needs to chart his own path for Chanel. I predict Blazy will usher in a new era for Chanel. He may offend die hard Chanel fans but he’s certainly capable of charting a more modern path for the storied house. We’ll have to wait until October of 2025 however, to see Blazy’s first collection for Chanel due to a non compete clause.
2025
How does all this far removed movement affect us at the retail level and more personally in our wardrobes? 2024 saw an unusual amount of change in talent at the top. I predict this will mark a paradigm shift after the past few years in the doldrums. My belief is that 2025 is poised to be an exciting year in fashion and will inspire us to be more daring in our choices. Opulence will make a comeback as well as more feminine clothes. The 1970’s will be the dominant decade for inspiration, particularly the fluid, sexy seventies with long undone hair, high boots and fluid silhouettes. Oversized proportions will move closer to the body but still have plenty of ease.
Creativity at the top of the pyramid does trickle down and everyone benefits.
And finally here is an excellent documentary which follows the development of one Dries Van Noten collection. I’m going to watch it again just to revisit his spectacular country house and gardens where no doubt he is now spending more time.
https://www.amazon.com/Dries-van-Noten/dp/B077T1RS4F
Thank you all for reading. Your support and comments mean the world to me. Let me know if this kind of industry reporting interests you. I find it fascinating and it does affect how we dress, even if we don’t buy directly from the designers. Our collective eye changes due, in many ways, to the innovation of individual designers.
xxx Jolain
I'm super excited!!! I feel fashion has been in a rut lately and needs a little kick in the pants!
I'm excited to see all the changes ahead! I think a huge part of what's made Chemena's time at Chloe so great is that she does what so few creative directors put in charge of heritage brands seem to: look to the archive. She refreshed what the brand was already about and made it relevant for contemporary shoppers rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.