It’s been a looong week.  Happy Fashion Friday!

A lot has happened in the fashion world.

First…

Givenchy Appoints New Creative Director

With the abrupt departure of Clare Waight Keller, the fashion world was waiting with baited breath for Givenchy to announce her successor.  The verdict?  Matthew Williams.

If you don’t know who he is, well, I don’t blame you.  He’s young (34 years old) and owns the label 1017 ALYX 9SM.  His brand is carried at Nordstrom and several other major retailers, but the vibe is luxury streetwear.  So that makes me scratch my head.  Balenciaga is already crushing the luxury streetwear niche.  Why in the world would Givenchy enter this space?

Givenchy is known for tailoring.  Structure.  Silhouette.  Audrey freaking Hepburn.

I wish Williams nothing but the best and am excited to see what he has in store for the line.  But I can’t hide the fact that I’m… perplexed by this decision.

Which leads me to…

A Trend in Luxury Houses

There was once a time when a designer stayed with a brand.  Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel.  Alber Elbaz at Lanvin.  Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy.

Now?  It’s a revolving door of talent.  Designers come in, stay for a few years, don’t meet shareholder expectations, and are out.

Clare at Givenchy.  Raf at Calvin.  Raf at Dior.

I miss the days of tenure.  I miss the days of personal signature being infused on a house legacy for decades.

Sies Marjan Closes Shop

While you may not know them, Sies Marjan is a young, fabulous brand.  After 5 years in business, they are closing shop.

They achieved fast success by having a prominent place in major department stores.  Check out their collection at Nordstrom, which is now up to 70% off.  I have my eye on this insane canary yellow leather jacket.

While this news is sad, I’m sorry to say it’s not surprising.  The fashion industry has contracted by 30% in the wake of COVID-19.  Luxury fashion has contracted by almost 40%.  They won’t be the last brand we see close up shop in 2020.

What does Fashion Mean to You Right now?

I had the great honor to go on Unzipped, a live segment hosted by Segun Oduolowu and presented by designer Negris Lebrum.  In the interview, we talked about one important question.

Does fashion even matter now that we don’t have anywhere to go?

For me, as a fashion diehard, it will always matter.  Fashion is my love language.  I’m a collector and have been getting dressed everyday since the pandemic started for my own mental and emotional well-being.

But the interview brought up an excellent question.  We don’t have anywhere to go.  Fancy events have been cancelled.  Large gatherings are off-limits.

As someone fascinated by the business of fashion, I’m curious how companies like Rent the Runway and Nuuly will pivot during this time.

What are you doing, dear reader?  Are you breaking out your finest fashions?  Are you strictly wearing yoga clothes?  I’d love to hear from you!