Vibes #26: Fashion Is In A State Of Flux
Fashion media is in a state of reckoning, Y2K is in its dragon era and WAGs are back in style
‘Vibes' is a place to get the lowdown on what the f*ck has been going on in fashion recently. Good, bad, and everything in between — this is where it's at.
‘Vibes’ is a place for you to discover all of the fashionable things that should be on your radar.
If you didn’t know you needed to know these fashion tidbits, well, now you know.
It's a place to discover the news you may have missed and peek behind the scenes to see wtf has been going on in fashion recently.
Let’s get into round #26.
Fashion is all over the place at the minute.
Industry-wide layoffs, budget constraints and pressure from advertisers are changing fashion media.
OG heavyweight brands are grappling with their identity amid sales slumps and a new, culture-first landscape.
And fashionable crossovers are upending industry norms.
It seems as if fashion will be here, there and everywhere in 2024.
This tricky terrain will change the fashion landscape — but whether for better or worse remains to be seen.
Brand chit chat
Nike is in the trenches: Nike's brand identity is in a state of flux. It doesn't feel as solid as it was in the days of Air Jordan Spike Lee commercials and OG Dunks. Corporate restructurings, a lack of innovation, marketing that doesn't hit the mark, a global sales slump, Tiger Woods leaving as an ambassador after 27 years not to mention 1,600 incoming layoffs... yeah, it's a mess.
Baby Phat is back, baby: whispers of Baby Phat's comeback turned into shouts when Ice Spice wore a custom look to the Grammy's. In the noughties, the brand wasn't really visible on red carpets. You know, its 'ghetto fabulous' vibe didn't cut it in Hollywood. But jokes on them as Kimora Lee Simmons, the reinstated CEO, is restoring the brand to its glory heydays.
Pharrell x culture at Louis Vuitton: ever since LV brought in Pharrell, we knew there was going to be a shift — something evident in the brand's latest link-up. Known for his fashion brands Golf Wang and Le Fleur, Tyler the Creator is collaborating with LV for a capsule collection launching in March. It’s a fashion x culture crossover I'm sure we can expect to see more of.
News you might have missed
WAGs are back in fashion: Taylor Swift, Olivia Culpo, Brittany Mahomes and Alix Earle may be the current WAGs in the spotlight, but they can't hold a torch to Sporty Spice and Coleen Rooney if you ask me. Either way, today's WAGs are making a fashion comeback by building personal brands, securing lucrative partnerships and leveraging social media. Props to them.
Y2K is in its dragon era: we've just entered the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, and brands releasing Y2K-inspired dragon-adorned collections range far and wide. From Alexander McQueen, Prada, Fendi and Loewe to Hugo Boss, Kate Spade and COS, the resurgence of Y2K aesthetics and cultural storytelling has heightened the dragon motif for 2024.
Fashion media is changing: Edward Enniful has left British Vogue and Alastair McKimm is out at i-D. Both industry stylists, they kickstarted a trend in fashion media where many top EICs came from styling backgrounds. But fashion media is changing amid industry-wide layoffs, budget constraints, and pressure from advertisers to control editorial content. Ewww.
Icon moments and eye-roll behaviour
Rick Owen's minimal closet: Rick Owens's fashion makes a statement. It's anti-fashion fashion, it grunge and glamorous, it's post-apocalyptic and a lot of leather — no wonder he's earned the title The Lord of Darkness (an honorific he truly deserves). You'd expect someone of this calibre to have a huge closet, right? Apparently not as seen in his closet tour for Vogue Japan.
Nigo sets the fashion tone: let's break down the secrets of success behind Nigo's approach to building the streetwear label A Bathing Ape (Bape). First, the 50/50 rule: sell half of your product and give half away to key cultural figures. Second, go big on IRL experience marketing. Third, utilise cross-sector products and experiences. And fourth, integrate music into brand DNA.
Zendaya breaks the internet: Zendaya made jaws drop at the world premiere of Dune: Part Two in London by wearing a vintage Thierry Mugler cyborg suit, also known as "Machinenmensch", from the AW95 couture collection — a look not worn since the initial runway show. It's hard for celebs to get their hands on archival Mugler, but I'd expect nothing less from this icon and her team.
If you're vibing with this newsletter, subscribe to get weekly doses of fashion goodness straight in your inbox. It’s worth it, I promise.