Vibes #29: Fashion Is Getting Messy
Luxury designer prison sentences, HNWIs bargain hunt and the WNBA is in its fashion era
‘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 #29.
Fashion is in a messed up state of affairs.
Pensioner age designers are getting prison time for smuggling crocodile handbags into the US in a multiyear conspiracy.
New York’s high-flyers are rummaging the discount shelves at high street retail chains.
And indpendent brands shutter while luxury sales decline elsewhere as the economic outlook remains bleak.
In this sociocultural and economic climate, its a dog eat dog world.
But whatever way you look at it, the mess and stress is set to stick around as the industry is forced to reinvent.
Brand chit chat
Canada Goose’s new creative director: in an unexpected plot twist, Haider Ackermann has been named creative director at Canada Goose. Dressing an unnamed celebrity for the Cannes Film Festival and having Jane Fonda star in a campaign show you the direction the brand is headed in.
The Vampire’s Wife bids farewell: it’s tough out there for independent brands, and the latest player to fall victim to the turbulent market is The Vampire’s Wife. The cult gothic glamour brand has ceased trading with immediate effect, with UK authorities calling for its liquidation over tax debt.
Burberry sales drop off: things aren’t looking good for the British trench coat maker as weak demand from overseas shoppers has seen Burberry sales continue to decline. Can Daniel Lee revive the brand? That remains to be seen, but if money talks… then it's fiscal fourth quarter would suggest not.
News you might have missed
Prison time for Nancy Gonzalez: the 71-year-old founder of Gzuniga Ltd., Nancy Gonzalez, was sentenced to 18 months prison time for smuggling caiman and python skin handbags into America. Arrested in Colombia and extradited to the US, Gonzalez even recruited others into the scheme.
Kapital founder passes away: if you know denim, you know that Kapital is an OG brand that has truly mastered the craft of denim. Toshikiyo Hirata, who founded the brand in 1985 after being inspired by the all-American denim made in the United States, sadly passed away – but his legacy lives on.
Millionaires shop at T.J. Maxx & Marshalls: you know the cost of living crisis is hitting hard when millionaires are scouring the discount shelves at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. Citing the ‘thrill of the hunt’ when battling other wealthy women, apparently, this is what New York’s finest now do for fun.
Icon moments and eye-roll behaviour
WNBA girls are the new fashion baddies: whether on court or off court, the WNBA girlies have got game. From Caitlin Clark dressed in Prada for the WNBA draft to Angel Reese at the Met Gala, and the NBA cosying up with Skims as their official underwear partner, the gurls are having a moment.
Zendaya’s stylist spills the tea: Law Roach is one of the few big players in the industry who knows how to keep it real. Speaking on The Cutting Room Floor’s podcast, Roach says how the likes of Saint Laurent, Dior, Gucci, and Valentino all refused to dress Z back in the day. Bet they regret that now.
Lolo Drip is fashion’s beloved grandpa: I question my outfit choices when I see 70-year-olds looking this good, with that being said I’d love to raid this hypebeast grandpa’s wardrobe sometime. Lolo Drip was first introduced to streetwear by his grandsons, turning him into a viral star overnight.
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Thank you so much Grant, I’m glad this post delivered something new and useful to you. To sum it up that is one of the core aims of this newsletter, to deliver something of value and to add to conversations in the fashion and culture space that often get overlooked, and to build a community in the process!
Perhaps it's my lack of exposure to such things, but it's interesting to read fashion news that feels personal and informative. It may be a stereotype in my mind, but it seems just about any article I've bothered to read in the past seems like an excuse to extend the phrase "OMG!" into multi-paragraph empty exposés.
From a a brand founder's passing to WNBA highlights, it's really something else to read news that does more than draw the eyes.