Top Stories of 2012
As the world becomes a much smaller place, due in large part to the Internet, high fashion's place in the news and the lives of average citizens continues to grow. In 2012, there were plenty of stories that captivated not just the relatively small world of fashion but also the masses. Below are some of the top stories that garnered the most press, whether good or bad.
It all started with John Galliano in early 2011 that started what has been called fashion designer musical chairs. One of the most coveted directorships in the fashion industry (Christian Dior) suddenly became empty. After almost a year-long search, Dior's parent company LVMH announced that Belgian designer Raf Simons would become the house's new director, a position only five other people have held. Simons, regarded as one of the most respected and influential menswear designers, debuted at Dior with a much anticipated Haute Couture collection shortly after the menswear SS13 season in Paris. Reviews were cautiously optimistic, with seasoned reviewers like Suzy Menkes at the International Herald Tribune calling the debut "a selection of ideas by a designer who has a rare aptitude: to meld modernity with romance".
Simons' appointment did not come without drama. Just weeks prior to the appointment at Dior, Jil Sander had announced it was not renewing Simons' contract after the FW12 season and that the house's founder, Jil Sander, was returning to the fashion house a second time. The announcement was made a few days prior to Jil Sander (the fashion house) was set to show their Fall/Winter 2012 collection in Milan. The collection Simons presented was incredibly well received, with a standing ovation for the Belgian designer as he took his bow, with tears in his eyes. It was reported that Simons was later quoted as saying he was "leaving Milan forever" after he was unceremoniously dismissed.
Jil Sander's return to her fashion house marked the second time the German designer returned to her namesake brand. Sander said one of her goals for her return was to "return the house back to its roots", clearly a slight to Simons' vision of her house during his six-year tenure. Sander made her runway debut in June when she presented the mens Spring/Summer 2013 collection, with solid reviews, hitting a new high by showcasing her refreshed vision of the house. Prior to her second return, Sander worked with Japan's Uniqlo to create a successful collaboration collection called +J, which was severed in 2011. Months after her return, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of the reasons for Simons being dismissed was because during his tenure at Sander, the house did not turn a profit, even though Simons' collections were widely lauded.
Stefano Pilati showcased a brilliant mens collection for Yves Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2012. Though unbeknownst to most people, the Fall/Winter 2012 season would be his last for the house. For years, Pilati's directorship at YSL was mired by rumors of displeasure from the higher ups at PPR and most notably Pierre Bergé , Yves Saint Laurent's (the man) partner in life and business. Finally, in early 2012, it was reported by Women's Wear Daily that this time Pilati really was done at YSL and that Hedi Slimane was waiting in the wings to be the new director. WWD was correct; Pilati was out and Slimane was in. Hedi Slimane made a name for himself as the man who reinvented Christian Dior Monsieur and renamed it Dior Homme and created a revolution in how men dressed.
His influence during his time at Dior Homme was so prevalent that even Chanel's famed designer Karl Lagerfeld went on an extreme diet so he could fit into Slimane's slim proportions. Fast forward to 2012 and Slimane was set to design mens and womenswear at YSL; it would be his first time designing the latter and the pressure was on. After his appointment was made public, Slimane quickly set out to reinvent the house, renaming the prêt-à-porter collections Saint Laurent Paris, much to the dismay of many devoted fans. Slimane's contract with PPR stipulated that Slimane would have absolute control of the house, he could do whatever he wanted and he took full advantage of it. Not only did he change the name of the ready to wear collections but he also moved the atelier to Los Angeles, changed the packaging and made sweeping personnel changes. Rumors also swirled that Slimane refused to advertise the Fall/Winter 2012 mens and women's collections, collections he did not create.
Slimane's Saint Laurent show was the hottest ticket of the season, it would be the designer's return to the runway since leaving Dior Homme. Leading up to both Saint Laurent and Dior's Spring/Summer 2013 collections, the press seemingly pit them against one another. Many thought the press was just making things up. After Slimane's collection, with reviews tepid, The New York Times' fashion writer Cathy Horyn reviewed the collection but noted that she was not allowed to attend and reviewed the collection based on photos alone. Her statements caused quite a stir. After posting her fair, albeit harsh review, Slimane took to his Twitter to respond to Horyn. Slimane stated Horyn would never be invited to a Saint Laurent show as long as he was in charge but that she would receive a "2-for-1" invitation to Simons' show at Dior, nearly validating all the "feud" rumors between the two designers. The result of Slimane's tweet caused an uproar for its insulting tone, which was another blunder from the PR department at Yves Saint Laurent. Journalists from The Times to the Telegraph in London to the BoF called out Slimane and his team.
Stefano Pilati, the man who held the directorship at Yves Saint Laurent, took the summer off but in early September 2012, it was announced that the Italian designer got a job at Ermengildo Zegna and would be responsible for the direction of the world-renowned suit maker and also for Zegna's subsidiary Agnona, a womenswear ready-to-wear line that has failed to make a significant contribution to the house.
Then there was probably one of the biggest surprises: Nicolas Ghesquière, the director at Balenciaga for fifteen years was leaving. Ghesquière and his bosses at PPR, owner of Balenciaga, announced that Ghesquière was leaving his post. Unlike its rival, LVMH, PPR was quick to name a successor in Chinese-American designer Alexander Wang. The response to Wang appointment was met with positive well wishes from the industry but many thought he is still too inexperienced to continue the level of expertise and modernity that Ghesquière heralded at Balenciaga. One of Balenciaga's Facebook fans even responded by asking who Wang will "rip off now" that he's the head at Balenciaga.
The last designer to exit a brand in 2012 was British designer Christopher Kane, who left Versus, the lower priced line from the house of Versace. His resignation came shortly after the announcement of Ghesquière's departure at Balenciaga, leaving many to speculate he would move to Paris to usher Balenciaga into the future. But once Wang was appointed, it was clear that would not come to fruition. The sightings of Kane with PPR's CEO might hint at a future collaboration between the two. Replacing Kane at Versus is another British designer, the up and coming designer J.W. Anderson.
In summary, the fashion designer musical chair is as follows: Jil Sander is back at Jil Sander with Raf Simons leaving Milan "forever" and taking up a post at Christian Dior. Stefano Pilati is out at Yves Saint Laurent and Hedi Slimane is in at the newly-renamed Saint Laurent Paris. Chinese-American designer Alexander Wang replaces Nicolas Ghesquière who has not yet announced his next move. Christopher Kane leaves Versus and is quickly replaced by compatriot J.W. Anderson.
As for the other stories of 2012, the most buzzworthy are as follows:
- Miuccia Prada flew in over 20 actors to walk her Fall/Winter 2012 collection. The collection itself was one of Miuccia's most commercial but still offered much in the way of quirky patterns and interesting juxtapositions that we expect from the influential designer. The addition of the Hollywood heavyweights signaled the house's new focus on celebrity-based culture and the infusion of cash from their successful IPO allows them the ability to partner with said heavyweights. Prada's advertising campaigns have featured only actors since Fall/Winter 2011, starting with Tobey Maguire, then Michael Pitt in Spring/Summer 2012, then a small handful of the same actors who were in the show for Fall/Winter 2012. For SS13, the house opted for more actors including Benicio del Toro. Miuccia has all but cast away the male models who littered previous campaigns, many of whom whose careers she jumpstarted. Or it could have something to do with a certain casting director who was shafted at Prada after over 10 years of runway castings.
- After some allusion via Instagram photos, rumors were upped when French model Willy Cartier and recently-out singer Frank Ocean were seen around town quite often, which many speculate could hint that the two are dating or if it's just press for Ocean's upcoming music video, which Willy might co-star in. Only time will tell, we suppose.
- Brazilian model and fan favorite Francisco Lachowski has broken the hearts of many women, and some men, when reports of his girlfriend, model Jessiann Gravel, was pregnant with his child. The happy couple is expecting and the pregnancy was confirmed by Brazil-centric blog, Made in Brazil.
- Maison Martin Margiela, whose namesake designer left a few years ago, teamed up with Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M to create a collection. The collection was met with high anticipation and praise from fashion insiders but the highly conceptual collection, which were cheap re-issues of Margiela, the man's, most famous designs failed to sell as well as previous collaborations like Lanvin and Versace.
- Famed modeling agency IMG, whose women's board could be seen as a who's-who in the female modeling world, has relaunched their men's board, with former Wilhelmina agents Greg Chan and Kevin Apana heading up the new men's division. IMG is known for their highly lucrative campaign contracts with clients. The new mens board at IMG saw major players from many agencies in New York switching, with Wilhelmina Men's taking the biggest blow with many of its blue chip models joining IMG, such as Tyson Ballou, Oriol Elcacho, RJ Rogenski, Mathias Lauridsen, Jon Kortajarena and Ryan Kennedy. New faces that joined IMG's mens board include Zac and Jordan Stenmark and Liuk Bass. Wilhelmina is currently suing IMG and Kevin Apana for breach of Apana's contract with Wilhelmina.
- Vogue Hommes Japan announced in late 2012 that Condé Nast, the magazine's publisher, has opted to shutter its doors, with its latest issue (Fall/Winter 2012) being last.
- Lastly, 2012 was the year that men started showing their power and influence in the fashion industry, or more specifically the luxury sector. Menswear sales has been on the rise for years, with more and more men concerned about dressing and looking better, thanks in large part to the influence of certain genius menswear designers, many of whom have been mentioned here. In 2012, however, sales figures predict that sales in menswear and men's accessories are outpacing sales in womenswear. This new data has caused a rise in pre-collections from design houses, the norm in womenswear for years. More and more design houses are releasing pre-collections, which traditionally see more time on the sales floors than the main collections. The houses that are embracing this new and emerging trend are Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Gucci. As the big fashion houses start to roll out pre-collections to appease the hunger for new merchandise, we predict that more and more designers will feel the pressure to follow suit. But let the story of John Galliano and Christophe Decarnin be a warning that the pressure of designing over 8 collections (4 for men and 4 for women) per calendar year can takeits toll, not everyone can be Karl Lagerfeld who designs over 15 a year.
