New Creative Directors, Cult Accessories, and Celebrity Front Rows – What to Anticipate in Fashion Month 2024
Introduction of Seán McGirr’s Vision for Alexander McQueen
To all those who are celebrating, Happy Fashion Month! The first of the four major womenswear fashion weeks will begin on Friday in New York, officially starting a month-long schedule filled with shows, spectacles, and drama. It is too early to predict which trends will impact our fashion choices or how we wear our outfits, but here’s what we do know so far and what to look out for. This year, we will finally see the highly anticipated debut collections from new creative directors at some of the biggest fashion brands, including Seán McGirr’s vision for Alexander McQueen.
The Irish designer, who was announced as Sarah Burton’s successor in September, will present his first collection in Paris on March 2nd. McGirr started as a stylist before taking on design roles at Dries van Noten, Burberry, and Uniqlo and most recently worked at JW Anderson. While not much information is available about his plans for the British fashion house, given his background, he is sure to bring a unique perspective combining high-fashion and commercial appeal. Will he put his own spin on McQueen’s iconic skull motif? Only time will tell.
In Milan, all eyes will be on Matteo Tamburini, the former Bottega Veneta designer who took over as the creative director of Tod’s in December. Could he create a cult item like the Jodie bag for Tod’s? Meanwhile, Walter Chiapponi, the former creative director at Tod’s, will be making his debut at Blumarine.
Chloé’s New Vision under Chemena Kamali
The Y2K revival has heavily influenced the Italian brand, but it is expected that Chiapponi will bring a more sophisticated touch. French luxury brand Chloé has been teasing Chemena Kamali’s new vision. They have cleared their Instagram feed and started releasing portraits featuring past brand ambassadors, such as Jerry Hall, and new faces like Rwandan model Ornella Umutoni.
Return of Tommy Hilfiger and Thom Browne
Shot by David Sims in Paris against iconic buildings like the Haussman-style buildings and the Eiffel Tower, each portrait features Chloé’s new logo, which Kamali says was inspired by Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure at the fashion house in the 1970s. After a year-long break, Tommy Hilfiger, the powerhouse brand known for its denim and preppy collections, will return with a joint menswear and womenswear show in Manhattan.
A$AP Rocky, the new creative director of Puma’s F1 fashion division, has even appeared in a campaign to relaunch their Mostro trainers. Will he and his partner Rihanna attend the Puma show as a date night? American designer Thom Browne, famous for his signature grey shorts and for appearing on TV series “The Bear”, is also making a comeback at New York Fashion Week after a few seasons in Paris.
Off-White’s Return to Paris with “Black by Popular Demand”
The CFDA chairman will close out the week on February 14th, with “Bear” stars Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White likely in the front row. Off-White, the cult fashion brand founded by Virgil Abloh in 2013, will be returning to the Paris schedule after presenting their last two collections in Milan. Their co-ed show, titled “Black by Popular Demand”, will be the third under the creative direction of Ibrahim Kamara. Every fashion week, a viral accessory is spotted on the well-documented pavements outside the shows. Last season, it was MSCHF’s wild red boots that caught the attention of street-style photographers.
Anticipated Cult Accessories
What can we expect to see this season? MSCHF’s boots seem to have paved the way for Rick Owens’ inflatable boots, which can be inflated like children’s armbands. However, one TikTok user pointed out the practical issue of needing a puncture repair kit. Professional fashion stunt dresser Tommy Cash, known for wearing a duvet on the front row, will likely don these boots, with a puncture repair kit in hand for maximum attention. Meanwhile, Alaia’s fishnet flats with a large gold jewel are set to replace their crystal-encrusted mesh Mary Janes, which were a favorite among influencers last season.
JW Anderson’s lemon bag may overtake their popular pigeon purse, while their frog version may also hop into the spotlight. Louis Vuitton’s £2.4k sandwich bag, which resembles a paper bag and was part of Pharrell’s debut collection for the French brand, is already sold out on their website. It is likely to sell for over £6,000 on resale sites – a sure sign of a cult accessory. And it’s likely that someone will appear in Apple’s Vision Pro goggles. Videos of people trying out these headsets on the streets of New York have already spawned hundreds of memes, making it inevitable that they will become popular in the fashion world. The new front row at fashion shows is always star-studded.
Source:
Chloe MacDonnell (Feb. 9, 2024). Debuts, comebacks, street-style inspo – what to expect from London, Paris, Milan and New York fashion weeks. The Guardian
