Another year, another recap of some of the most memorable moments in fashion.
As we have seen over the last decade, fashion moments and trends can come from everywhere, from celebrities, actors, and singers to streetwear, sports, and social movements. The impact of these fashion moments is determined by how well or badly they are received by consumers and how easily they adapt to our everyday lives.
Let’s unravel some key moments that determined 2024’s Political Fashion
The Met Gala
Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking.
This year’s Met Gala celebrated the opening of an exhibition called Sleeping Beauties —this exhibit allowed the viewers to revisit historical clothing that is fragile, but with the help of the Costume Institute, technology, and an extraordinary curation led by Andrew Bolton, the Sleeping Beauties were able to be seen by thousands of visitors from May to October of this year.
The Met Gala’s theme was The Garden of Time", inspired by the 1962 short story of the same name by J.G. Ballard. Inevitably, several A-list celebrities went with quite predictable florals in spring outfits for the Garden on Time carpet. But the captivating element of this carpet was beyond the flowers —it was the normalization, almost in a democratic way, of fashion archives. This means dresses that were not made for this specific event, and that were part of previous collections, fashion shows, or red carpets.
It was exciting to see a lot of Alexander McQueen dresses on the carpet, even over a decade after McQueen passed away in 2011. Kendall Jenner wore a Custom Givenchy from 1999 and Zendaya an Alexander McQueen gown from 2006 and another ball gown by Dior under the Creative Direction of John Galliano from 1999.
This was truly a stamp of approval in the also-called Oscars of fashion of giving dresses the opportunity to have more than one opportunity to be worn. In a world where we scroll in a matter of seconds and images come and go, it is worth it to rescue the tremendous work, art and craftsmanship behind the archived dresses we saw this year at the Met.
Hit me Boho One More Time
In 2014, the Boho trend hit very hard thanks to the rise of Coachella mixed with Instagram and influencers. The crowned flowers, the laced skirts, and the leather boots were part of a vibe that became overwhelmingly popular through this music festival, and then trickled down to the mass markets. After a few years, there was Boho-fatigue, and these styles quickly became outdated as consumers were ready to move on to something else.
This year, Boho hits back after a very successful Chloé Autumn Winter 2024 show that brings back earthy tones, 70s flowy silhouettes, laces, and vegetable-tanned leathers in boots, handbags, and accessories in a very romantic and body-positive take to boho style.
Olympic Games
Amidst an endless list of reasons to argue with one another and find differences with each other, the Olympic Games, unlike almost any other kind of international event, brings people of all backgrounds together to watch the games and create good memories together.
This year, the Olympic Games were a sensation that was highly anticipated. After the Tokyo 2020 games that were postponed to 2021 and had several restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, these Olympic Games woven into the rich fashion history of Paris —the city hosting this year’s games, created a series of memorable fashion moments.
Ralph Lauren served as an official outfitter of Team USA, and created uniforms that were both exciting, dynamic and classic to represent Team USA in Paris.
Additionally, Vogue World took place in the City of Paris and presented a series of curated collections that were inspired by sports throughout the nick of time. The fashion show took place at the famed Place Vendôme, and it featured A-list celebrities including Sabrina Carpenter, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Sylvie in Emily in Paris), and Maluma. The show featured live performances by Aya Nakumara and Bad Bunny.
During the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, we saw Lady Gaga and Celine Dion pulling off some magnificent Dior dresses for their respective performances, truly celebrating the worldwide visibility that the city of Paris received during the two weeks of the Olympic Games.
The Cores
The cores are ephemeral fashion trends that come at a specific time to reach a major peak where it is overwhelmingly popular and widespread across fashion, pop culture and arts.
This year, we saw the Brat Summer reaching its peak with acid green, vintage typography, and a philosophy about being a rebel to stay true to yourself.
We also saw a Cowgirl core triggered by the anticipated Beyoncé country music album and a sentiment of nationalism and eagerness to consume more fashion made in the USA. (Ironically, several cowboy boots are made in China out of plastic leather to make them more affordable for younger audiences).
Wicked
The press tour of the highly anticipated film began much earlier than we expected.
We saw hints of the Wicked characters on Ariana Grande’s and Cynthia Erivo’s appearances in the Academy Awards in February, at the Met Gala in May, in the Olympics in July, and then throughout the Autumn until the release of the film on November 25th.
This extended press tour was far from generating fatigue from fans, it was creating more excitement and illusion from the fans, and even those who were not familiar with Wicked or the actresses. A lot of this has to do with the gracefully executed dresses that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo wore throughout the press tour. It is challenging to keep the audience engaged when you have to stay loyal to the limited color palette of Glinda’s soft pinks and Elphaba’s green and black, but their stylists and creative teams worked with everyone from Donatella Versace to Thom Browne.
Victoria’s Secret Comes Back
Six years have passed since the last Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Over these six years, the entire lingerie industry and their consumers' needs have changed. Yes, it is still about looking spectacular, feeling and looking sexy. But it is also about ensuring that people feel seen on the runway, with models that look like them.
This was part of the issue of why Victoria’s Secret’s shows disappeared in the first place. In 2017-2018, the lingerie empire faced allegations about refusing to cater to plus-size models and transgender women. The crisis escalated when the now-former chief marketing officer Ed Razek used the outdated and offensive term "transexual" and stated that when people ask "Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy." Amidst the rage that these remarks triggered, high-profile models showed support for the transgender community on social media, and the noise of the scandal spread like wildfire. In 2019, Razek stepped down after the accusations of misogyny and creating a culture of harassment escalated.
It’s 2024, and Victoria’s Secret brought back legendary angels like Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Kate Moss, but also opened the door for plus size talent and trans talent. Because inclusive fashion is not about kicking someone out to let someone in, but about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to look and feel spectacular.
Although there is a long way to go for Victoria’s Secret to be a truly inclusive lingerie brand, this comeback show was a strong statement on how corporations must learn, listen and adapt to the needs of consumers in order to prevail and continue to thrive in the fashion industry.
As we look back to these moments in fashion, it is fascinating to see how fashion can truly come from anywhere from the concept art of a new album, to a film, a fashion show, or the desire of a group of people to feel a certain way. As we prepare to receive 2025, let us remember that as consumers we have the power to influence the direction in which fashion moves. What do we want to see? How do we want to feel? Cheers to new beginnings.
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