Fashion’s new creative directors are in a race for relevance, flooding the zone with new celebrity ambassadors, red carpet placements, ad campaigns and films. How much is too much?
Fashion’s Hollywood Face Race
Fashion is in the midst of an epic shakeup this runway season, with 15 designers debuting at big brands. And the Hollywood-fashion ecosystem is changing along with it, affecting who is being paid to wear and sell what.
Luxury brands, under pressure from the industry slowdown, are in a race for relevance, flooding the zone with celebrity faces and content in the hopes that it will continue to capture the attention of shoppers and scrollers, powering the business as it has for the last decade.
Top designers, in a quest to bring their favorite celebrity ambassadors from their last gigs to their new ones, have created a bidding war among brands to secure some high-profile talent. Meanwhile, other celebrity ambassadors have resisted going along to new brands that may not be as appealing.
Gucci’s new designer Demna, who with the brand’s sizable financial losses, has arguably the biggest challenge of the season, showed his first collection as costumes in a star-stuffed short film titled “The Tiger” by directors Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn.
Debuted at Milan Fashion Week, “The Tiger” doesn’t have any of Demna’s celebrity pals from Balenciaga but rather a new cast of characters: Demi Moore, Edward Norton, Ed Harris, Elliot Page, Keke Palmer, Alia Shawkat, Julianne Nicholson, Heather Lawless, Ronny Chieng, Kendall Jenner and Alex Consani. The narrative is about a family gathering that turns psychedelic, according to reports.
The Milan premiere, overwhelmingly and somewhat confusingly, had even more celebrities, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Serena Williams, who were wearing the collection IRL. And there were other notables at a premiere of the film in New York, as well.
Perhaps fearing the actual collection would be a bit lost in the story, Gucci dropped it on social media earlier this week. Titled “La Famiglia,” the lineup remixes (slightly) the house codes of nostalgic Italian elegance, sex appeal, luxe leathers, GG monograms and Horsebit hardware.
The streetwise touches (leather bombers, slouchy jeans, square-toed loafers) and couture-like sculptural silhouettes, will be familiar to those who followed Demna’s work at Balenciaga, but will they signal enough of a departure from the same old Gucci to excite shoppers? Hmm. The collection is available Sept. 25 at 10 stores worldwide, including Rodeo Drive, and will roll out globally in January.
The look book was photographed by L.A. artist Catherine Opie, with each portrait named after a personality, including “Direttore” (Director); “La Vip,” (VIP) and “L’Influencer” (Influencer), which is reminiscent of a film cast, too.
If it all seems like alot — and maybe trying a bit too hard — remember Gucci’s premier Hollywood event, the LACMA Art + Film Gala, is coming fast on Nov. 1, so now is the time to make an impression.
Of course, competing brand Dior’s new designer is also coming on strong. Jonathan Anderson, who once wanted to be an actor himself, was a whiz at dressing up-and-coming talent while he was at Loewe, from Ayo Edebiri to Greta Lee, and cemented his Hollywood insider role by designing costumes for Luca Guadagnino’s film “Challengers.”
Several of Anderson’s Dior designs have already hit the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Emmys weeks ahead of his runway debut, which is Oct 1. He also announced a trio of new ambassadors — Greta Lee, Mikey Madison and Mia Goth — and then continued the drumroll by dropping his first ad campaign, a beauty, with all three posing with Lady Dior handbags.
Not to be overshadowed, perhaps, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the New York designers who are replacing Anderson at the luxury brand Loewe, also released a sneak peek at their first collection featuring seven, count ’em seven, up-and-coming Hollywood faces, and really just their faces, in mood-setting images shot by artsy photographer Talia Chetrit.
Those faces range from Isla Johnston, above, who has been cast as Joan of Arc in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film, to Lewis Gribben, who recently wrapped a leading role opposite Hunter Schafer in Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner 2099.” (The press release bios were so detailed in listing credits, co-stars and studio affiliations, they read like IMDb entries.)
Will this celebrity hoopla actually create buzz for the debut fashion collections, or make them seem like old news by the time they actually come down the runway? Who knows. It’s a lot to take in, but most people are probably not paying close attention, hence the need to flood every channel with content.
Maybe following Hollywood’s marketing playbook of deploying previews and trailers to drive audiences to screens will work when the screen is the runway show, too. Let’s hope so for both industries because there’s a lot of money riding on it.
Museum of Modern Art Film Queen
Also in luxury land, The Museum of Modern Art’s 2025 Film Benefit supported by Chanel will honor Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer Sofia Coppola on Nov. 12, which should be a major showcase for red carpet looks by the French fashion house’s new designer, Matthieu Blazy. (His runway debut is Oct. 6 in Paris.)
Coppola has written and directed nine films to date, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2004 for “Lost in Translation,” which she also directed. Five of Coppola’s films are in MoMA’s collection: “The Virgin Suicides” (1999), “Lost in Translation” (2003), “Marie Antoinette” (2006), “Somewhere” (2010) and “The Bling Ring” (2013).
Coppola, a long-serving artistic collaborator and ambassador for Chanel, just released her first documentary based on her designer friend, Marc Jacobs, titled “Marc by Sofia.” She has also been in the news because the new blockbuster Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition “Marie Antoinette Style” includes several items from her film about the French queen, including footwear designed by Manolo Blahnik.
Chanel has sponsored the museum’s film benefit since 2011 and has served as lead sponsor of film at MoMA since 2021.
In other news, the luxury house announced Karishma Dev Dube and MG Evangelista as winners of the 1oth annual “Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program” for their film “Strangers.”
The winners received full financing for their short film about “shy newlyweds Ronny and Pari clumsily navigating intimacy in the early days of their arranged marriage when a charged subway altercation jolts them into a surprising new dynamic,” according to the release.
“To have a chance to make a film at this level is what you hope for, so it’s kind of like a dream,” Dube said. “It’s very American, I think, but it’s also a very specifically Indian story, and the support in that is hugely validating.”
Taylor Swift-Approved Jewelry, the Clare V. Sample Sale and a Fashion Photography Show Not to Miss
At South Coast Plaza, French accessories house Roger Vivier has opened a new space with parquet flooring and mirrored walls inspired by the Palace of Versailles and shoes fit for a queen. Gherardo Felloni’s magical designs include colorful satin pumps with sculpted roses on the toes, crystal-covered Belle Vivier pumps and rose petal ruffle evening bags. Max Mara has a new store just in time for cooler weather, whenever that arrives, with the brand’s iconic Italian coats, tailoring, Teddy capes, knitwear and Whitney bags. And Aussie brand Camilla has debuted a Hotel of Curiosity store concept, reflecting the colorful boho prints of the collections in a residential-like space showcasing the latest ready-to-wear, swim and accessories inspired by founder Camilla Franks’ travels.
In L.A., the Taylor Swift-approved up-and-coming Japanese fine jewelry brand Kimitake has opened its first store just off Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood showcasing the designs of Kimio Fukutani. His chic, modern-looking and comfortable Links Iconic chain rings and bracelets have been worn by Swift on several date nights like the one pictured above. Kerry Washington and Brandi Carlile are also fans, while Tramell Tillman has rocked the brand’s Harmony Iconic cross necklace.
The by-appointment bungalow also sells the brand’s popular Samurai braided cord bracelets with charms, and one-of-a-kind pieces that seem destined for the red carpet, such as a diamond and ladybug button cover. Prices start at $1,200.
This weekend brings several fashion-related events to downtown L.A.. The annual Clare V. sample sale is such a draw, some travel from out of state to attend, and line up at 5 a.m. to be first to shop the L.A. designer’s colorful leather accessories and clothing. The popular Grande Fanny bags, Simple Totes, Flat Clutches, Coin Clutches and more will be on offer, as well as “cut-ups” which are special edition styles made just for the event from surplus materials. The sale runs Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Row DTLA, 777 S. Alameda St. Bldg 3, Suite 128.
A Current Affair will bring together more than 70 vintage dealers at Cooper Design Space Sept. 27 and 28. The vintage fashion bonanza is a must-shop for stylists, costume designers, collectors and even a celebrity or two, with January Jones hitting the event in 2024.
Keep the stylish party going at the opening of “Icons of Fashion” at Duncan Miller Gallery featuring fun portraits of more than 40 designers, including Salvatore Ferragamo fitting Sophia Loren with a high-heel shoe, Jacques Fath partying with Ginger Rogers and Halston having a laugh with Liza Minnelli and Elizabeth Taylor.
The exhibition, which runs through Nov. 28, includes the work of Herb Ritts, Harry Benson, Irving Penn, Bruce Weber, Cecil Beaton, Jean-Loup Sieff, Horst P. Horst, Yousuf Karsh, Peter Hujar, David Bailey, Dorothy Wilding and more. The opening reception is Sept. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m..
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