Every now and then, the fashion landscape sees a flurry of happenings—be it huge overhauls in terms of the creative direction for the key maisons or groundbreaking collaborations that attract enthusiasts from every corner of culture. Some of these, undoubtedly causing a palpable shift in the sartorial world. After all, changes at the executive level for the various fashion houses might not only bring about the end of an era with certain iconic designers, but also set in motion a season of change as to who might be next to take up the mantle. One only needs to recall the legacy of Tom Ford’s Gucci or the vision which Karl Lagerfeld had left behind for Chanel; both departures despite being inevitable, were undeniable rupture points for the fashion world.
And at other times, the industry welcomed moments of genius; creative collaborations that cross into the realms of art, film and music turn into the talk of the town, such as Louis Vuitton’s memorable collections with Japanese artists Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama or the many joint moves with widely popular artist KAWS.
And with the number of new collaborations or announcements sprouting from the industry every other day, it’s inevitable that you might miss out on a standard few. Not to fret however, for with Vogue Singapore’s bi-weekly round-up, you can consider yourself all caught up. This week, we saw two high-impact announcements from renowned creative directors; with Raf Simons announcing the closure of his label and Alessandro Michele breaking the news of his departure from Gucci. Elsewhere, global exhibitions are all abound for the maisons, from Valentino’s largest exhibition yet to Madonna helming the curation process for Saint Laurent’s exhibit.
Catch up on all the fashion news to know, below.
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Alessandro Michele is leaving Gucci
In the middle of the week, Alessandro Michele took to his Instagram account to announce his departure from Gucci—where he had been creative director for the past seven years. The loss is palpable to the maison as a whole, considering how the designer had brought a wholly new vision to the house: of maximalist codes infused with larger-than-life romanticism. In a heartfelt note, Michele writes: “There are times when paths part ways because of the different perspectives each one of us may have. Today an extraordinary journey ends for me, lasting more than twenty years, within a company to which I have tirelessly dedicated all my love and creative passion.” He continues to thank the team—calling them his “adopted family”—who had played critical roles throughout his time with the luxury maison. As of now, there has been no official announcement as to who his successor will be, but Gucci’s design team will continue to hold the fort till a new creative director is appointed.
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Valentino opens their 'Forever Valentino' exhibition
In Doha, Qatar, one can expect to get lost in wonder at Valentino’s latest exhibition titled ‘Forever Valentino’—their largest and most extensive one yet. Hosted within the grounds of M7, the design and innovation hub in Msheireb Downtown Doha, the 200-piece couture exhibit sees a theatrical-like celebration that explores the timeless codes of the Italian maison, paying homage to its city of origin: Rome. The high-octane, opulent experience welcomes its audiences to engage with the atmospheric landscape that offers an education of the house’s history and its inspirations, including the rare designs dreamed up for its muses—from Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy to Zendaya. Coinciding with Valentino Garavani’s 90th birthday, the exhibition will be open to the public for viewing till 1 April 2023.
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Raf Simons is closing his eponymous label
After 27 years, Raf Simons has decided to close his namesake label. Breaking the news via a note on the official Instagram account, he confirmed that the recent spring/summer 2023 show in London would be the last collection for the brand. “I lack the words to share how proud I am of all that we have achieved. Thank you all, for believing in our vision and for believing in me,” Simons offers in a poignant sign-off. Whilst the designer may have other plans lined up for himself, we can expect to continue seeing his work on the runway for Prada, where he has been the co-creative director at since 2020.
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Madonna curates an exhibition for Saint Laurent
Joining the spectacular line-up of destination exhibitions to visit, Saint Laurent presents the ‘Sex by Madonna’ Exhibition—set to present at the Art Basel Miami Beach from 29 November to 4 December 2022. Exclusively curated by Madonna herself, alongside creative director Anthony Vaccarello, the exhibit celebrates Rive Droite’s re-edition of the pop queen’s provocative book titled Sex, as part of the cultural destination’s continued efforts in driving an exchange of pop culture, art, music, photography and limited-edition pieces. The beachfront gallery will house large-format images from the controversial pages of the book at the contemporary art fair, as an ode to the influence the book had on multiple art styles following the release of Sex.
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Park Bo Gum is Celine's latest ambassador
Joining famous Blackpink member Lisa, South Korean actor Park Bo Gum has been officially appointed as Celine’s latest global ambassador—the first male actor to ever do so. This announcement comes just a few months after the actor had joined Lisa and BTS’s V at the maison‘s show in Paris for their men’s spring/summer 2023 colllection, where all three stars were invited personally to by Hedi Slimane.
