It’s certainly been a big year for fashion, with model Cara Delevingne packing up and moving on to the film world, and runway shows reaching an all new level of extravagance. Fashion has also been used for good, supporting transgender people and improving cultural representation in campaigns. See our list of fashion’s best moments below.
The selfie gained Haute Couture status
Actors Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson strutted down Valentino’s Paris Fashion Week AW15 runway promoting Zoolander 2, which hits cinemas in February next year. Their collaboration continued, as they also featured in Valentino’s SS15 shoot. Here’s Stiller sporting the ever-famous ‘Blue Steel’.
Meanwhile, Dolce & Gabbana’s runway girls were snapping away too, showcasing a new phone case line.
Dior, Lanvin and Balenciaga lose their creative directors
This year three of the world’s top fashion houses lost their creative directors. Raf Simons left Dior, Alber Elbaz left Lanvin and Alexander Wang left Balenciaga. Simons and Wang’s departures were both to focus on their own brands, whilst Elbaz’s story is more controversial. Speculation is still stirring, all we know is that his departure from Lanvin was ‘the decision of the company’s majority shareholder’. We’re yet to find out the latest projects of Simons and Elbaz, but Wang has recently launched his debut jewellery range, just in time for Christmas!
Human backpack, anyone?
Rick Owens shocked all with his new ‘human’ accessory. Owens is known for his unconventional runway shows, in the past he has sent models walking in head-to-toe grey paint, enlisted a squad of step-dancers as models, and has lit up the show with fire. But this year definitely tops the weird list. Some say this epitomised the ridiculousness of fashion, but the runways are where the magic happens. They are supposed to be creative and crazy, isn’t that part of the fun? We say bring on next year Rick.
Cara Delevingne ditches modelling
The face of this generation’s supermodels chose not to re-sign her modelling contract and instead, joined the film world. She has made it clear that modelling was never her career goal and that she has always wanted to be an actress. This year she made her leading role debut in Paper Towns and there are currently seven more films on the cards including one featuring alongside Will Smith.
H&M featured first hijab-wearing model in campaign
This year, H&M was the first retailer to feature a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in a commercial campaign. Maria Idrissih, the model, said that there has been both positive and negative responses but she feels it was a good thing because “It always feels like women who wear hijab are ignored when it comes to fashion.” And this was an exception.
Kristen Stewart played Coco Chanel in Karl Lagerfeld’s short fashion film
Chanel muse Kristen Stewart was promoted from campaign star to Coco Chanel in ‘Once and Forever’. The Chanel biopic is a behind-the-scenes style, where Stewart plays both Coco Chanel, and an actress playing Coco Chanel. This 11-minute film is a beautiful must-see.
Runway shows reinvented
2015 has been the year of destination shows. Taking these shows to far-flung places brings a new atmospheric dimension. Some may call it extravagance but we must still applaud the creative merit of fashion. These settings add a new sensory element to the runway show experience. To name a few, Chanel appeared in Seoul, Louis Vuitton in Palm Springs and Dolce & Gabbana in Portofino. Next year Chanel will be showing a collection in Cuba, and Louis Vuitton will show in Rio De Janeiro. We can’t wait to see what else in store for 2016…
Fashion becomes climate-conscious
Model-activist Cameron Russell lead a group of citizens and fellow supermodels (Bella Hadid, Stella Maxwell and Lily Donaldson, among more) across the Brooklyn Bridge for People’s Pilgrimage in October, raising awareness for climate change. (Vogue.com) Vivienne Westwood is another avid activist, her London Fashion Week show was staged as a climate protest, and she has released pieces displaying her slogan ‘Climate Revolution’ and other climate-related images. H&M has also been proactive in becoming more environmentally friendly, they have released a ‘H&M Conscious’ range, and have committed to have 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2020, among other new sustainability targets.
Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid make their Victoria’s Secret runway debuts
Two of the biggest names in fashion this year lived out their dreams and walked the Victoria’s Secret runway. This achievement was one of many for the pair this year including Jenner fronting one of French Vogue’s 95th anniversary covers and Hadid becoming the face of Maybelline.
Transgender support
This year Australian model Andreja Pejic makes history as the first openly transgender model to feature in Vogue. Aydian Dowling was the first transgender man to feature on the front of Men’s Health Magazine and Laverne Cox was the first openly transgender woman to be on TIME Magazine’s cover. However, the most publicised transgender cover was Caitlyn Jenner’s on Vanity Fair.
