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It has been a rocky few months in the luxury world, with several brands talking about slowing down and others lacking leadership. As I write this, Chanel has still not announced a successor to Virginie Viard, who left earlier this summer, and Givenchy was without a designer for many months before Sarah Burton was appointed creative director this week.
But the season changes, and with it come new names and faces. Who’s setting pulses racing now? The moment I saw Chemena Kamali’s debut collection for Maison Chloé in February, I knew a shift in sensibility was coming. After years of understated wealth and quiet luxury, Kamali delivered a show-stopping parade of boho boots, clogs, capes, and pretty dresses, and since then we’ve seen a wave of ruffles, tulle, and chiffon on everyone from Suki Waterhouse and Sienna Miller to Daisy Edgar-Jones. (Kamali also dressed Kamala Harris for her presidential nomination in two chic pantsuits that prove bohemian girls don’t always wear maxi dresses.)
So, it seemed only fitting that we give Chloé a look. from our fashion shoot On this cover, I think it captures the current mood. It’s fun, it’s powerful, it has a nostalgic 70s vibe. And most importantly, it’s full of joy.
Other designers have also gained prominence this season: Duran Lantink, for example, has had great success. The Dutch designer, based in Amsterdam, is taking the silhouette in unexpected directions: Jessica Beresford meets the man Who says inflation will skyrocket? Then, in Milan, Profiles another trio of designers who are revitalizing Italy’s fashion capital. Since his first collection, I’ve been obsessed with what Simone Bellotti is doing at Bally: the former Gucci designer is creating a classic wardrobe that combines his Italian heritage with the codes of Swiss design. Jessica spoke to Bellotti, Matteo Tamburini at Tod’s, and Adrian Appiolaza at Moschino about their visions for each brand and what they want to bring to the city’s fashion scene.
And then there are the fashion legends who frame this issue: the stylist Grace Coddington and designer Ana SuiBoth are women who have had enormous influence over many decades. Both have magnificent taste and epic style.
Stephen Jones is celebrating his 44th anniversary at the milliner’s shop, which will be celebrated with a major retrospective at the Palais Galliera in Paris. Jones is a fixture on the fashion calendar – some would say an institution – having collaborated on every John Galliano creation and with every subsequent creative director at Dior. He also works with Schiaparelli, Rei Kawakubo, Matty Bovan and his own private clients (Princess Diana wore his berets). He sees hats as a punk element in fashion: it is his “perfume extract“, says. Harriet Quick knows him in his London studio, inside the boutique where he has worked since 1995. His extraordinary knowledge, passion and cheeky humour make him a wonderful companion, and it is fantastic to see a true artist get the recognition he deserves.
As for trends to embrace this fall, I recommend trying scrubs, nurses’ caps and khaki green. Hospital scrubs (or some version of them) were very much in evidence at Miu Miu, a medical concern Miuccia Prada has returned to frequently over the years. We asked Kin Woo, a style editor and doctor by training, Why are we all gone? Grey’s Anatomy And his diagnosis is quite funny. Khaki, for his part, is The new neutral of this season – a base colour that appeared everywhere from Burberry to Saint Laurent. Too practical? Then why not try bows and sequins from the 2000s? We have A first look at Nicky Hilton Rothschild’s evening dresses…
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