Time flies quickly, with only the last two days of 2021 left. In the post-pandemic world, the most common phrase heard is: “Nothing can be planned, nothing can be expected.” This phrase can definitely be applied to any situation, including the fashion industry. As we approach the end of 2021, ZTYLEZ has compiled the most unforgettable moments in the fashion world. Take this final moment to digest all the events, big and small, that have happened this year.
1. Former Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz officially announced his return to the fashion industry.
Since announcing the establishment of his own brand AZ Factory last year, fulfilling a long-time wish, Alber Elbaz presented the brand’s first collection during the haute couture week in January, and revealed the birth process of AZ Factory through a “movie”. After experiencing the difficulties of the pandemic for a year, Alber Elbaz was also very excited about the arrival of this day, sharing in an interview at the time: “This will be a surprise.”
2. Bottega Veneta disappeared from social media without warning.
Since Daniel Lee took office, the era known as New Bottega has definitely been highly praised by fashion enthusiasts. Even though this behavior is not uncommon in the fashion world, Daniel Lee once shared: “Privacy allows you to feel the preciousness of freedom. In my role, I must be a part of the real world, I must stay on the streets, so that I can always connect with this world and what is happening.” With these words, the fashion world also holds great expectations for this move. The fact is, completely detached from the current reality, Daniel Lee still led Bottega Veneta to present interpretations that were applauded time and time again.
3. Annual collaboration, Gucci and Balenciaga commit a groundbreaking “crime”!
As GUCCI’s first new season fashion show in 2021, the brand not only continued the previous season’s settings in the form of creative short films, but also brought together BALENCIAGA led by Demna Gvasalia to appear together, even recreating GUCCI’s most talked-about memories from those years, with dazzling elements, suits from the Tom Ford era, and concepts with strong erotic implications all mixed together, making the presentation still considered a strong debut in 2021 even after several months have passed.
Moreover, both sides launched products on the eve of Thanksgiving in the United States, with BALENCIAGA displaying the word “GUCCI” in a graffiti style at brand stores, emphasizing that this is not a collaboration, but a project for BALENCIAGA to directly “invade” GUCCI’s history. This news is set to become the highlight of 2021, and it is inevitable.
4. Kris Van Assche announces departure from Berluti as creative director
Kris Van Assche is a name that few have heard of in recent years. As early as April of this year, he suddenly posted on his personal Instagram that he had reached an agreement with Berluti to step down from his position as creative director, ending their 3-year collaboration. Although a designer leaving is nothing new, and Kris Van Assche has also left DIOR Homme (predecessor of DIOR MEN) after 11 years of service, what is most intriguing this time is that Kris Van Assche, who has been acclaimed for successfully reshaping the brand DNA, history, and tradition of Berluti, ultimately left Berluti without warning, casting doubt on the relationship established over the 3 years with the brand. Some even suggest that Kris Van Assche faced a very tight workload during his 3-year tenure, leading to an imbalance between design and business sales, and ultimately being told to leave.
After the incident, the most concerned aspect from the outside world is of course this designer who is one of the most adept at interpreting exquisite tailoring in modern fashion, where will the next stop be?
Alber Elbaz passed away from COVID-19, and was buried with his parents in his hometown of Israel.
Last November, the brand was established, and the first collection was released in January of this year. Unfortunately, in April, we suddenly bid farewell to everyone. The departure of Alber Elbaz, the former creative director of LANVIN and legendary designer of the brand, was undoubtedly one of the most surprising news of 2021.
As COVID-19 continued to ravage Paris and Europe earlier this year, Alber Elbaz, who was 60 at the time, ultimately succumbed to the virus, bringing a great tragedy to the fashion world. Several days after the news was confirmed, Alber Elbaz was laid to rest at the Holon Cemetery in his “hometown” of Israel with his parents. Israeli authorities and television stations reported Elbaz’s passing as a significant loss to the nation, and Alber Elbaz’s partner Alex Koo, who had traveled from Paris to attend the funeral, tearfully shared, “My heart is shattered into pieces, I feel lost without you by my side.” It is truly heartbreaking to hear, and the rapid and immense changes that came in just a few months following Elbaz’s departure once again underscore the essence of life’s impermanence. Later, on the final day of Paris Fashion Week Spring 2022 in October, a total of 45 brands gathered to honor Alber Elbaz.
6. Gucci creates its first NFT auction
The emergence of NFT auctions is definitely the most dominant topic this year, and the fashion industry has become one of the stakeholders in the face of this new auction or trading method. In May of this year, GUCCI announced a collaboration with Christie’s to bring the brand’s first NFT auction, which is related to the trending Gucci Aria series, a short film created by the brand’s creative director Alessandro Michele and award-winning director and photographer Floria Sigismondi. The brand stated that all proceeds from this NFT auction will be donated to UNICEF USA to assist and support UNICEF’s global vaccine support program COVAX. Faced with such a major trend, in addition to this type of auction, will NFTs become the key to a transformative development in the fashion industry in the new year? Everyone will have to wait and see.
Virgil Abloh introduces Air Force 1 collaboration for Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
One of the major talking points of the spring/summer season, apart from some brands returning to or breaking away from fashion weeks, must be the discussion of the topic designer, Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director Virgil Abloh bringing as many as 21 collaborative sneaker designs to the brand’s SS22 collection, with the shoe blueprint being the classic style Air Force 1 from sportswear leader Nike. Integrating sport or street elements into high-end fashion, Virgil Abloh can be said to be a pioneer in the fashion world today, but this time, the extent is actually more like Virgil Abloh using “exaggeration” in expression. When everyone is already accustomed to it, it is precisely when looking back at these works today that it is discovered that this kind of creation that once shook the fashion world may very well become a classic.
8. Balenciaga returns to the Haute Couture stage
After a 53-year hiatus, BALENCIAGA is returning to the stage of haute couture, with Demna Gvasalia’s vision and determination finally feeling recognized in 2021.
After a rumored announcement for nearly a year, Demna Gavsalia spent over twelve months thinking, researching, creating, and arranging, bringing forth a never-before-seen collection of up to 63 looks. Not only did he recreate the beautiful scene of founder Mr. Cristóbal Balenciaga’s former haute couture workshop at 10 Avenue Georges V, but he also brought in dozens of production units to give each design, each craft a unique interpretation. From the iconic cocoon silhouette, swing-back tailoring creating a sense of space between clothing and body, minimal seams or hand-molded padding techniques to create perfect contours, to computer-programmed arrangements of crocodile skin patterns, Mr. Cristóbal Balenciaga’s designs are still celebrated half a century later, while maintaining Balenciaga’s sensitivity to the changing times.
Even Demna Gvasalia breaks the gender concept of haute couture, trying to bring a worthy perspective to haute couture, as Demna Gvasalia said: “This is also a way to look at haute couture.”
9. LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault becomes the world’s richest again.
Entering August, the authoritative magazine “Forbes” once again updated the real-time ranking of the “Global Billionaires List”, with the Chairman of the French fashion leader group LVMH, Bernard Arnault, successfully surpassing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ($198.2 billion) to reclaim the position of “world’s richest”. The most astonishing part is that the pandemic-hit LVMH group recorded a revenue of $28.7 billion euros in the first half of this year, an increase of over 56% compared to the same period last year. In terms of LVMH’s recent business development, the major acquisition successfully completed at the end of last year – Tiffany & Co. – has further solidified the group’s position as a fashion leader starting in the second half of the year.
10. The new Tiffany & Co. advertisement featuring Jay-Z and Beyonce actually hides many mysteries.
After officially joining the LVMH family, Tiffany & Co. released its first heavyweight advertising campaign, featuring the new faces of the music industry, the wealthy couple known as the “Godfather of Music” Jay-Z and the Queen Beyoncé. The result was extensive coverage across the entire internet.
This collaboration has led to the first time the two have appeared together in an advertisement in 13 years of marriage, and the production this time is of an extraordinary level. In addition to Beyoncé wearing a 128.54-carat, 82-faceted giant yellow diamond, becoming the first person to showcase The Tiffany Diamond in any type of advertising in the brand’s 184-year history, she also sang the unreleased song “Moon River” in the promotional video. As for the most significant detail, it is undoubtedly the appearance of Jean Michel Basquiat’s “Equals Pi” in the still images. This significant combination is undoubtedly the most talked-about advertising campaign of 2021.
As a fashion event review for 2021, more than just the above ten things, friends who have been paying attention to the fashion industry should understand that the unforgettable events of the last quarter of this year are equivalent to the number of events in the first half of 2021. For more detailed introductions to the fashion events review of 2021, you may want to pay attention to the detailed introduction of “2021 Fashion Events Review: (Part 2)”.
