This piece was originally published in the September 2024 issue of Pandora Curated.
An evening at the Guggenheim with Alaia, an afternoon at the Grand Palais with Chanel, or a starry night under the Eiffel Tower with Yves Saint Laurent, all with a side of fashion’s most ingenious and revered names and the work that makes them so. From the strikingly minimalist to the audaciously avant-garde, these runways are sure to have all this and more. The month of Fashion is upon us.
September holds an extremely unique place in the global fashion world, commonly referred to as Fashion Month. September is a time when all sections of the industry from publications to houses to stylists, all show off their creative, technical and aesthetic chops.
The month witnessed the most talked about and highly anticipated runway shows, magazine covers and campaigns. Primarily, the month features fashion weeks, with runway shows and presentations in the four “fashion capitals of the world”, New York, London, Milan, and Paris, in that order.
Houses and designers typically present their spring-summer collections for the coming year (SS25), setting the tone for the kind of fashion that will frame emerging trends. The month-long event is a critical juncture for houses, buyers, editors, publishers, influencers and managers allowing them to not only have a glimpse at what styles are to come but also strategise and dictate the commercial and cultural direction of fashion.
With all this talk of the significance of September, one must naturally wonder, why September? What’s so special? The answer lies in the intricate workings of the fashion world, harkening to the commercial rhythm and calendar of the industry. With summer in the rearview, many begin to transition their wardrobes to fit the changing weather.
The industry thus aligns itself with this notion presenting new directions in styles for the coming year. Importantly, September also holds a crucial place in the retail cycle with stores and marketplaces preparing for the busy shopping seasons of the fall and winter.
When the lights are at their brightest, September captures the moment where ideas transform into concrete movements, and in the process, shape the tastes and wardrobes of millions. The month and its significance also help us understand the more pragmatic machinations of the presumptively frivolous fashion world. Global trends are thus selected, as Miranda Priestly so eloquently puts it—“from a pile of ‘stuff’”. Here are some of this month’s highlights:
The Robert Wun 10th Anniversary Show
Hong Kong-based designer, extraordinaire, and the talk of the fashion world, Robert Wun, celebrated the 10th anniversary of his eponymous brand with a spectacular presentation. A love letter to his family and hometown of Hong Kong, the show was a triumphant homecoming for Wun who has moved in recent years to present in London. The collection, shown at the Hong Kong Palace Museum was described as “a mesmerising fusion of personal memories, cultural references, and pure, unfiltered artistry”.
The collection featured his signature jaw-dropping statement pieces with capes, gowns, and ingenious silhouettes, coupled with nods to Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy. One of the presentation’s most cathartic moments came through a deep blue gown adorned with sculptural arms cradling a baby, drapes covering the arms, creating a beautiful silhouette.
The design, a tribute to Wun’s late grandmother who died from COVID-19 in 2021, was incredibly touching. “It served as a visual metaphor for love that transcends time, a nod to the woman who shaped Wun’s life in many ways,” Marie Claire wrote.
Wun’s other designs echoed grace and power, seemingly channelling strength and resilience. Among the standouts was Wun’s iconic “bloody bride,” with a twist. A look inspired by his sister’s surgery, Wun rethought the concept as this season’s iteration saw blood-red tones blended with ethereal whites, creating a stark yet delicate contrast that embodied the connection and dichotomy between beauty and art. Wun also paid homage to thrifting in Hong Kong with a selection of grandma shirts with his signature pleated dresses.
Wun’s homecoming came full circle. In doing so it became so much more than a commemoration of a decade in fashion—it became a celebration of a designer who has remained firmly rooted in his craft and the meaning it holds.
Designer Exits and Appointments – Givenchy, Tom Ford, Y Project
A major thread this month was the slew of new creative director appointments after what felt like a major creative director departure earlier this year. The mass exodus of creative directors from their prominent houses has been a key happening in fashion this year, raising eyebrows owing to its seemingly unassuming yet elusive cause.
Most notable amongst these this month was the appointment of Haider Ackermann as the new Creative Director of Tom Ford.
“It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honour the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” said Ackermann in a statement by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC), Tom Ford’s parent company.
Tom Ford, who founded his eponymous brand in 2005 after his incredible work and departure from Gucci, stepped down as creative director of the house in 2023 following the sale of the brand to ELC for an estimated US$2.8 billion in 2022.
His exit was followed by the brief tenure of Peter Hawkings, a veteran who’d worked under Ford for decades, who exited earlier this year. A publication said of the appointment—“the merging of Ackermann’s design with the codes of its founder represents an intriguing fashion prospect: Both designers have respectively developed their aesthetic dialects that, while highly distinct, also overlap”.
Another major movement this month was the appointment of Sarah Burton as the new creative director at Givenchy following whispers about her next role. This comes on the heels of her departure as the creative head at the legendary Alexander McQueen’s eponymous label, after spending her entire career at the brand, serving the last thirteen as its creative director.
Burton is set to begin her work this week at the ateliers in Paris and will be working on both the menswear and womenswear. Her first collection for Givenchy will be shown in Paris in March 2025. Burton, ironically, will be following in the footsteps of her late friend and mentor Lee McQueen who served as Creative Director of Givenchy for 5 years.
Curiously, Burton was originally hired at the McQueen label full-time while the founder was dividing his time between the two houses. Givenchy has recently experienced a decline in relevance owing to a revolving door of creative directors it has gone through with Matthew Williams being the latest exit. Burton’s appointment seems to be aimed at countering the same.
A major departure this month was that of Glenn Martens from Y/Project. Martens stepped down after eleven years at the top of the Paris-based label. A statement shared reads, “Glenn Martens thanks Y/PROJECT and Gilles Elalouf, the late CEO of the brand who tragically passed away last June, for giving him the support and freedom to express his vision while expanding on the creative artistry that the label established”.
Following his appointment in 2013, Martens pushed the boundaries of conventional notions of design and form, creating his unique avant-garde style. Y/Project underwent major expansion as his vision and disruptive design language became striking to consumers. Martens’ genius lay in “taking the codes built by founders Gilles Elalouf and Yohan Serfaty and reinterpreting them for a new generation”. It is currently unclear if Martens will present at Paris this year but here’s hoping for a show.
eBay: Endless Runway
Fashion is one of the most wasteful industries on earth. It generates tonnes of non-recyclable waste that is expediting the impending threat of dire climate change consequences. Slowly, however, the industry has begun to take notes. Thus, in a time when sustainability is becoming increasingly crucial, the fashion industry is embracing more eco-conscious practices.
Thrifting, sustainable fashion, and reworking pieces have all become commonplace. A pertinent one of these is the rise of pre-loved fashion with companies like The RealReal or Vestiaire Collective becoming big names in the space.
An intriguing take on pre-loved fashion came this September from the unlikeliest of places—eBay! eBay’s Endless Runway sought to exemplify the pre-loved fashion movement. Through events in New York and London, Endless Runway reflects how pre-loved clothing can offer both style and sustainability. The endeavour promotes a circular economy that reduces waste and extends the lifespan of garments.
A collaboration with the renowned Council of Fashion Designers of America and the British Fashion Council, the event featured shoppable shows sourced from eBay. The first show, at the Chelsea Factory, was curated by model stylist and online tastemaker Wisdom Kaye. Kaye curated second-hand clothing, picking pieces from American designers, including the likes of Willy Chavarria, The Row, and Marc Jacobs.
The show’s format enabled viewers on the live stream to bid on and purchase items being displayed in real-time. Kaye described pre-loved fashion as giving old garments new meaning and life, akin to a "circle of life".
This September, we witnessed extraordinary work from names like Raf Simmons and Miuccia Prada at Prada, Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta, Pieter Mulier at Alaia, Maximilian Davis at Ferragamo and so many more.
September’s reputation as Fashion Month is not just a calendar event—it’s a spectacle, an arena where art, industry, and imagination coalesce. New York, London, Milan, and Paris became canvases for designers and for the industry to prepare for the year ahead.
Edited by the Curated Editorial Team
Anish Paranjape (he/him) is a student of Political Science and the Associate Editor of Culture at Political Pandora. His research interests encompass global politics and its influence on various landscapes, as well as an interest in film, television, and pop culture.
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