Top 10: A Year in Fashion
Whitewall is looking back on the best of 2023 fashion, from new collections and artistic collaborations to our favorite in-depth features and exhibitions around the globe.
Pharrell Williams’s First Show for Louis Vuitton
Paris, France – June 20, 2023
Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
On June 20 in Paris, Pharrell Williams presented his first collection as the creative director of Louis Vuitton‘s men’s collections. Permeating the oldest bridge across the Seine in Paris was unabashed joy, feautring a star-studded audience in attendance—including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Swizz Beatz, Nigo, Naomi Campbell, KAWS, J Balvin, Kim Kardashian, and Megan Thee Stallion. Set across the entire Pont Neuf bridge was a set, show, and multi-part musical performance directed by Williams, all inspired by the sun. At the close’s closing, JOY (Unspeakable) by Voices of Fire featuring Williams was sung by a live choir, as collaborative garments and handbags created in collaboration with the American artist Henry Taylor passed by.
LOEWE Taps Lynda Benglis for SS24
Paris, France – September 29, 2023
Courtesy of LOEWE.
A trio of dripping bronze water sculptures by Lynda Benglis sat centrally on the runway of LOEWE’s Spring/Summer 2024 show, which hosted a collection that toyed with perspective by embracing the unexpected. Archetypes were updated through tweaks in form (like ultra-high waistlines with elongated legs) and tactile choices in fabrications—ranging from tweed, leather, and teddy fur to sparkling sequins, distressed brocade, and denim—that made even the most commonplace styles seem fresh. There were chunky, color-blocked knits with a homemade appearance, collared sweaters with sculptural additions, cut at the waist to pair with above-the-belly-button pants shapes; colorful argyles paired with disco ball sparkles, and tailoring with a slightly vintage feeling. Looks were styled with enlarged leather shoulder bags and the occasional pair of bug-eye shades covered in crystals.
Dior Collaborates with Joana Vasconcelos or SS24
Paris, France – March 3, 2023
Atmosphere for Dior’s Fall/Winter 2023-24 fashion show, featuring Valkyrie Miss Dior by Joana Vasconcelos, photo by Adrian Dirand, courtesy of Dior.
For the past three decades, Joana Vasconcelos has created art that amplifies complex conditions. Large-scale installations—whether in museums, galleries, fashion shows, or public parks—engage with contemporary society through an accumulation of everyday objects, immersive scale, and perspective-changing environmental contexts. Her feminist viewpoint, sense of humor, eye for beauty, and quick wit also confront arbitrary boundaries drawn between art and domesticity. Earlier this year in Paris, Vasconcelos collaborated with Dior’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, on the maison’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection scenography. She designed an all-encompassing world of voluminous, dazzling, detailed sculptures suspended from the ceiling in rich blues, purples, and reds, as one of her latest “Valkyrie” installations dedicated to the mythological warrior goddesses. “We wanted to pay homage to the first women who started Dior with Christian Dior,” said Joana Vasconcelos of her collaboration with Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Top 10: Gucci “Cosmos” Exhibition
London, UK – October 10, 2023
“Gucci Cosmos,” courtesy of Gucci.
On October 10, Gucci opened its traveling retrospective “Gucci Cosmos” in 180 Studios at 180 The Strand. Previously presented in Shanghai, the exhibition brings together 102 years of the maison‘s fashion history, visually detailing the styles, creative directors, muses, materials, and more that have garnered the brand global acclaim since its founding in 1921. On view through December 31, the experiential presentation was conceived by the British artist Es Devlin and curated by the Italian fashion theorist and critic, Maria Luisa Frisa, guiding viewers from the house’s past and present into the future through an array of immersive rooms. Beginning with the house’s foundation, each portal reveals the brand’s Italian heritage in craftsmanship through vignettes of garments, accessories, footwear, collaboration, and even specially designed clothing for local legends like Sir Elton John. Through time and space, guests then venture into the creative process of its various creative directors—from Tom Ford and Alessandro Michele to its current conductor, Sabato De Sarno—and the styles, shapes, and silhouettes that made Gucci a household name.
Chanel Paints Paris Streets Pink
Paris, France – July 4, 2023
Courtesy of Chanel.
On July 4 on the bank of the Seine River in Paris, Chanel debuted its Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023 collection. Models embodying the Parisian woman’s lifestyle—complete with cobblestone-appropriate shoes and even her dog on a leash—briskly walked in the sun, dressed in exemplary garments designed by Virginie Viard. Quintessential materials and looks from the house were seen in new light, toying with contrasts to show both the boldness and sensitivity of a woman on the go. In delicate contrast, belted masculine-inspired overcoats are seen over sheer blouses, paired with tweed skirts; vest tops and pin-striped trousers hug the frame, complemented with painted eyewear and two-tone Mary-Jane shoes; and the bride, dazzling and pure, emerges in a short veil in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Valentino Couture FW24 at Château de Chantilly
Chantilly, France – July 5, 2023
Courtesy of Valentino.
In Chantilly, France, Valentino presented its haute couture Fall/Winter 2023-24 collection, “Valentino Un Château” on July 4. Extravagant in concept, yet streamlined in execution, the new offerings designed by the maison’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, channeled timeless elegance, creative expression, and decadent design. “Simplicity Is Complexity Resolved’,” a quote by Constantin Brancusi, started the show notes, tuning viewers to the resolution of all style conundrums. The show began down the grand steps of the property, carrying onto white platforms that snaked through the lush grounds, winding around hedges and fountains. Piccioli’s presentation aimed to defy the notion of the château as something elite, rejecting the idea of this status as something assumed, something solely historic. Now, it’s a mindset, a recalibrated complexity that can be approached with simplicity and style.
Top 10: Saint Laurent SS24 in Berlin
Berlin, Germany – June 12, 2023
Courtesy of Saint Laurent.
On June 12 in Berlin, Saint Laurent revealed its Spring/Summer 2024 menswear collection surrounded by the glass walls of Neue Nationalgalerie. The last major project designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the cavernous, cool-hued interiors of the 1968 Modernist museum was paired with a dramatic and shadowed lighting concept, setting an impactful ambiance for the maison’s collection of tuxedo-centric silhouettes. An era of redefined masculinity—first suggested in the house’s Fall/Winter 2023 menswear designs—saw the return of the signature mostly-black palette and statement shoulder tailoring, twisted for the contemporary moment through elements that might be considered quintessentially feminine.
Hermès Homme FW23 Lands in Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New York – September 14, 2023
Photo by Vincent Tullo, courtesy of Hermès.
In Brooklyn, NY, on September 14, Hermès Homme presented its men’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection entitled “Walking on Air.” With New York City as its backdrop, the show was hosted inside Skylight at the Refinery—a not-yet-open space atop the former Domino Sugar Refinery, reimagined by the Two Trees real estate development company. For the maison‘s first-time menswear presentation in New York, the evening kicked off with guests arriving in style, greeted by champagne and limitless Manhattan skyline views through floor-to-ceiling windows that bent to the sky. With each passing look, we watched designer Véronique Nichanian’s artistic direction unfold with sumptuous clothing elevated through rich textures and layered silhouettes. Uncomplicated yet unique, outfits were comprised of utilitarian staples with contemporary twists—like black leather trousers paired with brown leather loafers, layered thin leather jackets, and padded pull-over jackets with shearling collars and large front-facing pockets.
Moncler’s “The Art of Genius” During London Fashion Week
London, UK – February 20, 2023
The Art of Exploration by adidas Originals, courtesy of Moncler Genius.
During London Fashion Week at Olympia London, Moncler Genius hosted The Art of Genius—a massive, immersive live event that redefined the collaborative project founded in 2018 as a co-creation platform, fostering conversations between art, design, entertainment, music, sport, culture, and fashion. Over 10,000 visitors were welcomed inside the vast Olympia London in Kensington, including well-known names like Hailey Bieber, Naomi Campbell, Alexa Chung, Winnie Harlow, Maria Sharapova, FKA Twigs, Serena Williams, Charli XCX, and more. All were there to experience several pavilions showcasing “The Art of Genius,” created in collaboration with Alicia Keys, Pharell Williams, Mercedes-Benz, Palm Angels, FRGMT, adidas Originals, Salehe Bembury, Roc Nation by JAY-Z, and Rick Owens.
Ferragamo Creates “Cinema” for Fall/Winter 2023
Milan, Italy – February 25, 2023
Courtesy of Ferragamo.
Ferragamo’s “Cinema” collection for Fall/Winter 2023 was presented during Milan Fashion Week in February, recalling the house’s own designs for stars from the 1950s; taking cues from the era and applying them to clean-cut, contemporary silhouettes with an air of hyper-feminine futurism. Derived from classic notions of glamor were shades of red accompanying black and white and styles that departed from mid-century archetypes, highlighting cinched waists, off-the-shoulder framing of the decolletage, and an hourglass figure. These styles were modernized through a vocabulary of sharp lines, new-age fabrics, and streamlined details. Pieces we loved included a brown leather trench with a high neck and a singular white lapel, a ballgown skirt imagined in nylon and paired with a cropped hooded jacket with cocoon sleeves, and a shiny mini dress in red lamé with long sleeves and a gathered fabric styled with razor-sharp pointed heels.
Prada Gains Inspiration From Mario Prada
Milan, Italy – September 21, 2023
Courtesy of Prada.
The Spring/Summer 2024 women’s collection from Prada expanded on the work of its co-founder, Mario Prada, and his interest in creating luxurious objects. Informed by his widespread travels, Prada grew a reputation for creating items and accessories made of Asian silks, Bohemian crystals, precious leathers, and other materials gathered from abroad. It was this culmination of cultured luxury that we saw walking the runway, imbuing a certain graceful nonchalance through looks that echoed the past but were ultimately modern. There were gauzy Haze dresses in ultra-lightweight silk, blazers with sloped shoulders and elongated sleeves with open cuffs, tiny tailored shorts, crystal patterns and embellishments, patchwork leather pieces, and styles that featured overlays of fringe. Some silhouettes captured the boxy boyishness of 1920s styles, while others were belted at the waist and offered sharp hourglass proportions. Special for Spring/Summer 2024, as well, was an interpretation of Mario Prada’s 1913 handbag—a silk moiré evening bag with a frame clasp—into iterations for the current moment, including oversized tote versions in leather and re-nylon.
