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There were a lot of shakeups in the fashion industry this year. As Who What Wear’s associate director of special projects Kristen Nichols notes, one of the biggest shifts we saw in 2024 came from the major fashion houses. “I think one of the interesting things that really changed luxury fashion and fashion overall this year is a lot of what’s happening at the top for fashion houses,” Nichols said. “We’re seeing a lot of creative director shifts that are really making a big impact.”
For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Nichols sits down with Who What Wear’s market director, Bobby Schuessler, to share the biggest trends and takeaways from luxury fashion this year, the items that made the biggest splash, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.
Since the luxury report is a piece you write annually, can you give us a very high-level overview of what the luxury market looked like in 2023 and the biggest shifts as we look currently in 2024?
I think one of the interesting things that really changed luxury fashion and fashion overall this year is a lot of what’s happening at the top for fashion houses. We’re seeing a lot of creative director shifts that are really making a big impact. I think one of the most notable—which we chatted about in our Paris Fashion Week recap—was Alessandro Michele taking the helm at Valentino, which was his first actual runway show. Then Chemena Kamali taking over at Chloé.
I think that those have already kind of set a new tone for where fashion is headed with designers with just really strong points of view. I think another big shift we’ve seen is really interest in pieces that go beyond trends in terms of what people are buying. I’ve seen what I’m calling “modern heritage” pieces on the rise. Something like The Row’s Margaux bag, which, interestingly, was first dropped in 2018, but it was last year that it really resonated.
This year, it’s continued to resonate just as much, if not more, especially as there’s the clutch version. There’s the East-West version and The Row seems to be really investing in this kind of bag family. I also think we’re seeing this in terms of brands that are resonating and are more classic and timeless.
If you’re familiar with The Lyst Index—they kind of rank different brands and top It items—Ralph Lauren entered this past quarter as the no. 14 brand and it hadn’t been on the list before. I think it’s just proof that we’re seeing this kind of renewed interest in classic and timeless fashion across both brands and shopping.
The Row
Ew Margaux Bag in Leather
Beyond handbags, which items had the biggest moments this year in your opinion and all of your research?
In terms of shoes, I think last year was the year of the ballet flat. Of course, the Alaïa mesh version was huge and interestingly is still really big this year. I think other new shoes that kind of also paved the way were the Prada satin mules that were an editor favorite. They’re really popular at fashion week.
Prada
Prada Sabot 35 Mid Heel Square Toe Mule Satin
Similarly, Loro Piana has their Rebecca flats that are a pointed kind of almond toe shape and are just gorgeous. I think they work for every age and they’re very elegant. I think it ties back to that sense of longevity and seeing it in future collections and brands investing in styles that you can continue to perhaps buy new versions of year after year.
Loro Piana
Rebecca Ballerina
I think year after year, every time I write this report, we always see accessories take the top spot for It items, whether it be shoes, bags, or jewelry.
But outerwear has been huge this fall. At New York Fashion Week, we saw suddenly the suede jacket everywhere and it was an editor favorite. Moving further into fall, we saw the barn jacket take off. There are designer versions from Toteme, but there are also kind of more heritage pieces from brands like Barbour. I think it’s just a really wearable piece. Something you want to invest in and wear all season long. I actually got a version from eBay that I found that was vintage. I think they’re really great designer pieces, but it’s also one of those accessible items that you can find a beautiful vintage version.
Toteme
Country Jacket Forest
Barbour
Esther Waxed Jacket
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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