The first month of 2022 was full of launches, news, and events that gave people something to talk about. There were a lot of exciting moments in January. Here is a brief summary of the most important ones.
The faces of the latest campaigns
At the beginning of this month, we saw new stars in campaigns from the most important fashion brand in the industry. The industry has been captivated by young talent this season. We saw Evan Mock in the spotlight in Fendi’s Spring ‘22 campaign, and at Prada, we saw the start of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland, and rising star Hunter Schafer (from Euphoria) look spectacular in garments from this Italian brand. Versace chose reggaeton singer, Maluma, and the dynamic Bella and Gigi Hadid duo to wear the garments from the brand’s new collection. For the new Miu Miu campaign, Miuccia chose Hailey Bieber and Emma Corrin, and Georgia May Jagger is the new face of Missoni.
Each of the images from these campaigns combines the DNA of the brands with the personality of the person who wears them. What is clear is that new generations are crowning themselves as big consumers, so what better way to attract the attention of this new clientele than by placing their idols on countless billboards around the world?
Saint Laurent presented its Resort 22 collection
On January 11, Anthony Vaccarello showed the world his latest looks for Saint Laurent: mini dresses with sequins, pencil skirts with feather trims, and crocheted crop tops. We saw textiles like denim, velvet, silk, and wool transformed into garments full of sensuality and sophistication. The Saint Laurent collection has a rebellious spirit full of energy, for free women who like to express themselves through their clothing.
In line with the vibe of this French brand, the clothing has a certain androgynist feel to it, mixing male and female pieces. It also reflects that empowerment of women through the sensuality of the clothing that e so characteristic of the first Yves Saint Laurent collections. We see a clear reference to the 60s and 70s, the era of peace and love. All the energy of flower power is reinterpreted in the form of sequined flowers on the garments, transparencies that are a nod to the sexual liberation movement of the time and joyful colorful prints that contrast with black satin.
Nigo’s debut at Kenzo
During the first weeks of the month, we saw the men’s runways from the Autumn 2022 season. One of the most anticipated and talked about moments was the Kenzo catwalk. The brand, founded in 1970 by Japanese designer, Kenzo Takada, announced the appointment, in September of last year, of DJ and designer Nigo as Artistic Director. Nigo is globally recognized for his urban and avant-garde style, so this generated great anticipation around what his vision for Kenzo would look like.
His first collection was a mix of the irreverent spirit that characterizes him with the savoir-faire of the firm. Youthful and colorful prints in knit garments, oversized silhouettes, and Japanese denim garments. Each one of the outfits in the collection struck a balance between urban, cool. and chic—a representation of the luxury of the moment in which streetwear clothing is the new status quo. The front row of the runway stole the spotlight, as celebrities and personal friends of Nigo, like Pharrell, J. Balvin, Kanye West and his new girlfriend Julia Fox, were present to support and celebrate this new adventure for the Japanese designer. Without a doubt, Kenzo, under Nigo’s vision will become one a men’s streetwear favorite.
Barbie becomes part of the Balmain Army
Olivier Rousteing and Balmain continue to expand their following, and now, the legendary toy doll, Barbie, is the brand’s latest fan. The designer launched a capsule collection that merges the essence of Barbie with the DNA of Balmain. It’s a pink palette full of sequins in which several iconic pieces from the French brand were reinterpreted. Dresses, jackets, skirts, hoodies and accessories, full of references from both Balmain and Barbie, make up this capsule collection
There were cotton T-shirts with graphic prints and the classic Barbie logo, striped satin silk jackets, and pink denim ones. The collection has a total nineties mood, in which athleisure is mixed with sexier pieces, embodying that Y2K aesthetic that has become so popular in recent months. This is a collaboration that we didn’t saw coming but that makes a lot of sense, and we love it. Each of these garments will become collector’s items for both Barbie fans and Balmain lovers. This collection brings the elegance of Balmain to the girly world of Barbie.
Galliano’s years at Dior
From 1996 to 2011, John Galliano was in charge of the creative team and ateliers of Christian Dior. During these years Galliano became one of the industry’s favorite designers, and the firm positioned itself as one of the most avant-garde in the industry. The Galliano and Dior duo gave legendary us moments and memorable catwalks. Without a doubt, each of the collections of left its mark, still inspiring young designers from all over the world.
This fifth volume from the Assouline series is a retrospective of this era of the brand. It’s a tribute to each of the creations that Galliano designed for the firm through photographs by Laziz Hamani, Steven Meisel, Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, Paolo Roversi and Mario Sorrenti. Accompanying these spectacular images are words from Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, who speaks to us about the creativity, inspiration, and importance of Galliano’s years at Dior.
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