Here are some of this week’s news and features highlights handpicked by TheIndustry.fashion team.
John Galliano shocked the industry, exiting Margiela
If you asked me who I thought typified British fashion design, my first answer would be the late Alexander McQueen or John Galliano (yes, as a CSM alum I may be biased, but I’m sure many would agree with me). So, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw the news that after a decade-long stint at Maison Margiela, Galliano was exiting the brand.
The legendary designer has been on my radar for as long as I can remember and not just because he designed my favourite Carrie Bradshaw ensemble in Sex and the City (you know, the newspaper print dress).
When the man responsible for designing the iconic Saddle bag whilst at the helm of Dior and Kim K’s 2024 Met Gala dress took to Instagram to announce his departure, the rumour mill instantly began churning. Will the British designer finally head back to Dior? I hope so. We await to see who takes his place at Margeila, a brand adored among both the art and fashion community.
Chloé Burney, Senior News & Features Writer.
Matthieu Blazy confirmed as next Chanel Artistic Director
Read all about it! If you’re in fashion, you’re certainly already sick of seeing Matthieu Blazy’s perfect five o’clock shadow plastered all over your socials. If you haven’t heard, the French-Belgian Bottega Veneta Creative Director is taking over the helm at Chanel.
Who would replace Karl Lagerfeld’s long-time right-hand woman Virginie Viard has been fashion’s favourite conversation since she exited the Artistic Director role in June. Jacquemus? Galliano? Slimane?
However, as soon as Louise Trotter was announced as the new Bottega Creative Director (leaving behind French luxury house Carven), we all knew. And what felt like minutes later, we really knew.
Blazy will join Chanel by April 2025, ahead of a debut collection next September.
Katie Ross, Content & Events Executive.
UK set for ‘pre-loved party season’ as 27% of Brits to buy second-hand outfits for Christmas
It was interesting to receive a new YouGov survey on behalf of Oxfam this week that says more than a quarter of Brits (27%) attending a festive event this year – including New Year’s Eve celebrations – are planning to buy pre-loved party outfits.
While sustainability, helping good causes and saving the planet may be high on the agenda for many of those people, I suspect the main driving force is being able to pick up something decent for a fraction of the cost of buying new, especially as most people’s budgets are increasingly stretched.
The trouble with that is, something second-hand is a one off and you have to be lucky if something you like the look of actually fits. If it doesn’t, the only choice is to move on to the next thing. That’s also very time consuming. Fine if you have lots of time on your hands to trawl through charity shops, vintage markets and online with eBay, Vinted and so on, not so great if you need something to wear for a ‘do’ a bit sharpish – with perhaps two sizes in it to try to ensure one will fit.
However, another stat from the survey says that of those who bought a new outfit for a Christmas or New Year party last year, almost 30% admitted they only wore it once, while 40% only wore it two or three times, and 7% admitted to never wearing their new party purchase. So, while at one end there’s lots of good being done with more people buying pre-loved, it seems at the other end there’s plenty there to undo it!
Tom Bottomley, Contributing Editor.
The big trends set to transform retail in 2025 and beyond
With ever-changing customer expectations and increasing competition, brands need to evolve with consumer behaviours and trends to drive loyalty and engagement.
Looking into the transformative changes reshaping retail, media agency Westfield Rise this week released a new report outlining the key trends set to transform retail in 2025 and beyond.
The report revealed a shift away from traditional shopping, as consumers demand more engaging experiences. It comes as 63% of young shoppers are calling for interactive, playful retail spaces, fuelling a growing demand for experiences that go beyond simple transactions. There’s also a growing desire for informative and easily accessible sustainability content and education, which is proving crucial for maintaining consumer loyalty.
Sophie Smith, News Editor & Senior Writer.
The Eric Musgrave Interview: How Caroline Attwood is growing the quiet consistency of Margaret Howell
Amid all the major news from fashion’s biggest luxury houses (and haven’t we had a lot of that this week!), it’s often easy to overlook those brands that are quietly getting on with doing amazing things.
Margaret Howell is one such brand. Howell, who established her brand more than 50 years ago, is still the creative lead and still dedicated to producing retained, practical and beautiful clothing that stands the test of time.
Since February of this year, Caroline Attwood has been its managing director. She sat down with contributor Eric Musgrave to discuss her plans for growth, in this wide-reaching interview, while Eric wonders what it has taken the rest of the industry so long to wake up to the brand’s approach to “slow luxury”.
Lauretta Roberts, Co-founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief.
