As we reach the end of 2015, it’s time to get reflective about what’s been going down in the frenzied, fickle and mostly fantastic world of fashion.
What trends have been most influential? Whose red carpet appearances wowed us all? Which brand was coveted by every fashion editor? What news shocked us the most and which badass superstar owned the red carpet above all others?
Review all the big talking points of 2015 in fashion below.
Derek Zoolander gatecrashed Milan Fashion Week
It’s not that we ever forgot the ingenuity of Zoolander, it’s just that we were reminded of it in a big way in February when Derek Zoolander and Hansel (aka Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson) crashed the Valentino show and hit the catwalk. Blue Steele was stronger than ever before and that strut outshone all others. Roll on February 2016 when the Zoolander sequel is released.
John Galliano made his comeback
John Galliano made his fashion return this year following his infamous 2011 Dior sacking as creative director for Maison Margiela. The suspense building up to his show in January was high and he didn’t disappoint.
Gucci was reinvented (and sparked new cool status)
Gucci became the brand everyone wanted a piece of this year, as new creative director Alessandro Michele introduced his own brand of nonchalant geek chic. Margot Tenenbaum was decreed the poster girl, all beret, pleated skirts and eclectic styling – long shot from the glamorous eveningwear that dominated under Frida Giannini’s reign. The reinvention has attracted a new cool following, including Alexa Chung, Dakota Johnson and Harry Styles. Special mention needs to go to Gucci’s furry loafers, which, despite their completely impracticality, have been favoured by every discerning fashion editor in the land. Rihanna owned the red carpet
It might seem a given now, but Rihanna’s red carpet choices attracted more attention than anyone else’s this year. As is her way, she stuck two fingers up to convention and went to the 2015 Grammys dressed in a giant pink luffa-like gown by Giambattista Valli – her own take on princess style. Then for the Met Ball, she followed the Chinese theme more rigidly than any other, wearing a then little known Chinese designer called Guo Pei. The imperial yellow couture gown, with a train longer than Diana’s (nearly) and ornate embroidery fit for a royal, was as far from the restrained, safe dresses worn by other attendees as is possible. Rihanna has red carpet game like no other.
The lace-up ghillie took over
Aquazzura’s lace-up Ghillie shoes sparked a ubiquitous trend this summer. In fact, you’d have been hard pushed to find a high street store that wasn’t stocking the dance pump. Why the appeal? It’s an easy update on the ballet flat: versatile, comfortable and on-trend – a winning combination. The heel version became a favourite of Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo.
Lineisy Montero became a runway star
You know to expect big things when a model is enlisted as a Prada muse (Miuccia Prada is well-versed when it comes to finding the next big model star) as Lineisy Montero was last season. It’s the fashion equivalent of winning a Grammy for your first ever music single or scooping an Oscar for your debut film. The 19-year-old sported an Afro in a sea of slicked-back ponytails. This shouldn’t be news-worthy, but fashion has long been criticised for its lack of ethnic diversity, so Montero attracted attention almost immediately. She’s since graced every key catwalk imaginable, from Celine and Burberry to Versace and Dior.
The Apple Watch arrived
In April this year, the Apple watch launched – the most stylish piece of wearable technology, seemingly designed for those with teeny tiny fingertips, perfect for lithely navigating the compact touch screen. The hype was mad, the queues were intense and the technology impressive.
Lily Rose Depp became fashion’s new ingénue
With such impressive genes, it was inevitable that 16-year-old Lily Rose Depp should seize the attention of the fashion world. She has Vanessa Paradis’ heart-shaped face and full lips, Johnny Depp’s brown eyes and just behold those incredible cheekbones. There’s something of a young Natalie Portman about her, all melancholic, enigmatic attitude, but she’s half French so obviously has double the insouciant cool. This year, she became a Chanel show regular and was cast as the face of its eyewear campaign, although her goal is acting.
Two fashion greats quit the biz
It’s telling of the pressure put on fashion designers today that two of its most high-profile names left the industry this year. In October, Raf Simons announced he was leaving Christian Dior after three, critically acclaimed years at its helm, citing “personal reasons”. The same month, the much-loved Alber Elbaz was let go by Lanvin – the fashion house he had worked at since 2001. The decision was apparently the result of a difficult relationship with shareholder Shaw-Lan Wang. There have since been rumblings that Elbaz is heading for Dior, but would he want to take a job that would demand a similar amount of pressure, stress and relentlessness?
The a-line mini reigned supreme
In February this year, Alexa Chung launched her debut denim line for AG Jeans, including a certain indigo blue button-through A-line mini. It sold out like hotcakes, sparkling a zillion high street copies. We wore ours all winter with tights and polo necks and then all summer with T-shirts and silk vests.
The ’70s returned in a big way
The fashion world embraced the floaty, folk vibes of the ’70s to the extent that most high street stores resembled fancy dress hire shops for the most part of 12 months. It was suggested we wear flares again (hmmmm), paisley prints and cover ourselves with suede and faux snakeskin. Fringing, patchwork and apron dresses also made an appearance, but most frightening was the idea of culottes (which, we hasten to add, we have since embraced with abandon).
Police were called to calm Balmain x H&M crowds
Crowds were so frenzied over the Balmain for H&M collection that the police were called to help maintain control. Rails were cleared in minutes and the range became the fastest selling in the brand’s history.
The McQueen exhibition broke V&A records
The V&A’s Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition broke records in becoming the most popular showcase in the museum’s history. Over 480,000 tickets were sold (more than 150,000 more than the previously best-selling David Bowie Is exhibition of 2013), and the V&A opened overnight for the first time ever to handle the demand. A dark, intense and unarguably beautiful exhibition, it warranted the hype.
Want to know what else went down in 2015? Check out 2015’s BIGGEST beauty buzzwords and 2015’s BIGGEST celeb stories! For more hot fashion news, tips and buys check out our fashion section.
