A year filled with punk, fur and prison. We look over the past twelve months to give you a fashion history lesson on the hot happenings that got tongues wagging
1. A FALLING STAR
They say that every cloud has a silver lining and it certainly did for Dior when Jennifer Lawrence took a nasty tumble, this February, while collecting her Best Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards. The response was phenomenal with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blogs and vlogs becoming flooded with images and footage of the graceful fall, indirectly advertising the Christian Dior couture gown she was wearing.
2. THE MET GALA BALL GETS PUNK’D
The prestigious Met Gala Ball, also known as ‘fashion’s smartest party’, took a turn to the dark side in May this year with a punk theme that saw the likes of Sienna Miller, SJP, Cara Delevingne and Madonna ripping up the red carpet in their ’alternative’ couture looks. The rebellious dress code instilled a trend that’s set to continue for many more months as it filters down to the high street.
3. Dolce&Gabbana create headlines
It was a shock to many when, in June, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were convicted of evading tax on income of over Dhs1 billion. The design duo, who hold an enviable place at number 11 on Forbes’ Italian Billionaires list, managed to get their sentence suspended until the end of their appeal process and have denied any wrongdoing.
4. PLASTIC FANTASTIC
Never thought anyone could spend Dhs30,000 on a plastic clutch bag? Well, think again as Chanel’s Plexiglass Lego minaudiére from the S/S13 show was a sell out despite the hefty price tag. The It bag proved so popular Chanel reintroduced the Lego brick style in a tweed and black version on the A/W13 runway.
5. FENDI STARTS FUR -MANIA
Fur, the essence of Fendi luxury, was celebrated by every designer. There was fur on everything from bangles to sunglasses, belts, boots and even a fluffy monster key ring. Karl Lagerfeld’s neon Fun Furs extravaganza made his A/W13 show a truly memorable one. It appears the future is furry.
6. LET THEM EAT CAKE
September’s New York Fashion Week saw Victoria Beckham step out of her comfort zone wearing a frock ironically known as the cake dress. For a lady renowned for avoiding cake and only ever wearing sleek and fitted designs, it was a surprise to see the petite designer donning a voluminous design from her S/S14 collection, which is sure to fly off the shelves come next season.
7. SO LONG, FAREWELL…
Along with reigniting our love for summertime black, the Louis Vuitton S/S14 show, in October, also arrived with an announcement – Marc Jacobs was stepping down from his Creative Director role at the French fashion house after 16 years. Jacobs decided it was time to hang up his LV loafers to concentrate on his own labels, Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs, leaving the industry in mourning. Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, remarked: “Fashion needs rock stars, and they don’t come any starrier than Marc at Louis Vuitton.”
8. REALITY CHECK
Budge over floral, there’s a new print in town. The A/W13 catwalks had us checking in with the, erm, check in a big way. It appears the stylish square took over the favourable flower print with over 30 designers paying homage to the grid print in one form or another.
9. THE #SELFIE BOOM
The #selfie, otherwise known as a self-taken photograph, has taken over our social networks. Who started it? We don’t know, but all of a sudden it appears the world has become self-obsessed. Everyone from Rihanna to One Direction and style bloggers to cool models are self-promoting by posting images of themselves eating ice-cream, exercising or, in Cara’s Delevingne’s case, wearing a onesie. Love them or hate them, the selfie is here to stay!
10. CARA CRAZY
Cara Delevingne has caused a model maelstrom in the industry. The model racked up 39 shows at fashion week, has just under three million Instragram followers, is the face of nine huge fashion campaigns and is Karl Lagerfeld’s new muse. It appears the world can’t get enough of quirky Cara, and neither can we.
Images: Getty, Fameflynet, Instagram and Mulberry
