Note: This is the last issue of Back Row for 2023. I’ll be taking a little time off for Christmas and New Year’s, and then will be back in your inbox in 2024. I wish you all happy and relaxing holidays! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and supporting Back Row in 2023.
In today’s issue:
A recap of how last year’s predictions fared.
Predictions for 2024 on brands including Shein, Skims, Chanel, Hermès, and more.
A big prediction about Condé Nast. I could be wrong, but I’m taking the swing.
What do you remember about fashion from 2023? It’s funny looking back on the year and remembering the moments that seemed unforgettable at the time only to feel negligible now. For instance, Barbiecore seemed like it was taking over the whole world this summer, but now seems more like a brief Vegas marriage between movie goers and hot pink, more of a spasm in the trend cycle than an actual trend.
This was one of the predictions I got right in 2022, when I said, “Barbiecore will fail to materialize.” Dressing up to see a movie in the theater is different from incorporating a look into your wardrobe longterm. I was also right about Condé Nast, predicting that something big would happen, and something big did: celebrated British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful announced his departure. (He has just two more cover releases left before his exit.) And I pretty much nailed what happened to Gucci, predicting the company would appoint a new creative director and enter a boring phase, which it did with the pared-down “Ancora” show that couldn’t live up to its own hype.
I was wrong when I predicted that Balenciaga would part ways with Demna. I still think that could happen this year, but less because of scandals and more because I’m not sure how many more towel skirts this brand can juice from the viral gimmick lemon. But maybe I thought that last year, too? The point is: I look at Balenciaga and just feel confused.
I was also mostly wrong when I said, “Loewe, New New Bottega, and Peter Do will steer the industry.” Loewe definitely remains one of the most influential brands, so I got that part right. But New New Bottega’s recent show was clunky and failed to retain the hype of previous collections. Peter Do is a great designer, but his debut for Helmut Lang was widely regarded as disappointing. Looking back, I would have replaced those two with Khaite and Phoebe Philo.
Ahead, my predictions for 2024.
1 - Fashion brands will move away from making statements on political and social causes.
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