2009’s Most Memorable Fashion Moments: The Good, The Sad and the Really Ugly
By Denise Grayson January 1, 2010
Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington in The September Issue
Fashion wouldn’t be fashion without its moments – those curiosities, shockers and fascinations that keep our favourite industry exciting, fun and deliciously indulgent. The year 2009 gave us the requisite, out-of-this-world characters; surprise break-out stars; ridiculously gorgeous clothes on ridiculously gorgeous people; and the lows that predictably accompany those glorious highs. Here’s a look at some of the unforgettable events and developments from a year that was anything but dull:
The September Issue. When Anna Wintour gave camera crews full access to Vogue’s fabled New York offices to make a feature-length documentary about its most important issue of the year, we were in fashion heaven. But the star of the film wasn’t the notoriously icy editor-in-chief who makes and breaks young designers’ careers in a heartbeat, it was creative director and publicity shy Grace Coddington who had us intrigued. In fact, she was staunchly opposed to the idea of the film – the flamed-haired stylist extraordinaire and former model slammed her office door in the faces of crew for two months before she finally agreed to let them film her. And we’re so thrilled she did.
Photo credit: NY Daily News
Hard times: Luella and Christian Lacroix. The economic recession claimed dozens of fashion industry entities, but there were two victims that left us with broken hearts. Luella, the clothing and accessories line known for its sweet and sexy cool lost its financial backing when Club 21, its global licensee, announced they would no longer be investing in Luella Bartley’s company, not long after she showed her hit spring 2010 collection in London. To make matters worse, her major Italian manufacturer unexpectedly closed its doors which made the fulfilling of new orders virtually impossible. And in May, beloved Paris fashion house Christian Lacroix filed for court protection from creditors after 22 years of operation; it appeared the illustrious designer’s upcoming haute couture show in June would likely be his last, at least for the foreseeable future. Since then, we fashion lovers have been teased with glimmers of hope. An Ajman sheikh stepped up to buy the label for 100 million euros but failed to submit the paperwork to the courts by deadline in December. For the moment, Christian Lacroix has been reduced to a licensing operation with just 11 employees. Not exactly the calibre of enterprise befitting a fashion house known for dressing the world’s most discerning women with opulent and exquisite couture.
Lady Gaga. It’s getting to be redundant to mention Lady Gaga and fashion; it seems after a whirlwind year the perennially becostumed pop singer has become fashion. Her over-the-top, flamboyant style now influences what the world is wearing as Madonna’s chameleon-like approach to dressing once did, and it would take a healthy dose of denial to argue that the haute couture shows last June had nothing to do with her avant-garde style. This twenty-something New Yorker fiercely believes her own hype and apparently, so do we.
The all-Lara issue of French Vogue
Lara Stone. The model of the 2009 was indisputably Dutch beauty and gap-toothed Brigitte Bardot ringer, Lara Stone. Karl Lagerfeld proclaimed her his muse – she walked the final look as his mariée in his fall Chanel haute couture show, and Carine Roitfeld dedicated an entire issue of French Vogue to her, using her as the the only model in the February issue. Going into the new year her white-hot career is showing no signs of slowing – Marc Jacobs has named the model with the versatile face and voluptuous body – according to fashion standards – as Madonna’s replacement in Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2010 campaign saying, “we wanted a modern, iconic, sexy beauty…it had to be Lara Stone.”
Sad goodbyes: Irving Penn, Kenneth Paul Block and Daul Kim. We lost a young model in tragic circumstances and paid tribute to two fashion legends. In April, ‘the last of the great fashion illustrators’, Kenneth Paul Block succumbed to complications of a fall in his home. He was renowned for his ability to capture the elegance of fashion with his trademark graceful brushstrokes. October saw the passing of photography giant Irving Penn at the age of 92. His minimalist approach captured the essence of his subjects which ranged from celebrities and models to indigenous peoples to cigarette butts. He continued to work until shortly before his death, contributing feature editorial to Vogue. Then in November, of-the-moment South Korean model Daul Kim shocked the fashion world when she committed suicide in her Paris apartment. She complained of a relentless work schedule and loneliness on her personal blog, later reassuring her fans she was ‘fine’.
Lindsay Lohan and Ungaro. The fashion world nearly fell off its platform heels when the highly regarded Paris fashion house Ungaro announced its appointment of troubled actress Lindsay Lohan as its new ‘artistic advisor’, overseeing the work of new creative director Estrella Archs. The pair had a month to put a collection together for the spring 2010 show and the result was laughable to the fashion editors – WWD called it an ‘embarrassment’. The red sequin pasties that peeked out from many of the outfits failed to please the critics. Hard to believe, eh?
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Submitted on January 1, 2010 in Celebrity Fashion, Industry News, Who's Who.
Denise is a Canadian living in England who is fascinated by the fusing of fashion and art. Her obsession with the details and an insatiable urge to share beautiful discoveries drives her Paris-loving blog, www.TheSwelleLife.com, and recently she opened Swelle Boutique at www.swelleboutique.com which offers exclusive one-off and limited edition dresses and accessories.
Denise Grayson has contributed 59 articles to Models & Moguls.
