Written by Jewelle S. 
Concept by KevinLee T.

Fashion persistently gives nuance to society. Each generation elevates and utilizes fashion to give insight on their expression of style. This is what sparks the flocks of designers rushing to equip the masses with the most trendy, daring, and sometimes even controversial garments to stamp the streets with. Many fashion fanatics are educated by the craze and daze Mr. Alexander McQueen gave us by delivering artistic and riveting designs that still serve as paramount. Not to mention the likes of Karl Lagerfeld who helped birth Chanel and Fendi, or Tom Ford whose craftsmanship gives us what we know as Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci. Let us never overlook Marc Jacobs who provided the industry with ready-to-wear Louis Vuitton while originating collaborations between major fashion houses and artists. 

As early as the 18th century, aristocrats and royals alike competed to secure the most unique, well-expressed designers of their time to outdo each other, resulting in the invention of couture. The Romantic Silhouette dropped the waistline of the dresses, exposed the bust, puffed the sleeves and widened the skirts. The men would gravitate to tailcoats, hanging tails at the back, full skirts hanging to the knee, pantaloons covered tights and trousers and high collars. The waists were surely “snatched” and the busts popped to perfection and the men certainly served many looks in their time. Women would then start the wave in the 1920s to be free and “flap” as it is widely known, the hair was cut short, the dresses were above the knee, the bikinis gave us more cleavage.

When we talk about fashion today, we must touch on the dazzling, fantastic, awe-inspiring fashion shows that motivates all the rave for buyers and designers to flaunt their interwoven talent on a catwalk like no other. It begins as early as the 1800s when Mr. Charles Frederick Worth decided he would do away with the mannequins, and gathered women of doll-like stature to brandish his new collection, and the rest is literally history. Shortly after Christian Dior jumped into the race and ran a runway beyond compare in Paris of 1974. He paraded his girls down the catwalk with their skirts billowed and tucked and that year his clothes earned the title of “New Look”. Be mindful that this is what takes effect in fashion, the exuberance, the passion, the inspiration! It’s all brought together by the generational influences, the well-renowned designers who formulate and accentuate the “look” of today, and the people who wear it oh so well.

If you’re a fashion devotee, you need not be told to know about and show out at the major fashion events of the world, we have Pitti Uomo in Italy, which serves us the biggest and baddest in mens’ fashion twice a year from huge internationally acclaimed designers, we have Paris Haute Couture in France giving us very ‘hot’ Haute Couture each year, including the greatest custom fits known to man. This list goes on to say; Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week which kick starts all the other weeks of fashion, Milan Fashion Week, Shanghai and Tokyo, Met Gala the ball of balls, the stage of stages, where celebrities prance with poise and elegance, dripped in the most aboriginal and exquisite custom pieces from the world's top designers and making headlines for music,art and fashion intertwined. 

Speaking of top designers, many would agree, the biggest and best designers of today are of ruling class, almost of royal status even, because of their deep integration in the fabric society. With the mention of society, it obviously raises the question of it. 

To elaborate, there are major fashion houses that are at the forefront for todays’ trends, demand and contended styles. It includes but is indubitably not limited to LVMH, where Louis Vouitton finds his house and brings under Berluti, Celine, Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Moynat, Nicholas Kirkwood, Pink Shirtmaker, RIMOWA, whom in 2018, employed a total of 156,000 employees and reported revenue of 46.8 billion euros, meaning some of these brands hawk and own majority of current trend sales worldwide. Their influence is impeccable!

Kering fashion brands :Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent focused primarily in the late 90s on diversification and retail distribution but later shifted their attention to the luxury industry along with the inclusion/sale of Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches. In 2018, the Group achieved revenues of €13.7 billion with a EBITDA margin of 32,5%.

Prada Group gained revenues of €3 billion in 2017, and an EBIT margin of 11,8% with 625 DOS in 70 countries!

PVH earned $9 billion in revenues, OTB, the parent company of  Diesel, Maison Margiela, Paula Cademartori, Marni, Viktor & Rolf,  Brave Kid and Staff International. Chaired by Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, 2017 brought in 1.52 billion euro and EBIT of 21.5 million euros. 

Without further comparison one would confirm that the major brands dictate the markets in fast and luxury and everything in between, above, below and wherever else fashion. These are the companies who use the platforms of statistics to advantage every avenue of what we wear today by using and knowing about made-to-stock, made-to-order, customization, distribution channels (e.g. owned store, franchise, wholesale, e-commerce, pop up, marketplace), outsourcing (near shore, off-shore) or vertically integrated model, and multiple shopping options (e.g. recycle, reuse, renting, showrooming, click & collect), and topping each chart in knowledgeability and funding bestowing their names essentially as the blood that pumps the Fashion Ecosystem.

This is what dubs the interest of many from the variety of celebrities to the youths who will continue to challenge the industrys’ future in apparel. What we need in order to stay in the know is to understand what weaves the fashion universe into the new runway of modern expression, which calls for a rather intriguing reminder of the past. Contrary to a reminder of the past provokes a conversation about the future and todays’ fashion IS the future, it is bold, it is connected and it will countlessly and mercilessly deliver tailored excellence forevermore.