I just love your writing and Iām a newish student of fashion history (10 years, maybe more, since I started reading bios and books about fashion history). I loved The Battle of Versailles and watched the documentary-I foisted the book on my Book Club, and showed them my treasured Stephen Burrows disco top. š
We just spent 4 days in Milan the past week. Two things really stood out.
First of all, luxury fashion brands are spending big time on new shops all over the Quadrilatero. They are really investing in getting the best visibility for their brands whatever the cost. The same happened in Paris in 2021. It creates a dynamic that puts those cities on the map for their fashion weeks. We spent a month in NY in May, and we didn't see anything similar in Manhattan.
Secondly, there are no American brands to speak off. RL's shop is a shadow of its former self. Thom Browne's shops are... well, like Thom Browne's shops anywhere else.
Becoming the world's fashion capital for a week needs more that what NY has to offer at the moment.
Agree! American brands don't benefit from the sense of national pride and related institutional support that Italian and French brands do, but it is shocking to see how little most have moved the needle over the past several years. I do think there's also a connection to the withering garment district in NYC. Whereas Italy invested heavily in fashion manufacturing during the pandemic slowdown, I think American business has just decided fashion isn't legitimate or worthwhile and seem content to let the industry die in the US. Brands like RL are so bloated and a lot of very out of touch leadership there have dug their heels in to keep their positions, much to the company's detriment. There's so much scrambling just to stay afloat, I think the New York scene has lost the forest for the trees.
"There's so much scrambling just to stay afloat, I think the New York scene has lost the forest for the trees." Agree completely, and I think this is true of American society in general right now. Our hyper-capitalist society has created an "every man/woman for themselves," with the individual above all else, because that's the outlook you need to have to survive.
Great read!! Always associate the shift from the rowās focus on āmade in the USAā with a decline in quality, not bcs not being made in USA necessarily means higher quality but bcs it seemed to at least somewhat coincide with a big push for viral influence/hype and celebs dressed head to toe in looks that I personally find exhausting/alienating. Maybe just me being cynical/grouchy though ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
Thank you so much! And The Row made a pretty wild shift and moved nearly all production to Italy once lockdown happened, but they brought some production back to the US once they got a new CEO. You're not totally off base re quality. The brand still does truly have some of the best stuff around and even beats the vast majority of European brands, but there are certain products that have dipped, like T-shirts and tanks, and the menswear (though still very nice) is not at the same level it was when Paul Helbers was designing it. They're rumored to be looking for more investment and if they secure it, that'll be a huge test to see if the quality stays the same as it is now or not.
I just love your writing and Iām a newish student of fashion history (10 years, maybe more, since I started reading bios and books about fashion history). I loved The Battle of Versailles and watched the documentary-I foisted the book on my Book Club, and showed them my treasured Stephen Burrows disco top. š
10 years is a good amount of time! That takes dedication for sure.
We just spent 4 days in Milan the past week. Two things really stood out.
First of all, luxury fashion brands are spending big time on new shops all over the Quadrilatero. They are really investing in getting the best visibility for their brands whatever the cost. The same happened in Paris in 2021. It creates a dynamic that puts those cities on the map for their fashion weeks. We spent a month in NY in May, and we didn't see anything similar in Manhattan.
Secondly, there are no American brands to speak off. RL's shop is a shadow of its former self. Thom Browne's shops are... well, like Thom Browne's shops anywhere else.
Becoming the world's fashion capital for a week needs more that what NY has to offer at the moment.
Agree! American brands don't benefit from the sense of national pride and related institutional support that Italian and French brands do, but it is shocking to see how little most have moved the needle over the past several years. I do think there's also a connection to the withering garment district in NYC. Whereas Italy invested heavily in fashion manufacturing during the pandemic slowdown, I think American business has just decided fashion isn't legitimate or worthwhile and seem content to let the industry die in the US. Brands like RL are so bloated and a lot of very out of touch leadership there have dug their heels in to keep their positions, much to the company's detriment. There's so much scrambling just to stay afloat, I think the New York scene has lost the forest for the trees.
"There's so much scrambling just to stay afloat, I think the New York scene has lost the forest for the trees." Agree completely, and I think this is true of American society in general right now. Our hyper-capitalist society has created an "every man/woman for themselves," with the individual above all else, because that's the outlook you need to have to survive.
Absolutely. Everyone is in survival mode and so many desperately need things to improve. Here's to more working together to make it happen.
Great read!! Always associate the shift from the rowās focus on āmade in the USAā with a decline in quality, not bcs not being made in USA necessarily means higher quality but bcs it seemed to at least somewhat coincide with a big push for viral influence/hype and celebs dressed head to toe in looks that I personally find exhausting/alienating. Maybe just me being cynical/grouchy though ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
Thank you so much! And The Row made a pretty wild shift and moved nearly all production to Italy once lockdown happened, but they brought some production back to the US once they got a new CEO. You're not totally off base re quality. The brand still does truly have some of the best stuff around and even beats the vast majority of European brands, but there are certain products that have dipped, like T-shirts and tanks, and the menswear (though still very nice) is not at the same level it was when Paul Helbers was designing it. They're rumored to be looking for more investment and if they secure it, that'll be a huge test to see if the quality stays the same as it is now or not.
Ahh I totally missed that some production moved back here!!
It's a very small amount, so I don't blame you! It's mostly some tees but they do a small percentage of the women's tailored jackets here as well.
V interesting/good to know! Will have to keep an eye out to see if more moves back š¤
Bravo. Once again hitting the nail on the head