The game of fashion musical chairs has finally stopped, and with several big, iconic fashion houses now run by new – and, in some cases, unexpected – designers, it will be interesting to see how some of our favorite brands (Dior! Vuitton!) will evolve. Here are the four big changes to keep an eye on.
- Hedi Slimane for Saint Laurent: He dropped the “Yves” and moved the studio to L.A. – two controversial moves that have paid off. With a history of designing the perfect skinny suit for men, his menswear-inspired pieces for Saint Laurent have been flying off the shelves. You know you’ve made it when Angelina Jolie opts for one of your tuxedo-style suits over a gown on the red carpet.
- Alexander Wang for Balenciaga: The man behind the off-duty, downtown-cool look is now at the helm of the storied French fashion house. Three runway seasons in, he’s hit his stride, adding his knack for knits to the house’s Fall 2014 collection.
- Raf Simons for Christian Dior: Simons started in menswear, so it’s no surprise that his Fall 2014 show for Dior featured plenty of suits, pinstripes, and tuxedo-inspired pieces. It was his more feminine looks, however, that really stole the show: super-bright flirty dresses, corset-laced coats, and even a handful of sportier quilted-puffer cocktail dresses.
- Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton: After Marc Jacobs stepped down after 14 years, no debut show was more anticipated than Ghesquiere’s for Vuitton. For inspiration, he turned to the women in his life: “I listened to the girls in the studio a lot, the women around me, what they want, what they need.” Apparently what they want are A-line skirts, mixed-media dresses, mini luggage-inspired bags, and curved-heel patent booties.
Have questions about the latest fashion happenings? Tweet our fashion director, Jackie Nasser, at @ruelala with #askjackie.
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Jackie Nasser joined Rue La La as fashion director in November of 2012. In close collaboration with the merchandising teams, she leads content production for lookbooks, style tips, and curated Boutiques. Jackie is the former lead editor for InStyle’s sister shopping site, StyleFind.com, which she launched. Prior to that, she served as senior fashion editor at Lucky and at ELLEgirl, ELLE Accessories, and ELLE.com.
