In the year that Gigi & Bella and Kendall & Kylie became queens of Instagram, Bella Freud's 1970 sweater and Stuart Weitzman's Highland Boot were the must-have products; the Seventies and Athleisure prevailed as the two key trends that still won't go away; catwalks were dominated by models-of-the-moment Lineisy Montero, Ruth Bell and Molly Bair, (not forgetting Rick Owens' models wearing other models); the industry was repeatedly rocked by the designer musical chairs game.
As 2016 looms and we await the first collection from Vetements' designer Demna Gvasalia as Balenciaga's new Artistic Director, as well as the appointment of Raf Simons' and Alber Elbaz's successors, we take a look back at the most important fashion moments of 2015.
The departures of our favourite designers
In June 2015, after 31 years at the helm of her empire, Donna Karan announced that she was stepping down from her business and production of all future collections and runway shows halted. The company shifted focus to DKNY where Public School's Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne took the reins in April.
Barely a few months on, in October, Alexander Wang presented his last collection at Balenciaga in order to concentrate on his 10-year-old eponymous label; then less than a month later we were shocked by the surprise announcement that Raf Simons was leaving Dior with immediate effect. A week later we learned that after 14 years, Alber Elbaz was parting ways with Lanvin. Both Raf and Alber, two of fashion's most cherished and imitated talents, made reference to the mounting pressures and unsustainable pace of the industry.
Photo: Getty
Riccardo Tisci's 10 Year anniversary show at Givenchy
Typically a key part of the PFW schedule, to celebrate 10 years at Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci transported the show to New York for SS16. Held on September 11th with lights from the 9/11 Memorial site as a backdrop, the eagerly-awaited show was undoubtedly one of the most talked-about events on the NYFW schedule for years.
The move to New York from Paris celebrated the opening of Givenchy’s new Madison Avenue store as well as the fashion house’s debut denim line. Riccardo Tisci collaborated with his close friend, artist Marina Abramovic, on the favela-inspired set, made solely from recycled materials while performance artists located across the multi-storey venue performed works created by Abramovic.
Perfectly timed, as the New York sun set, Tisci presented an 88-look collection featuring women’s RTW, menswear and haute couture, drawing inspiration from his past decade at Givenchy.
Photo: Getty
The Met Gala and that dress
The theme for this year's Met Gala was China: Through the Looking Glass and Rihanna received an A++ for nailing the dress code. Riri took the theme and ran with it, arriving in a colossal 55 lbs yellow dress with a golden fur trim and elaborate embroidery.
“I can’t really walk in it without any help—but it’s so worth it." Rihanna revealed on the red carpet. "I love this dress so much! It’s Chinese couture and it’s made by Guo Pei. It’s handmade by one Chinese woman and it took her two years to make. I found it online. I was researching Chinese couture on the Internet."
Even if the internet went wild comparing Rihanna to an omelette, Spongebob Squarepants, a Four Cheeses pizza and even a yellow condom, we thought she looked pretty fabulous.
Photo: Rex
J.W. Anderson's big wins at the BFAs
J.W. Anderson, the designer who has been a key player in the prevalence of genderless dressing and the blurring of traditional ideas of feminine and masculine clothing, affirmed that he is a master of both menswear and womenswear at this year's British Fashion Awards. At the industry’s most prestigious event last month, he picked up the coveted title of 'Designer of the Year' in both categories – the first time any designer has won both in the same year.
Photo: Getty
Kanye West's fashion shows
In February, Kanye West made his NYFW debut with Yeezy Season 1 and followed up with Yeezy Season 2 in September. While both collections were very similar (think neutrals, bombers, body stockings and tights on the head) and neither received a glowing report from critics, thanks to Yeezy's inner circle including the extensive Kardashian-Jenner klan, Beyoncé, Riccardo Tisci, Jay Z, Rihanna et al, naturally it was the most hyped show of the season, and the collections ended up being instant sell-outs.
Photo: Getty
Balmania
Every year fashion fans far and wide brace themselves for the scrum that is the launch day of the annual H&M designer collaboration. Remember, the stampedes for Versace, Marni and Alexander Wang? Well, this year the Swedish mega-brand surpassed itself with the Balmain x H&M collaboration; even if you live under a rock, there's no way, try as you might, that you could have missed the unprecedented press surrounding the collab, from the inundation of images on social media by Olivier Rousteing and his A list gang, the TV adverts, the "accidental" leak of the collection and the unforgettable show and party where Backstreet Boys performed.
Everyone from cast members of TOWIE (awks) to Kylie Jenner were seen in the collection. Ironically, pieces from the high street collab ended up topping actual Balmain prices on eBay.
Photo: Getty
Savage Beauty
After an incredible run at the Metropolitan Museum in NY in 2011, following a huge build up, Savage Beauty finally opened in London at the Victoria & Albert in March this year. Breathtaking, celebratory and incredibly poignant all at the same time, the exhibition, curated by Claire Wilcox and featuring creations by Alexander McQueen’s collaborators and close friends such as hairstylist Guido Palau, milliner Philip Treacy and jeweller Shaun Leane, the show truly evoked the exceptional spirit and talent of one of the most innovative designers in fashion history.
The exhibition covered McQueen's remarkable career from his MA graduate show in 1992 right through to his final, unfinished collection of AW10. Savage Beauty sold more than 493,000 tickets and the V&A stayed open all day and night during the last weekends to meet demand.
Courtesy of V&A
The return of Derek Zoolander
Maybe there's more to life than being really, really, really ridiculously good looking? No, scrap that. There definitely isn't for Derek Zoolander. Thankfully, everyone's favourite male model returned this year with an internet-breaking appearance on the catwalk at the Valentino AW15 show in March.
Zoolander 2 comes out in February next year, just in time for fashion weeks...
Photo: Rex
The celebration of older women
For an industry that is often berated for its obsession with youth and newness it was incredibly refreshing and a welcome advancement to see some of the world's biggest brands choosing women 60+ as the stars of their campaigns rather than interchangeable, teenage models as is typically the case.
In 2015 we saw Joni Mitchell front a campaign for Saint Laurent, 81-year-old literary icon Joan Didion was the face of Céline, and after joining Marc Jacobs at the Met Ball, Cher starred in his campaign.
Courtesy of Celine
Alessandro Michele's transformation of Gucci
In terms of fashion, it's safe to say that 2015 was the year of Alessandro Michele. It's been a long time since a designer has made such an immediate impact on a fashion house, that instantly filtered down the fashion pyramid from high fashion to high street.
His remarkable influence was celebrated at the British Fashion Awards where Michele took home the prize for 'International Designer', proving that he is the saviour of the failing Italian fashion house, after just 11 months there, following a two-year period of falling sales under Frida Giannini.
From pussybow blouses to berets, geek chic and a mish mash of colour and pattern, Michele's touch is evident everywhere. We can't wait to see what he does next.
Photo: Getty
The boom of the destination show
Forget Paris, Milan, London and New York, this year saw the biggest brands transport us to glamourous, far-flung destinations for unforgettable fashion shows in the most luxury settings. We visited Seoul with Chanel, Palm Springs with Louis Vuitton, Pierre Cardin’s Bubble House in the Cote d'Azur with Dior and Rome for Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show.
The fashion houses look set to top this for 2016 as Chanel will be showing the cruise collection in Cuba while Louis Vuitton heads to Rio. Our bags are already packed.
Photo: GettyLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Every Look From The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2017
Vogue Italia Is Putting Its Most Politically Charged Images On Display