This year’s biggest fashion moments

Here we present 20 of 2017’s most talked about fashion moments, from Shayne Oliver and Isabella Burley’s new vision of Helmut Lang to Versace’s retrospective SS18 show starring the original ‘supers’, and Eckhaus Latta’s NSFW IRL sex campaign. That’s not forgetting the voices that have been speaking up for change in the industry too; Teddy Quinlivan, Hanne Gaby Odiele and James Scully. These are the fashion happenings that have made a lasting impression on us this year.

HANNE GABY ODIELE CAME OUT AS INTERSEX 

Belgian model Hanne Gaby Odiele came out as intersex, providing a voice for those previously unrepresented in the gender conversation. Since her announcement last January, Odiele has become a spokesperson for intersex people, whilst striving to break the taboo that surrounds the birth condition. Read our interview with Odiele here.

A NEW ERA OF HELMUT LANG ARRIVED

Hood By Air’s Shayne Oliver and Dazed’s editor-in-chief Isabella Burley unveiled a new vision for Helmut Lang in September. Think traditional Lang tropes reimagined through Oliver’s distinctive lens and campaigns paying homage to the label’s late 80s-early-90s beginnings.

RIHANNA SHUT DOWN THE MET BALL (AGAIN)

If 2015’s canary yellow cape dress didn’t give us enough joy, this year Rih owned the Met Ball red carpet wearing a full Comme des Garçons look straight off the AW16 runway in celebration of Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between.

OFF-WHITE WENT OFF-CAMPUS

Off-White’s Virgil Abloh provided sneakerheads all over the world with alternative education this year; a series of ‘Off-Campus’ events customising the brand’s iconic AF-1 shoe with the likes of Eddie Peake, Shayne Oliver and Cali Thornhill DeWitt. Workshop places were even harder to get hold of than the shoes.

PIERRE BERGÉ PASSED AWAY

2017 saw us say farewell to Pierre Bergé who passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind an awe-inspiring legacy – from his partnership with Yves Saint Laurent and decades spent defining the fashion house, to his philanthropic work fighting for gay rights and raising money for AIDS research.

RAF REIGNED

From his first Calvin Klein campaign ‘American Classics’ feat. Andy Warhol and Richard Prince – days before his debut show – to his vision of modern America for AW17, collaboration with the Warhol foundation, and denim campaign featuring today's biggest musical talents, Raf Simons shows no signs of slowing down.

THE OG SUPERMODELS RETURNED TO VERSACE

Cindy, Naomi, Claudia, Carla and Helena – the original ‘supers’ who only need introducing with one name returned for Donatella’s SS18 collection which was a retrospective dedicated to Gianni’s legacy. The show also saw the reimagination of Gianni’s original pieces from his 91-95 collections: Baroque, Warhol and Vogue, among others.

STRANGER THINGS AT LOUIS VUITTON

Blink and you’d have missed the Stranger Things poster t-shirt that was layered over a bohemian floral-print blouse in Nicolas Ghesquière’s SS18 Louis Vuitton show. Could there be more of this to come?

GUCCI-WEARING ALIENS INVADED 

A century ago, scientists predicted that aliens would invade planet Earth in the year 2017. Fake news. But Gucci came close with its retro-futurist AW17 campaign lensed by Glen Luchford that saw extraterrestrial beings interact with Gucci-clad models on 50s and 60s-inspired sci-fi film sets.

WE BID ALAÏA ADIEU 

The year we bid farewell to one of fashion’s most legendary designers, Azzedine Alaïa. Tributes to the monumental designer came flooding in thick and fast on social media allowing us to relive many of his finest moments from his outfits for Grace Jones, to his hyper-form fitting dresses and bodysuits, and his love of leopard print.

OFF-WHITE REMEMBERED PRINCESS DI

Virgil Abloh’s SS18 show played out as a series of tailored two-pieces and low-key sportswear looks, inspired by the duality of the late Princess Diana’s style. Who better to close the show than the queen of the runway herself Naomi Campbell, in white spandex.

TEDDY QUINLIVAN CAME OUT AS TRANSGENDER

Model Teddy Quinlivan joined Odiele in speaking out about gender this year, after years hiding her identity for fear it may damage her career in fashion. Coming out as transgender via a three-part Instagram video, Quinlivan discussed her identity for the first time since transitioning at aged 16.

JAMES SCULLY SPOKE OUT AGAINST MODEL MISTREATMENT

Thanks to outspoken model agent James Scully’s Instagram post back in March, this year saw Balenciaga cut ties with casting agents Maida Gregori Boina and Rami Fernandes for their mistreatment of models. More of this in 2018, please.

CHANEL LAUNCHED A ROCKET 

Karl Lagerfeld is known for putting on a show. From the all-branded supermarket to the air terminal – his AW17 show introduced the Chanel Rocket, complete with a lift-off sequence soundtracked by Elton John’s “Rocket Man”. What else?

COLETTE CLOSED ITS DOORS

After 20 years of service, fashion landmark colette has closed its doors. Founder Sarah Andelman will be continuing to champion emerging talent through her new consultancy venture – Just An Idea. Next year, Saint Laurent will be moving into the space following their final – unintentionally kinky – collab with the boutique.

KIM K DEBUTED YEEZY SEASON 6

A lookbook made entirely from paparazzi-style shots of Kim Kardashian going about her daily business head to toe in Yeezy Season 6, released via social media in an aesthetic that speaks to the smartphone generation. Well played, Kanye.

VETEMENTS HELD A ‘NO SHOW’

Having announced that Vetements would be ditching the runway show – a short-lived decision as the label will now be returning to the menswear schedule for AW18 – Demna Gvasalia presented a 57-strong ‘no show’ lookbook for SS18, that he shot himself on locals on the streets of Zurich.

RAURY STAGED A PROTEST AT D&G

The protest that went down at Dolce & Gabbana’s SS18 men’s show was an inside job by singer-songwriter Raury, who’d been selected as an ‘influencer’ model. Having discovered the duo’s support for Melania Trump and the #BoycottDolceGabbana t-shirts, he ripped off his hoodie in the finale to reveal body paint that read: “PROTEST D&G” “GIVE ME FREEDOM” and “I AM NOT YOUR SCAPEGOAT”.

ECKHAUS LATTA WENT NSFW

NYC design label Eckhaus Latta’s unconventional SS17 campaign featured IRL Craigslist-cast couples having sex, in order to start a conversation about the relationship between over-sexualised imagery and advertising in the fashion industry. The result? Beautiful – censored, but still NSFW – thought-provoking images of couples connecting intimately.

BALENCIAGA PUT ACTUAL DADS ON THE RUNWAY 

2017’s most unlikely fashion hero? Dads worldwide, thanks to Demna Gvasalia’s SS18 Balenciaga menswear show – inspired by the working man – that saw IRL families walk the runway. What next?