2018 Fashion Wrap up

By Noah Lindsay and Angel Sohu

1. MET GALA

The Met Gala is hands down the most important event in the fashion industry, and it is a known fact that the Met Gala is the most exclusive party in all of America. So it’s no surprise the 2018 Met Gala makes the top of our list. The theme of the night was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and The Catholic Imagination" and with the event being co-chaired by none other than the iconic music superstar Rihanna, fashion legend Donatella Versace, and Amal Clooney it was bound to be the event of the year. Many iconic looks were served that night by of course, Rihanna and among the others: Cardi B, Zendaya, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian West, Sza etc. The gala is always a hot topic year after year, and only time will tell what 2019’s Met Gala will bring us.

4. WINNIE HARLOW

2018 has been a big year for supermodel Winnie Harlow. A big moment in particular, and arguably her biggest accomplishment thus far, was landing the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is the most notable fashion show in the world, so landing a gig walking the runway for the show is no small feat. This is her first VS runway show and the first time a supermodel with vitiligo has been featured in the show.  Her presence alone redefines beauty standards as seen on the runway, so for that, we thank her.

2. MICHAEL KORS BUYING VERSACE

Social media was ignited with thoughts and opinions upon hearing the news that international fashion brand Michael Kors was going to be buying luxury goods brand Versace for $2.1 billion. While some were unbothered by this deal, many took to Twitter to express their distrust, and even disgust with this decision. Michael Kors is known for being a brand that can be found in anywhere from their boutiques to your local Marshalls. Designer goods lovers were worried Michael Kors would do to Versace what they do with their own company, ie: branch out products sales to mass retail stores. But in the end Michael Kors released a statement reassuring fans that Versace will in fact remain a luxury focused brand.

3. VS. TRANSPHOBIA

While this moment is more on the infamous side, it still deserves to be acknowledged in this pop culture recap.  Ed Razek, the chief marketing officer for L Brands, made some controversial statements in an interview for Vogue magazine this November. When asked if transgender individuals should be allowed in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. He responded with “No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is." Alongside this, Razek mentioned how Victoria’s Secret had no interest in casting plus-size models for their show, stating that, “no one had any interest in it, still don’t." The brand received a plethora of backlash through social media, so a statement was released via Twitter apologizing.  While this may be an odd pick for our list, it definitely opened up conversation about representation in the fashion world today.

5. VIRGIL ABLOH’S LOUIS VUITTON

If you already love Virgil Abloh for his work with his fashion brand Off-White, you’ll love this: In 2018 iconic fashion house Louis Vuitton named Abloh as their newest menswear designer. This is such big news considering French fashion houses in general already lack diversity, so naming a black man as a the head of a branch of a world famous fashion house like Louis Vuitton is big. Not only did they give him the position, but it was very well received and celebrated all throughout the fashion world.