6 fashion game-changers that made 2018 memorable

It’s hard to believe that 2018 is coming to an end already, and what a year it was for fashion. From the downfall of Victoria’s Secret to the rise and rise of Virgil Abloh, we’ve been at the edge of our seats following all the fashion drama play out. We’ve rounded up some of our defining moments. Let’s see what 2019 has to offer.

When the face of lingerie was a woman in labor

Rihanna stripped down her inclusive Fenty brand for its first Savage x Fenty lingerie show, which closed New York fashion week. Although lingerie model veterans Bella and Gigi Hadid walked the tropical runway, the show embraced a refreshingly diverse cast of models, including a show-stealing and heavily-pregnant Slick Woods, who stomped down the runway before going into labor right after the show. This came as Victoria’s Secret struggled to keep viewer’s interested in its “very sexy” fashion show, suffering its all time lowest ratings, compounded by its chief marketing officer coming under fire for saying that plus-sized and trans women did not fit the brand’s fantasy. Less VS and more Savage x Fenty for 2019 we say.

When the king of streetwear redefined luxury

Off-white founder, Virgil Abloh, took the reigns as creative director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear line in 2018 and created a collection that solidified streetwear’s place in the luxury industry. Following in the footsteps of Marc Jacobs, who originated LV’s womenswear collections in 2008, Abloh married his ultra luxe take on streetwear with the French heritage house’s iconic monogram for a Wizard of Oz inspired collection that sent us over the rainbow. Plus, he coined the term ‘accessomorphosis’, which is basically 2018’s biggest trend — wearing bags instead of carrying them.

When Jacquemus shrunk the accessory game

Every once in a while a new bag comes along that changes the way we see our trusted totes. In the tradition of the Fendi baguette and the Balenciaga Carry Shopper, Jacquemus’ micro mini-bag, Le Chiquito, introduced a stringent minimalism to the fashion world. Too small for an iPhone, the only thing you can fit in one of these things is a credit card and a slender lipstick — the ultimate in glamourous lifestyle choices.

When Berlin fashion brands rebelled against the industry

Berlin-based designers Maria Koch, of 032c, and Stefano Pilati, former creative director of YSL, both debuted fashion lines that harnessed the city’s irreverent club kid attitude and disregarded the traditions of the industry, choosing to show outside the structure of traditional fashion weeks. When introducing his new Random Identities line, Pilati, threw some punches at his former luxury colleagues, saying, “fashion designers have been replaced by entertainers,” while Koch told SLEEK that she is not interested in becoming a familiar face of Paris Fashion Week. Let’s raise a glass to that.

When everyone turned on Hedi Slimane

Another former YSL head grabbed headlines this year, but for all the wrong reasons. Fashion’s enfant terrible, Hedi Slimane, took over Céline this year, changing the brand to Celine – no accent – and imposing his tight and small Saint Laurent silhouettes on the label that had gained a cult following for its feminist fits that allowed women to be comfortable and elegantly stylish at the same time. The change was met with outrage as vintage Phoebe Philo Céline collections skyrocketed in price on vintage sites.

When Lagos Fashion Week was lit

All eyes were on Nigeria this year as designers served serious looks at Lagos Fashion Week. Among the standouts were menswear duo, Orange Culture, with its innovative prints and rich colours and Lisa Folawiyo’s traditional textiles in womenswear that have become a favourite of Lupita Nyongo and Solange Knowles. Just as Copenhagen has become the centre of Scandinavian fashion, Lagos may have inched itself forward among the Western African fashion capitals.