The 12 Biggest Fashion News Stories of 2023

As fashion (and the world) continued to emerge from the pandemic, the industry's most memorable news headlines of 2023 revolved around prescient topics shaping our present and future. The year saw a continued, growing focus on conversations around sustainability, ethical manufacturing and fair pay for garment workers. Celebrities kept on launching brands. The creative director revolving door continued to rotate on, with big name designer shakeups at major houses throughout the year.

Ahead, Fashionista recaps the biggest news stories of the year and the topline details to know, going into 2024.

Garment Workers' Ongoing Protests in Bangladesh

Thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh took to the streets in late October to protest a government-sponsored pay increase of about 56% compared to the desired 200% increase. While Bangladesh's 3,500 garment factories contribute to about 85% of the country's annual exports (sold to the likes of Levi's, Zara, H&M and other fast fashion retailers), worker conditions remain in critical condition. Many workers, who are mostly women, take home a monthly salary of $75. Protests, which shut down at least 100 factories, turned violent as some threw bricks at factories and were then met by police tear gas and rubber bullets. At least three workers died. This is evidence of the increasing tensions created by the fast fashion machine's reliance on exploited labor.

Kylie Jenner Launches Khy

Kylie Jenner fulfilled the Kardashian-Jenner destiny of working with Emma and Jens Grede to start a fashion brand. Like Khloé did with Good American and Kim with Skims, Kris Jenner's youngest child announced her foray into the industry this fall (you know, outside of the Kendall + Kylie line both sisters probably want us to forget). Khy is positioned as offering luxurious pieces, often made in collaboration with renowned designers from around the globe, at under-$200 prices and in sizes from XXS to 4X. Within two weeks of the first drop — consisting of black leather pieces co-designed by Namilia — she was named a WSJ. Innovator. Whether it reaches the heights of size-inclusive Good American denim or Skims' $4-billion valuation? That remains to be known.

Sarah Burton, Jeremy Scott and Tom Ford Leave McQueen, Moschino and Tom Ford, Respectively

The designer musical chairs game is no new concept, but it was especially prevalent in 2023 as creative directors helming some of the biggest houses announced departures. After a near-10-year run, Jeremy Scott announced his exit from Moschino in March, making Fall 2023 his last collection for the label. Mere weeks later, Tom Ford left his eponymous brand, Tom Ford, following its late 2022 sale to the Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Lastly, after decades at Alexander McQueen, including working alongside the late Lee Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton rounded out musical chairs for the year. She announced her departure from the brand in September and showed her final collection later in the month for Spring 2024. Each departure left fertile ground for the next guard.

New Leadership at Gucci, Tom Ford, Moschino and McQueen (and Davide Renne's passing)

The anticipation for the Spring 2024 shows felt especially heightened, with two big debuts on the Milan Fashion Week lineup: Sabato de Sarno for Gucci and Peter Hawkins for Tom Ford. Both received tepid reviews (the verdict seems to be that Gucci was safe and commercial, while new Tom Ford looks a lot like old Tom Ford), but that hasn't stopped celebrities from clamoring for samples (plenty of A-listers showed up at the Gucci-sponsored LACMA Art+Film Gala flaunting fresh-off-the-runway designs. Timothée Chalamet appears to have called dibs on Tom Ford.

Then, over the course of fashion month, some of the remaining open creative director positions were filled — namely, Sarah Burton’s at Alexander McQueen, which went to Sean McGirr, and Jeremy Scott’s at Moschino, which went to Davide Renne, who tragically passed away just a week into the job. As the year went on, there were more arrivals and departures, which suggest that the new (fashion) world order will be set by the end of 2024.

Phoebe Philo Returns

Phoebe Philo's long-awaited return to fashion finally happened at the tail-end of October with the launch of an eponymous label. Offerings span ready-to-wear and accessories, with prices starting at $450 for sunglasses and up to $12,000 for a tasseled bomber jacket or other pieces with "price upon request." Fans jumped at the launch and reveled in Philo's ever-present design signatures (that build her cult-following), like agile tailoring, elegant draping and deliberate oversizing. The designer mostly stayed out of the spotlight after her 2017 exit from Celine until now. Six years (and a false start) later, voila: a luxury label with a minority investment from LVMH.

Tapestry Acquires Capri Holdings

Is an American fashion conglomerate on the horizon, at long last? The closest thing the U.S. has is Tapestry, Inc., which owns Coach, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman — though its brands aren't all in the luxury caliber competing against the European giants like LVMH, Kering and Richemont. Then, there's Capri Holdings, which was established when Michael Kors Holding Ltd. (which already owned Jimmy Choo) acquired Versace in 2018. In August, though, Tapestry and Capri Holdings came together as one, when the former acquired the latter in a deal valued at around $8.5 billion, bringing all six brands together under a single umbrella.

Pharrell's Era at Louis Vuitton Begins

After the 2021 passing of Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton's menswear creative director position became one of the most watched in the industry. Who would fill the sudden and massive gap? On Valentine's Day 2023, the French luxury brand announced Pharrell Williams as its next leading designer. The producer, designer and all-around creative debuted his first campaign for the brand featuring Rihanna and his push for accessories. At his debut Spring 2024 Men's show, Pharrell paid tribute to the maison's history and Abloh's legacy while revealing a new look for Louis Vuitton's classic prints. Excitement continues to bubble around this new era, as Pharrell incorporates his prowess with music and revives the aesthetic appeal for logomania.

Edward Enninful Leaves British Vogue, More Changes to Magazine Leadership

The fashion media industry's steady decline is by no means a new trend or revelation. Over the past few years, we've seen how even the esteemed title of editor-in-chief has become endangered, in favor of vaguer "head of content" roles. (Same goes for the perks and once-cushy salaries.) Still, there have been a handful of magazines who have held on and persevered with their forward-thinking, ambitious visuals and storytelling. The most recognized is arguably British Vogue, which had come alive under Edward Enninful — but that chapter is also coming to a close: He announced over the summer that the March 2024 issue would be his last at the Condé Nast title.

It's not all bad news for publishing, though. In the U.S., we're seeing veterans of digital come up to the top roles at storied publications, like Nikki Ogunnaike at Marie Claire (now a Future Media property), Sally Holmes at InStyle (now at Dotdash Meredith) and Lauren McCarthy at Nylon (now part of Bustle Digital Group) — and all of these once-dwindling titles unveiling efforts to regain their print audience and reinvest in physical products. Also, beloved Vogue.com editor Chioma Nnadi was revealed as Enninful's successor, becoming the Head of Editorial Content at British Vogue in October. Much like we're seeing a new era at some of the most esteemed fashion houses, the publishing industry is turning a page.

Tabi Thief Reignites Love for Margiela Shoe

2023 was the year fashion insiders' beloved shoe went... mainstream? Yes. The Maison Margiela Tabi's got a major publicity bump (to the tune of $983K in media value, to be exact) after a viral TikTok story. Lexus' story, where her Tinder date stole her shoes (that she eventually got back), helped put the cloven-toed footwear on the radar for a larger audience. Trendalytics reported "search volumes for Tabi boots increased 133% compared to this time last year," while Lyst saw searches for Tabis spike 150% that week. The Tabi thief story wasn't just hilarious and culturally relevant, but it inspired some style, too. With their 1988 debut, the Margiela shoe (inspired by Japanese tabi socks) found a new calling to fame almost four decades later.

Kering Owner Buys Creative Artists Agency

Kering has long enjoyed a cozy relationship with Hollywood: François Henri Pinault is married to Salma Hayek, and she proudly exclusively wears brands within the family business. But the two got even closer when, in September, Pinault's investment company, Artémis (which also owns Kering), acquired a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA). (Hayek also happens to be repped by CAA.) The terms of the deal aren't public, but Pinault said of the investment: "CAA has all the relevant characteristics to be part of the Artémis family, adding increased diversity, both in terms of geographical footprint and business activities, to our other assets. CAA's exceptional insight, relationships, and access across key sectors, combined with their widely regarded level of collaboration and innovation, gives the company a formidable role in driving global opportunities for its diverse and culture-defining clients."

The Year of "Renaissance"

Yes, most times Beyoncé does anything, it's newsworthy. But 2023 was a year like no other. Following the release of her 2022 "Renaissance" album, Queen Bey went on tour (with daughter Blue Ivy, no less) and pulled out all the stops for her performance looks. With the help of stylists Shiona Turini, KJ Moody and Julia Sarr-Jamois, each city saw its own custom outfits by the likes of Mugler, Loewe and Balmain as well as up-and-coming labels like David Koma, Daily Paper and Coperni. Estimates say she generated about $4.5 billion for the U.S. economy through her tour.

It didn't stop at 57 stops on tour. After its end, Beyoncé announced the release of "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," a movie that told the story of preparing and performing on tour. Riffing off a song title in the album, she encouraged showgoers to dress to the theme of "Cozy Opulence" in theaters. Just like at her concerts, fans went all out in silver.

Global Runway Protests by PETA

In "we are so back" fashion industry headlines, showgoers witnessed a series of PETA associates crash Spring 2024 runways in all four Fashion Month cities. They were at Coach in New York, Burberry in London, Gucci in Milan and Hermès in Paris, calling for these brands to eliminate animal products like leather and exotic skins from their collections. It certainly added an element of surprise and drama to the whole production!

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