2019 in fashion

In memoriam

The fashion world suffered a major blow in February with the news that Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most recognisable, influential and often controversial figures in fashion, had died in Paris. Tributes and reminiscences poured in throughout the year, not least at a star-studded event Karl Forever in Paris in June.

2019 was also the year that photographers Peter Lindbergh and Terry O'Neill passed away, as did society style icon Lee Radziwill.

Breaking records at the V&A

2019 was a bumper year for the V&A. The summer exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams became the most-visited in the history of the 167-year-old museum, thanks to the 594,994 attendees. But that blockbuster wasn't the only fashion celebration wooing critics and drawing in the crowds.

Tim Walker: Wonderful Things is an awe-inspiring immersion into the creative minds behind some of the most layered and visually rich images in modern fashion.

Over in Gallery 40, the democratic, practical and liberating designs of revolutionary 'youthquake' designer Mary Quant are celebrated too.

Both exhibitions run until spring 2020 and are well worth a visit during the festive slump.

Sustainability went mainstream

From Second Hand September to fast fashion retailers pledging to do better, 2019 was the year that sustainability went mainstream, thanks in no small part to high-profile protests from Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg and an increasingly vocal and engaged younger generation.

From cleaner jeans to sustainable swimwear and the rise of the resale site, there have never been more ways to buy less, buy better and make it last.

The rental revolution arrived in London

Want to wear of-the-moment fashion at a fraction of the price? You need to be part of the fashion rental revolution.

Sites like Hurr Collective, On Loan, By Rotation and MyWardrobe HQ broke new ground this summer, and are sure to be popular again come Christmas party season. From facilitating peer-to-peer connections to offering curated collections, each model varies, but ditching one-and-done fast fashion in favour of a sharing model is just one more step in a sustainable direction.

Rihanna continued to slay

Partnering with LVMH, streaming her Savage x Fenty fashion show on Amazon Prime, launching a coffee-table book – sorry, 'visual autobiography'… It's no wonder the star recently revealed she doesn't have time to get back to 'friends/family/coworkers' and is working on finding 'balance'. Same.

Fashion got game

When Lucy Yeomans announced in January that she would be leaving Porter, the luxury magazine from Net-a-Porter that she had helmed since its launch in 2014, the industry was abuzz, curious to see what she'd do next.

In October, we found out when Drest, 'the world's first interactive luxury styling game', was soft-launched. Users can create and style an avatar, build flat-lays, respond to briefs and even shop through a partnership with Farfetch.

Could fashion be the future of gaming? Analysis from Newszoo found that women make up 46% of gaming enthusiasts, with an estimate of one billion female gamers, over a third of whom fall into the 'time filler' category: using gaming, often on mobile, as a distraction rather than a dedicated activity.

Another hit for H&M

While 2019 saw plenty of exciting fashion collaborations including Roksanda x Lululemon and The Vampire's Wife x Current Elliott, H&M took the concept to a whole new level with a multi-drop collection in collaboration with haute-couture designer Giambattista Valli.

From a gathering of global superstars in Cannes for the announcement to an Instagram post by Kendall Jenner that garnered five million likes, there were plenty of early indications that this was going to be a hit.

And a hit it was, from the first nine-piece drop that sold out in minutes in May to the queues snaking down Regent Street in November, the collection was an instant success.

A bricks and mortar boom

The high street might be suffering, but in the world of luxury fashion there's life in bricks and mortar yet. New openings from Flannels, The Row, Ganni and Gabriela Hearst had us reaching for our credit cards, while grand makeovers at Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent and Celine provided ever more temptation to lure the shoppers of London away from their screens.

J-Lo broke the internet

The Versace show in Milan has long been a high point on the schedule: stellar casting, high-energy shows and a chance to see Donatella Versace and her platinum mane in person. But in recent seasons it's become even more of a must-attend thanks to scene-stealing appearances from some of the strong, sexy women with whom the house has long had a relationship.

In September, that honour went to Jennifer Lopez who prowled down the catwalk in an updated version of that dress, you know the palm-print Versace one she wore way back in the year 2000 when she attended the Grammys with then-boyfriend Puff Daddy. The one that Google credits as the inspiration for Google Images search.

Lopez's 2019 appearance was greeted with rapturous applause and a standing ovation and, of course, millions of Instagram likes.

The most wanted Lyst

Fashion search engine Lyst once again has the inside scoop on the searches, social-media mentions and fashion moments that give a fashion brand currency in this digital age.

Top of the list of breakout brands is Bottega Veneta, thanks to the recently installed creative director Daniel Lee and his edgy take on accessories (the squarest of square-toed shoes and a must-have clutch are catnip to the Instagram set) this once-sleepy stealth wealth brand is taking centre stage.

Sharing the spotlight was the high-street hit that it was impossible to ignore – yes we're talking about that polka-dot Zara dress. It not only spawned its own Instagram account but also generated a 1,392% rise in social mentions for Zara.

Homewares for hype beasts

Design devotees had been impatiently waiting for the release of Ikea's collaboration with the coolest man in fashion, Virgil Abloh, since it was first announced in June 2017.

2019 was the year their patience paid off. A surprise early drop in May saw a 'Keep Off' rug sell out in five minutes, while the full collection's release in November was a ticketed event. Missed out? You could try your luck on eBay but be prepared to pay painfully inflated prices, or take a trip to Wembley where a few pieces, such as Abloh's take on Scandi-chic dining table and chairs, remain.