Has there ever been a more pivotal year in fashion in recent memory? There were more than a dozen designers making their debuts amidst what has been called the industry's great reshuffle, though with mixed results—there were triumphs, and there were casualties. Celebrities, who have always been part of the fashion ecosystem, became even more entrenched in it. Again, some worked, some didn't. Here are our highlights and low points of what happened in fashion this year.
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HIGH: THE GREAT RESET
This was the year that saw some of fashion’s biggest houses get a creative shake-up—and some of them were very much needed. The industry faced a downturn this year and there was plenty of hand-wringing about what it would take to revitalise it. While the jury is still out on retail success, at least these designer reshuffles gave an urgent boost to fashion creativity as a whole. Leading the charge was Matthieu Blazy, who was appointed to the top job at Chanel after a six-month search. After decades under Karl Lagerfeld and then his right-hand woman, Virginie Viard, Chanel was in need of a fresh vision—and Blazy delivered, emphasising Coco Chanel’s spirit of liberation rather than “codes” like pearls and camellias. Equally anticipated was Jonathan Anderson’s debut at Dior, which artfully blended the designer’s off-kilter modernity with the brand’s classic femininity. Other notable debuts this year included Sarah Burton and Haider Ackermann’s return to fashion; the former revived the House of Givenchy with her woman-focused approach, while the latter brought an electric new sensuality to Tom Ford. Critics raved about their collections, though sometimes, critical success isn’t quite enough.
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LOW: A DESIGNER UNCEREMONIOUSLY DUMPED
Dario Vitale stepped out from behind the scenes at Miu Miu to take over from Donatella Versace, and his debut collection presented in September was a paradigm shift, reframing Versace’s signature sexy and maximalist aesthetic through a daywear lens. It felt very of-the-moment—a quality that has been missing from the brand for a while now. Unfortunately, Vitale’s triumph was short-lived. Soon after the Prada Group finalised its acquisition of Versace in early December, the designer was out—all before his first and only collection for the brand had even hit stores. Thankfully, the next designer on the list probably wouldn’t have to suffer that indignity.
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HIGH: A DESIGNER GETS HER DUE
This year, Hermès announced the appointment of Grace Wales Bonner as creative director of its menswear division. It is currently led by Véronique Nichanian, who’s held the post for over 30 years—making it one of the longest tenures in this often-fickle industry. One of the most talented designers of our generation, Bonner’s star has been steadily rising since she started her label over a decade ago, and it shone especially bright at the most recent Met Gala for the Costume Institute exhibit on ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’. Bonner’s first collection for the House will only be presented in January 2027, but already the industry is abuzz. Rarely has a designer-brand marriage seemed so perfect on paper—Bonner’s work is precise, understated and nuanced; and Hermès is all about the pursuit of quiet perfection, rather than trends and hype. There is already a dearth of female designers at the top of big fashion houses, so it is heartening to see Hermès passing Nichanian’s baton on to Bonner.
LOW: THE LOSS OF A FASHION GREAT
One of the masters of modern elegance left us this year. Giorgio Armani’s place in the fashion firmament is now so firmly established that it’s easy to overlook his impact on the industry, but the soft, unstructured suits he created for Richard Gere in American Gigolo changed the trajectory of modern menswear. That same sense of ease that he carried over to his womenswear provided a counterpoint to the flashiness and flamboyance of the ‘80s. On the back of this aesthetic—from which Armani never veered until the very end—the designer built a billion-dollar business, all while maintaining complete independence. His influence reverberated beyond the runway and onto the red carpet—the Armani Privé couture line is beloved by screen goddesses the likes of Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Yeoh.
HIGH: A BLOCKBUSTER ON OUR SUNNY SHORES
It’s not often that a major international fashion event takes place here, so it was a big deal when Chanel announced that it will be restaging its Cruise 2026 show in Singapore. First presented earlier in the year at Italy’s Lake Como, the reprise took place in November at the iconic Raffles Hotel, with superstars like Tilda Swinton and Raye in attendance—the latter even performing at the after-party.
LOW: THE COMEBACK NO ONE ASKED FOR
Discussions around cancel culture can be thorny, but there was little room for debate around Alexander Wang’s fall from grace when multiple male models stepped forward to accuse the designer of sexual misconduct in 2021. Since then, Wang has kept a low profile but fashion has a notoriously short memory. This year, the designer attempted a comeback—returning to the New York Fashion Week official schedule for the first time since the scandal. Apart from the obvious ethical implications of embracing his return, does Wang’s aughts-coded aesthetic even have a place in our current moment anymore?
HIGH: ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD HAVING ABSOLUTE FUN ON THE RED CARPET
It is a delight to see male stars having fun with their personal style on the red carpet, and no one embodied this more this year than Alexander Skarsgård on his Pillion press tour. Inspired by the movie’s BDSM theme and styled by Harry Lambert, the actor stepped out in an array of playful yet provocative pieces such as a Ludovic de Saint Sernin halterneck shirt, Loewe leather pants, a pair of S.S Daley super-short shorts, and those Saint Laurent thigh-high boots. Many stars have been doing “method” dressing in the past two years, but few have done it with such panache and joy as Skarsgård.
HIGH: RIHANNA & A$AP ROCKY TAKE COUPLE (AND COURTROOM) STYLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL
There is no question about the superstar couple’s place at the top of fashion’s best-dressed lists, but this year, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky truly took it up a notch. There was that joint appearance at Jonathan Anderson’s menswear debut for Dior in matchy-matchy looks, but where they truly demonstrated their synchronicity and style bona-fides were Rocky’s court appearances for a felony assault trial (in which he was eventually found not guilty). Ever the supportive partner, Rih showed up in coordinating business-but-make-it-fashion looks with Rocky that proved that the suit-and-tie combo is not dead—it just needed some shaking up.
HIGH: THERE WERE SOME GREAT JEANS ADS...
The global K-pop girl group KATSEYE has been on a hot streak this whole year, but the band damn near broke the Internet when their ad campaign for Gap dropped in August. Dressed in same-same-but-different denim and staple pieces, with impeccable choreography by Robbie Blue, the group danced their way to full-on cultural domination.
LOW: … AND SOME NOT SO GREAT JEANS ADS
Another star that has had a chokehold on the culture this year was Sydney Sweeney, with her every move being scrutinised and pored over—none more so than her controversial ad for American Eagle. If it was any other year, the campaign would have probably slipped by without much fanfare but with political tensions and divides in America running at an all-time high, Sweeney caught flak for the ad’s eugenics-coded message. Much of this brouhaha can be boiled down to the public’s obsession with and projection onto her—a platformed figure registered as a Republican, but whose work has mostly leaned progressive. The real issue though, was when the actress was given multiple chances to clarify her position, but just chose to stay mum. At a time when there is constantly so much noise online, silence might not be the best option.