In the 1990s, fashion styles became more decentralized and personalized, and the influence of music, film, history, and subculture on trends became more and more intense. The progress of science and technology and the reform of business models have brought more opportunities to people, too many new things to explore, and the concept of diversity and inclusion has become more deeply rooted in people's hearts. And Stephen Sprouse, who suddenly appeared like a lightning stone, was also respected and remembered.
Never before in the entire fashion industry has there been so many family businesses as Italy. Fendi family, Missoni family, Ferragamo family, Benetton family, Marzotto family, Maramotti family, Zegna family, Ferretti family, Etro family... In addition to these family-run brands, there are many founders who have also let their families take over some of the brand things.
Family is an extremely important concept for Italian brands. In 1972, a reporter from WWD went on holiday with the Missoni family in Croatia and learned more about it. On September 28, WWD published an article titled "The Closely Connected Missoni Family," in which brand founder Ottavio Missoni said: "All my children are not involved in the creation, they will not inherit my brand. Luca loves to study technical issues, Vittorio is a dreamer, Angela is focused on learning languages, and after the death of our couple, the brand is gone. "As a result, he was wrong. Not only did all the kids get into brand work, Angela also served as the brand's creative director, while her daughter Margherita launched her own accessories collection in 2010 and became the brand's ambassador.
Angela Missoni closes the show with her family, 2010
In May 1974, WWD interviewed the Fendi family. Anna Fendi said in the interview: "Our strength is that we have found the ideal model of teamwork, and our success comes from this, no one can do it alone. ”
The ferragamo family is the same. In 2006, Fulvia Visconti Ferragamo said in an interview with WWD: "When we entered the company, each of us was very eager to realize the ideal of a father. For a fashion house, he left too early. ”
In 1987, Elizabeth Taylor launched her first perfume, Passion. Although she was not the first star to launch a perfume, the release of this perfume sparked a craze for celebrities with the same name perfume. That same year, Cher launched his eponymous perfume Uninhibited, while Julio Iglesias launched his own eponymous perfume Only the following year. In 1991, Elizabeth Taylor launched the perfume White Diamonds again. Robert Chavez, Manager of Macy's, who was fortunate enough to attend the launch, told WWD: "Every day, sales are rising. ”
Elizabeth Taylor at the White Diamonds release site, 1991
In the 1990s, the pursuit of such perfumes began to cool down. In 2001, Jennifer Lopez once again pushed this trend to a climax, with Glowby J Lo selling more than $100 million in sales in just one year of release. Subsequently, Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Aniston, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson, Tim McGraw, and Céline Dion all joined the battle and launched their own namesake perfumes. But until now, Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds has been one of the "top streams" of celebrity perfumes, with sales of more than $1 billion to date.
In 1983, the term "AIDS" was included in the dictionary, and the peculiarities of the disease put the reputation and lives of patients at stake. At the same time, the fashion industry is on the front lines of the fight against the disease.
In 1981, Calvin Klein was hospitalized for viral meningitis, and many fabricated gossip spread everywhere, even saying that he had died. During this time, designers did not receive any financial support due to excessive concerns about investment, and even health insurance was affected. In an interview with WWD in June 1983, Calvin Klein explained the rumors and even brought in his doctors to testify. Dr Kevin Cahill said in an interview: "I have known Calvin Klein for many years and there is no indication that he has AIDS or any other serious illness. He was a healthy young man. ”
In 1986, Laughlin Barker, a partner at Perry Ellis, died of AIDS. Four months later, Perry Ellis also passed away. Viral encephalitis, AIDS, exactly what disease took away Perry Ellis, who is only 46 years old, is widely debated, but also aware that they need to take action on it.
Perry Ellis with his models, 1981
In 1987, the CFDA established the AIDS Committee, chaired by Bill Blass and Donna Karan, to raise funds for AIDS research. At the time, the entire fashion industry was shrouded in the shadow of AIDS, Rory Cameron, Gia Carangi, Willi Smith, Angel Estrada, Patrick Kelly, Roger Forsythe, Tina Chow... In the short term, too many people in the industry have died of AIDS infection. In 1990, 110 designers, including Ralph Lauren, Arnold Scaasi and Marc Jacobs, took a group photo on Seventh Avenue to raise funds for the CFDA AIDS Committee. Later, Kenneth Cole founded the amfAR Charity Gala, which donated to AIDS research efforts by holding auctions and the like.
In 1983, Stephen Sprouse released his first fashion collection. The combination of fluorescent colors and a lot of graffiti art, punk culture and haute couture made him quickly one of the most popular designers. On May 1, 1984, he hosted a fashion show at the Ritz Hotel, which attracted 2,200 people.
Although he was recognized by people, his development in business was not smooth. On July 12, 1985, just a few months after Stephen Sprouse won the CFDA Award, he shut down his company.
Stephen Sprouse's Fall 1985 collection
In 2001, Stephen Sprouse collaborated with Marc Jacobs on a co-designed doodle collection by Louis Vuitton, which gained renewed attention. But it was this collaboration that made Stephen Sprouse realize that his desired fashion design and the old-fashion industry were mutually exclusive, and he began to focus on artistic creation. He died of lung cancer in 2004, but his iconic elements are still remembered today.
In May 1985, Donna Karan collaborated with Anne Klein's designer Louis Dell'Olio to launch her own collection. WWD calls the collection "the highlight of seventh avenue fashion season" and "the most exquisite New York fashion."
The jumpsuit is one of Donna Karan's flagship items
Donna Karan then began casting her spells to empower women. In 1992, she cast model Rosemary McGrotha as the first female president of the United States in a promotional campaign. Over the years, Donna Karan has incorporated her philosophy and style into men's and women's fashion, as well as her love of New York into the brand's marketing. In 1989, she launched her own double-wire DKNY.
In 1985, a report by WWD read: "Donna Karen is the embodiment of New York—fast-paced, noisy, intelligent, funny, conceited, demanding, and generous." ”
Bill Blass and Oscar dela Renta may be fundamentally different in their design philosophies, but the elegant aesthetics in their work are fascinating. Together, they have also undergone great cultural changes. In 1993, Oscar de la Renta noted in an interview: "Initially, I designed clothes for what I call casual women, and now professional women have emerged. Bill Blass continued, "It's good not to see flirtatious girls during the day now." ”
From left: Bill Blass (1972) and Oscar de la Renta (1973)
At the turn of the century, Bill Blass decided to retire, telling WWD: "Fashion is like a party, there is always a time when the song ends." But Oscar de la Renta never thought about it. In 2005, he said in an interview: "These years of work have been the best times of my life. Working with young people keeps my mind open. And the most exciting thing in life is that I have something to learn every day. ”
In the nineties, the era of supermodels began. These long-legged, beautiful girls have received unprecedented attention. Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, cindy Crawford formed the "Big Five", with Kate Moss following suit, joining the ranks of top supermodels.
These supermodels dominate on the runway, on magazine covers, in print and on tv commercials. Top models earn $100,000 a salary for a single print ad, and some models who sign multi-year contracts can even make millions of dollars a year. During this time, the appearance fees of the models have risen significantly. In 1993, several designers tried to deduct models' salaries during the Bryant Park fashion show. The WWD reported that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission subpoenaed several companies for this purpose. On June 7, the CFDA announced an agreement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it would no longer set the salary range for models. Since then, models have been able to get paid handsomely.
Christy Turlington、Naomi Campbell 与
Linda Evangelista，1994
In addition to beauty, romance and partying, many models have also made headlines at WWD because of their entrepreneurship. In 1990, Naomi Campbell said in an interview with WWD: "I like to stand in front of the camera, but I have other things I want to do. Later, she starred in several films and launched her own jeans collection; Cindy Crawford hosted MTV and launched a series of furniture products and shot fitness videos; Christy Turlington developed yoga classes. Even elite Model Management has developed a collection of sportswear and accessories for topmodel advocates.
In the mid-nineties, investors saw the future of fashion brands and went crazy for their IPOs.
In the late 1980s, Investcorp acquired Gucci for $246 million. In October 1995, Gucci went public, and Investcorp, which owns all of the brand's shares, raised $1.4 billion through the sale of shares. Gucci's successful listing paved the way for IPOs of fashion companies and brands such as Donna Karan, Saks Fifth Avenue, Guess, Mossimo, Kenneth Cole, and Design Holdings, which produced Calvin Klein jeans at the time.
Donna Karan brand listing, 1996
Brand IPOs have also given designers more money. When Ralph Lauren launched its IPO in 1997, the designers owned 46.2 million shares and were valued at about $1.455 billion. On the day of the IPO, Ralph Lauren sold 17.9 million shares and raised $440 million. In the fall of 1992, Tommy Hilfiger went public on the New York Stock Exchange and raised $46.9 million at $15 per share. A few months later, the stock price rose to $25 per share, bringing a huge return to investors.
On August 1, 1981, MTV Tv officially began broadcasting. Although only a handful of people were able to enjoy cable TV at the time, the new model of video quickly replaced broadcasting. A few months before the broadcast, John A. Schneider, president of Warner-American Express Satellite Entertainment, revealed to WWD the logic of MTV's competition, saying, "People don't have time to listen to the radio and rock and roll on TV. ”
Michael Jackson filming the Beat It MV, 1983
At the time, music videos were in their infancy, and the channel promised to play rock 'n' roll 24 hours a day. Robert Pittman, the company's vice president, said: "If the music doesn't sound good, we want them to at least look pleasing to the eye. Subsequently, songs by fashion stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper began to be played in every house in the United States, proving that visual effects were as important as the songs themselves.
Canadian real estate developer Robert Campeau loves to acquire department stores, with Bloomingdale's being his "jewel in the hand.".
Robert Campeau，1984
In 1986, he acquired Allied Stores, and two years later, he acquired Federal Department Store. After the acquisition, the two department stores did not bring him much profit. In order to repay the loan, Robert Campeau declared the two companies officially bankrupt in January 1990. WWD chronicles Robert Campeau's rapid rise and fall in U.S. retail, and fashion brand executives have lamented at him, fearing that laymen from the financial industry have gained control of department stores.
After declaring bankruptcy, the department store returned to the jurisdiction of the merchants, who supported the two department stores through bankruptcy liquidation by maintaining the retailer's business. (To be continued) WWD
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Image source WWD 100th anniversary special issue, network