Loose Threads
Pantone has responded to the backlash to its choice for color of the year, Cloud Dancer. “The global team at the Pantone Color Institute selected this color for its emotional and creative resonance, not as a statement on politics, ideology, or race. Pantone does not assign political narratives to color; to select or avoid a hue on that basis would give such narratives a significance they do not hold in this process,” it said in a statement per Women’s Wear Daily. Pantone was called “Pantonedeaf” and accused of whitewashing.
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner wore coordinating orange leather Chrome Hearts outfits to the Marty Supreme premiere in Los Angeles (the ping pong balls in the movie are orange). The important thing is they look like they’re really enjoying it. Discuss!
Gwyneth Paltrow, who also stars in Marty Supreme, has been using her promotional appearances to promote her relaunched clothing line Gwyn. As I reported in my book, this is partly why she wanted to get back into acting — it’s also a publicity opportunity for Goop, which has lost its place in the zeitgeist.
Demna released his second Gucci collection for pre-fall 2026, an effort in pared-back minimalism. I do think we are going to see those flared leggings get knocked off right quick.
When I look at minimalist designer collections like Gwyn or this new Gucci stuff I always ask myself if the clothes are actually that much better than Banana Republic — and often the answer is no. Banana Republic has an amazing bustier midi dress in a print that reminds me of the black floral stuff Demna has been showing for Gucci. BR also has some great white maxi skirt options if you care to approximate that particular look in the Gucci collection. (Gwyn has been pushing long white skirts, too.)
Versace’s Second Shocker and Fashion’s Great Unsettling
Instead of a “great reset,” fashion seems to be entering its great unsettling.
The reset at Versace, for one, at the hands of Dario Vitale, came and went like a peplum top in 2012. It was everywhere, hotly debated — then over.
Vitale served as Miu Miu design director before becoming Versace’s creative director, where he lasted just eight months. There are logical reasons not to keep him on following Prada Group’s acquisition of the label. But his short tenure reinforces fashion’s old adage that one minute you’re in, the next you’re out.
The pivotal spring 2026 season that saw 15 major creative director debuts, Vitale’s included, has been discussed like the end of something — a destination the industry had been running toward and finally reached. Those newly installed designers were supposed to be the group who would bring stability and a renewed vibrancy to the industry. Instead, what happened to Vitale feels like the new normal for the foreseeable future: a constant churn of new design talent and brand repositionings, instead of creative directors who hold their roles for years and years.
Vitale succeeded in producing one of the most shocking collections of the spring 2026 season. He replaced Versace’s longtime aesthetic of Lauren Sánchez-core with something more youthful, ‘80s, and strange. Out went the bustiers, in came the tank tops with giant armholes, white socklets with pumps, and general hipster affect. Whether you hated it or loved it, it was exciting to look at the change in direction and feel something.
One of Prada Group’s first orders of business after acquiring Versace for $1.38 billion was to part ways with Vitale. This was expected. Vitale was hired by former owner Capri Holdings and left Prada Group (which owns Miu Miu) to take the job. Many will tell you that leaving Prada Group doesn’t win you friends there. But the company also had an obvious business reason to part ways with Vitale: It doesn’t need to spend nearly $1.4 billion on a brand that would compete with Miu Miu. Versace gives the company an opportunity to broaden its customer base — to the bustier set or beyond — therefore, it needs an aesthetic the group doesn’t currently offer.
Yet, many brands in addition to Versace remain in a state of flux. Kering “is accelerating efforts to restructure and reposition [McQueen] after years of losses,” reports The Business of Fashion. Valentino has a new CEO, Riccardo Bellini, who’s presumably working toward the brand’s full acquisition by Kering (which owns about 30 percent to Qatari investment entity Mayhoola’s roughly 70 percent). New CEOs often bring in new creative directors, so who knows what that means for Alessandro Michele? Meanwhile, Chanel’s existing clients seem hostile to the new aesthetic under Matthieu Blazy, who has the unenviable task of reversing the brand’s 2024 revenue dip; it’s unclear if there are enough new customers who like his vision to make up for them.
There are big brands still with debuts to come. Antonin Tron just replaced Olivier Rousteing as creative director of Balmain. We still haven’t seen Meryll Rogge’s debut for Marni, which is expected in February. Ditto former Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debut, also slated for then.
The luxury industry is expected to be flat this year, according to Bain. This could very well lead to more executive rotations, more mergers, more designers coming and going as bigwigs try to reverse sales trends, which may be out of their control.
This constant churn reminds me of the publishing industry. Magazine brands have become watered down versions of themselves, with rotating lead editors and constantly shifting strategies. The titles remain, but what they produce often feels like an undifferentiated morass of viral moments and attempts at monetization. With all the staff churn and market difficulty, the luxury industry may face a similar fate.
