5 images that marked fashion in 2024

Between Brat green and Demure beige: the era of dual trends

The trend carousel spins relentlessly. In June, the Brat Summer – uninhibited femininity worn by Charli XCX, without a bra and with dripping eyeliner – dominated the screens. But two months later, here is Demurea viral phenomenon born from a TikTok video posted on August 17 by Jools LeBron, a Puerto Rican trans influencer, who joked about dressing “very demure, very mindful” for work, that is to say in a manner “modest and respectful”…

The Brat's brazen audacity is matched by an ascetic Demure restraint. High-neck blouses, midi skirts, headbands and classic moccasins define this style erected as a manifesto of control and decorum. These antagonistic trends reveal the schizophrenia of our digital flows, where audacity and decorum, progressivism and conservatism coexist, fueled by polarizing algorithms. Between extravagance and minimalism, Brat and Demure embody the tensions of a fragmented digital universe. A perfect illustration of the contrasts and differences of the time.

The battles of young creation: when the Olympics become a calling card

“The Olympics were an incredible and inaccessible freedom for a young creator”, confided Jeanne Friot, creator of the silver outfit of the modern Joan of Arc during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games. Alongside master craftsman Robert Mercier, Friot was not alone in marking this evening of July 26: Victor Weinsanto and his aesthetic campAlphonse Maitrepierre and his geeky neo-couture, or Gilles Asquin and his sparkling leotards represented a young queer scene, daring and committed to responsible fashion.

A few weeks later, Kevin Germanier, a specialist in sparkling upcycling, dressed the “golden traveler” for the closing ceremony, while Louis Gabriel Nouchi, exploring masculinities in his creations, designed the costumes for the Paralympic Games. Thanks to Thomas Jolly and Daphné Bürki, these talents have benefited from unprecedented visibility. The question remains that of follow-up: the structures necessary to sustainably support these emerging brands are still missing. However, as Pierre Bourdieu and Yvette Delsaut point out in their article The designer and his label (1975), challengers are essential to the balance of fashion: they are the ones who force the big houses to reinvent themselves…

The suit of power

Blazers with pronounced shoulders, impeccable pleated pants: last September, Anthony Vaccarello revisited the iconic tuxedo for Saint Laurent, initially designed by the designer of the house in 1966. A true revolution at the time, this couture suit transgressed the norms of 'a femininity then confined to traditional representations. Six decades later, on TikTok, the hashtag #OfficeSiren has nearly 50,000 videos, subverting corporate codes with subversive irony: unbuttoned shirts, ties as party accessories, slit skirts.

These rereadings oscillate between satire and empowerment, redefining narratives of power in the digital age. Off screen, the costume finds a political echo. In December, the blazer with pronounced shoulders that Adèle Haenel wore during the trial of Christophe Ruggia made an impression. More than a piece of clothing, a visual armor for those who denounce the director's rapes and, by extension, the systemic violence of French cinema. Fashion also becomes a language serving struggles.

Galliano's theater

Inspired by the nocturnal photos of Brassaï and the decadent muses of Kees van Dongen, John Galliano left a memorable memory with his final show, last January, for Maison Margiela, whose creation he had directed since October 2014. Under the freezing cold of January and a theatrical full moon, female silhouettes with deliberately exaggerated proportions, oscillating between Jessica Rabbit and Kim Kardashian, paraded under the Alexandre III bridge.

Belle Époque corsets and sheer organza dresses transformed the models into heroines of a romantic drama while Pat McGrath's porcelain-effect makeup accentuated the dramatic aesthetic of this collection, the fruit of a year of work. Beyond the spectacle, Galliano included models of varied body types, celebrating a diversity often exploited opportunistically in the industry. A narrative approach praised by the media and viral on the internet.

However, the applause does not erase the designer's controversial past, fired from Dior in 2011 for anti-Semitic comments. A recent documentary, High & Low – John Gallianoexplored his meteoric rise, his fall, and his path to a redemption that remains important to discuss.

Rick Owens' call for peace

Last June, the Californian designer made an impression with his “Hollywood” fashion show at the Palais de Tokyo. Under a sky full of white smoke, 200 models in tight rows moved to the sound of the Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven. Outfits with opaline gradients and a metal pyramid where a gymnast brandished a flag displaying two united hands. Expressing unity in the face of intolerance, Rick Owens' poignant message has come through.

Beyond the spectacular, its Army of Love mixed queer artists, students and underground icons like Allanah Starr. Between inclusion and grandeur, Owens reinvented the parade as a political platform and collective utopia. From June 28, 2025 to January 4, 2026, a major retrospective entitled Temple of Love will be installed at the Palais Galliera. Led by Alexandre Samson, curator at the Fashion Museum, it will explore the work of Rick Owens, between unpublished archives and works of art. A decidedly political gesture.