The rumors. Some are confirmed, others end up in the bag of things that they prefer to forget. Some are plausible, others seem to be part of a letter that never reaches the Three Wise Men. For some reason that escapes understanding, on December 28 (the joke only applies to our country) the rumor resurfaced with disproportionate force that Simon Porte Jacquemus, the highest standard of the fashion brand in the era of Instagram, was about to of being named creative director of Givenchy.
Fashion is usually very fast, but on this occasion it was slow to react: the only aspect that supported this information was an image that the designer shared on his personal profile on the social network on December 1, the same day it was confirmed ( also after months of speculation) that this Monday Matthew Williams would leave the house he had led since 2020.
There is a fine line that separates rumor from gossip: the intention with which it is transmitted. If the rumor can have a certain informative aspect, the gossip always has a charge of bad temper. Jacquemus at Givenchy is a dream for the Frenchman's fans, but also for his detractors: as the designer is better known for his ability to create viral moments than for his skill with thread and needle, Givenchy for Jacquemus would be extremely easy to criticize.
If Jacquemus lit the fuse of speculation with that photograph, Claire Waight Keller, creative director of Givenchy between 2020 and 2020, has been fueling for weeks the possibility never seen before in the industry: that a designer returns to the house from which he was kicked out. Her Instagram posts from her last days are not only a review of her best moments in the house, but also a speech proposal for a firm that seems to have lost its way.
His return would fit the most plausible (rumored) scenario: that the house gives the controls of ready-to-wear to a designer who believes in raising sales and those of haute couture to a profile capable of raising sighs. Let us remember that until now this theory placed Sarah Burton, former Alexander McQueen, in the sewing division.
Highly anticipated, but not as much as the appointment of Givenchy's new creative director, has been the list of Jeffrey Epstein, or the documents from the 2015 lawsuit that included statements from Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's partner and associate, and Virginia Giuffre, his accuser, which were made public this week. How many names from the fashion industry would appear? In the end, only two, and they do not reveal anything that was not already known: Naomi Campbell was in contact with the accused and Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria's Secret, was also in contact.
Although the supermodel interacted with them socially, the octogenarian, who most likely left his position in 2020 for having been Epstein's financial advisor until 2009 (when he supposedly cut ties with him), is a fundamental part of their story as he was indispensable in building your fortune. Did Wexner know about the existence of Epstein's sex trafficking and abuse ring? She certainly knew that she used the Victoria's Secret brand to attract women.
Buying clothes from luxury brands at prices well below those originally marked on their labels has always been one of the favorite leisure activities of those who work in the fashion industry, because it is one thing to work in fashion and quite another to be able to allow it. For a few months now, sample sales are acquiring an unprecedented social dimension. With them, not only does the enthusiasm for the physical purchase recover, whether or not you are invited (or spend hours waiting in line) these days is as important as being on the list for the best party. Social networks have also given a new dimension to post-purchase: when you get home, you have to share the clothes you purchased (and sometimes their price) on TikTok.
For firms, these types of events, which generally take place in premises rented especially for the occasion, are a way to free themselves from excess stock and build loyalty among those who are already loyal to them. Now they also represent a way to fight the battle for relevance. Some are held every year, like The Row, others happen only when the stars align, like Comme des Garçons (the last and the penultimate were separated by six years). They all generate the type of hysteria that used to occur at the doors of El Corte Inglés on the first day of the January sales.
