As Alessandro Michele leaves Gucci, Raf Simons shutters his 27-year-old brand, and Tom Ford sells to Estée Lauder Companies—all in the space of just over a week—Tatler Asia’s fashion director Cherry Mui dives into what these seismic shifts will bring to the industry
It’s no exaggeration to say that fashion had experienced an earthquake over the last few weeks.
On November 24, Gucci confirmed that it is parting ways with Alessandro Michele, who had been the creative force at the Italian house for almost eight years. Raf Simons, who had run his namesake label since 1995, announced its closure on November 22. And just the week before, Tom Ford sold his clothing and accessories brand to Estée Lauder Companies in a deal reportedly valued at US$2.8 billion.
Read more: Gucci Designer Alessandro Michele Exits the Italian House
The seismic shifts took industry watchers by surprise. Simons’s fans, in particular, were left in sorrow in the wake of the closure announcement, flooding social media with posts of themselves dressed in cherished pieces by the Belgian designer. The news, announced by Simons on Instagram, was sudden: at his spring-summer 2023 show in London in October, there was no sign that it was going to be his brand’s final collection.