Peter Do To Exit Helmut Lang After Less Than Two Years

Peter Do is departing Helmut Lang, the brand and the designer announced today. “I want to express my gratitude to my Helmut Lang team who have been integral in supporting my vision,” said Do in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey to be tasked to carry on the legacy of Helmut Lang.” Kazumi Yanai, the chairman of Helmut Lang, said: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Peter for his exceptional creative leadership and vision and wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”

Do joined the cult label last year, presenting his first collection at New York Fashion Week for spring/summer 2024 to a mixed reception. A sophomore show followed in February, which received warmer reviews but still didn’t quite capture the elusive appeal of the brand and its much mythologised founder.

The brand skipped fashion week altogether in September, and has yet to show a spring/summer 2025 collection. He is not the only designer who has struggled to reboot the dormant label. Helmut Lang was founded in 1986 by the self-taught Austrian designer, and has passed through many hands since he left in 2005 to focus on his art practice.

A resurrection was first attempted in 2007 when it was acquired by Link Theory Holdings (now part of Fast Retailing) from the Prada Group, with Michael and Nicole Colovos hired as creative directors. The design duo buffed away the edginess of the label, sending it down a more contemporary path. They departed in 2014, after which the label was managed by an in-house team until Isabella Burley, the then editor-in-chief of Dazed, was hired as an “editor-in-residence.” Burley tapped Shayne Oliver, the much-lauded Hood By Air founder, in 2017 to design a spring/summer 2018 collection, which was heralded as a great collection, if not a faithful Helmut Lang offering. Mark Thomas and Thomas Cawson followed in 2019, departing after presenting a spring/summer 2020 collection.

Do’s appointment was the company’s first attempt at leveraging its high-fashion beginnings since Oliver’s one-off. It was tough going. He had to deal with an industry hyper-focused on Lang and his omnipresent archive, together with an impossible-to-satisfy fan base.

What the industry and OG Helmut Lang followers failed to recognise in their criticism of Do’s approach – which did keep the designer’s archive top of mind – is that the Helmut Lang brand is, today, not a founder-led label, but a global brand. Much of what made Helmut Lang ineffably cool at its peak in the ’90s and ’00s is that it remained one of Lang’s most compelling art projects as opposed to what it is now, a product and consumer-first fashion brand. Do’s role was to make it function as a brand in the era of viral products and celebrity dressing and It-bags, which is itself the antithesis of the Helmut Lang ethos. Do had continued working on his eponymous collection, having moved his shows to Paris since starting at Helmut Lang. Should he choose to return to NYFW, the city will be happy to have him back.

Kate Moss Makes Her Victoria’s Secret Debut At 50

When the first Victoria’s Secret show was held back in the ’90s, Kate Moss was busy being the poster girl for the decade’s grunge movement: smoking backstage at Isaac Mizrahi shows and joining Johnny Depp on the red carpet in minimal make-up and a messy bun. When it became a televised event in the early Aughts, it still wasn’t on the supermodel’s radar. “I saw bits of it, of course,” says Moss, reflecting on the army of bewinged glamazons that helped to attract an audience of millions at its peak. “But I wasn’t really an underwear girl… I wasn’t a Victoria’s Secret girl.”

That all changed tonight in New York, as the lingerie extravaganza returned for the first time in six years in truly blockbuster style – with Moss as the surprise casting coup in a night that was full of them. Somewhere between Doutzen Kroes losing a stiletto and a barnstorming performance from Cher, Moss appeared in a cloud of dry ice to walk the runway solo, save for a female guitarist belting out “I Love Rock And Roll”.

The track was apt. While the likes of Gigi Hadid and Paloma Elsesser – along with OG Angels including Tyra Banks and Alessandra Ambrosio – beamed and waved at the crowd as they walked, Moss retained her signature edge, slinking down the catwalk in a sheer black lace dress accessorised with a pair of (understated by VS standards) black tulle wings and a smouldering stare.

It was one of several wow moments in a high-energy show vaunted by the brand as representing a reinvented Victoria’s Secret – one that is more diverse, more body positive, more age inclusive. According to Kate – who describes the old shows as “enjoyably cheesy” – it’s also cooler.

It was the addition of Emmanuelle Alt, the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris who was brought on board to style the 2024 show, that persuaded Kate to take part for the first time. “She’s one of my favourite stylists,” says Moss, who spoke exclusively to Vogue ahead of the show. “Whatever she does, it’s gonna be cool. She’s got such a great eye, so I felt safe.”

Still, there were a few pre-show jitters for the super, who last walked the runway in 2022 for Bottega Veneta. “It’s fun and exciting, but I still get nervous,” she said. “It’s just on such a huge scale. When I used to do shows all the time obviously I didn’t even think about it – we’d just do back to back shows on the same day. Now it’s such a different thing, [the girls arrive] eight hours before a show for hair and make-up.” Some familiar faces backstage no doubt helped. “Lila’s here!” says Kate, whose 22-year-old daughter walked the runway in a pale pink lingerie set under a matching fringed jacket. “And a few of my friends, Joan Smalls, Carla Bruni…”

That mother and daughter both walked in the show is perhaps indicative of the broader audience – and customer base – that Victoria’s Secret is trying to reach. “Everybody buys clothes, not just 22-year-old girls,” Kate says of the importance of representation on the runway. “That’s why it’s good to show older women and bigger women, to be more inclusive of everyone. [Fashion as a whole] is definitely in a much better place.”

Alberta Ferretti Names New Creative Director

Lorenzo Serafini is taking over as creative director of Aeffe-owned Alberta Ferretti, after its namesake founder stepped down last month.

Serafini, who has been at the helm of stablemate Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini since 2014, will make his debut for the Alberta Ferretti brand for autumn/winter 2025. Aeffe, the Italian luxury goods group, also announced that Philosophy will be integrated into Alberta Ferretti from AW25 in an effort to “[interpret] the needs of the current market” and “[strengthen] the brand’s appeal and positioning for the future”.

“With the fashion world undergoing tremendous change, I strongly believe that Lorenzo has the creativity, strong aesthetic sense, professionalism and expertise required to meet this challenge,” said Ferretti, who remains in her role as VP of Aeffe, in a statement. “A decade ago I entrusted Lorenzo with the Philosophy line, which he successfully developed into a thriving brand. Now, it is time for him to write a new chapter for the Alberta Ferretti brand, whose essence aligns beautifully with his vision.”

Philosophy was founded by Ferretti in 1984 and was initially known as Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Ferretti led the brand until 2012, when Natalie Ratabesi took over for an 18-month stint, before she was succeeded by Serafini. Serafini led womenswear design at Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana before joining Philosophy.

“I am honoured that Alberta has chosen me as the successor to such a significant and prestigious legacy, and I will carry it forward with care as I begin a new chapter for the Alberta Ferretti brand,” Serafini said in a statement.

London’s Lightroom Exhibition Will Consider The History Of The Runway Show

Vogue: Inventing the Runway, an immersive new exhibition exploring the history of the modern runway show, will open this autumn at Lightroom in London.

With the space’s astonishing four-storey-tall walls as a backdrop, from 13 November visitors can experience and interact with era-defining runway presentations up close, and at an unprecedented scale. The exhibition’s production will combine animation, state-of-the-art sound design, and a score of classical and pop music to evoke the many iconic shows that have helped shape the cultural landscape.

“At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves,” says Anna Wintour, chief content officer, Condé Nast, and global editorial director, Vogue. “This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”

Extending from the intimate couture salons of early 20th-century Europe to the mass-media extravaganzas of today, Inventing the Runway connects the past to the present and future of fashion, utilising Vogue’s extensive archive and contributor network to create an experience that unites the industry’s leading creative voices.

With a robust mix of participating fashion houses, including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Dior, Iris Van Herpen, Marc Jacobs, Thom Browne and Yohji Yamamoto, the exhibition will examine how fashion shows became the ultimate statement of a designer’s vision.

Kim Jones To Exit Fendi

Kim Jones is stepping down from his role as artistic director of Fendi, LVMH announced today. The British designer succeeded the late Karl Lagerfeld in designing Fendi haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur in 2020. Silvia Venturini Fendi will continue her role as creative director of accessories, men’s and childrenswear at her family’s label, while her daughter Delfina Delettrez (Jones’s muse during his time at the helm), will continue to design jewellery.

“Kim Jones is a highly talented designer who has brought his unique and multicultural vision to Fendi over the past four years. I would like to thank him for his contribution and look forward to continuing to witness his creativity at Dior Men’s,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, in a statement.

LVMH purchased a stake in Fendi from the Fendi family in 1999, before becoming the brand’s sole owner in 2001. Fendi is LVMH’s fourth largest fashion brand, behind Louis Vuitton, Dior and Celine, according to HSBC estimates, with predicted revenues of approximately €2.44 billion. Under Jones, Fendi has honed in on artisanship and collaboration, having led on partnerships with significant industry players, from Kim Kardashian’s Skims (2021) to Stefano Pilati (2023). The brand also scaled back its use of fur under Jones, with a focus on recycled alternatives.

LVMH doesn’t break out Fendi’s annual growth, so his impact is difficult to chart. The house appointed new CEO Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou in June this year; Angeloglou is also managing director of the LVMH Fashion Group. In a note, Bernard Arnault thanked outgoing CEO Serge Brunschwig for accompanying Fendi to a “significant level of growth” since 2018.

Jones will remain as artistic director of Dior Men’s, a post he’s held since 2018. Prior to this, he was artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men’s from 2011 to 2018, where he was revered for launching the Louis Vuitton X Supreme collaboration in 2017, which many mark as a watershed moment for streetwear. At Dior Men’s, Jones has continued to explore collaborations, from artist Daniel Arsham to Stone Island. A new creative organisation for Fendi will be announced in due time, LVMH said.

Inside Coperni’s Disneyland Paris Show

Fashion month is a rollercoaster. A long one, with many sharp turns. When you board it, at the start of New York Fashion Week, you’ll have a sun-kissed August glow. People will remark how well you look. And you do look well. Your suitcase will be immaculately packed; you’ll be up to date with your dry cleaning. By London, the jet lag will leave you feeling slightly upside down, but nothing that a dab of that Victoria Beckham X Augustinus Bader concealer can’t hide. You’ll try to find time in your schedule to go to M&S to stock up on seamless microfibre low-rise briefs in lieu of having time to do laundry (but won’t). Around the midpoint of Milan Fashion Week, you’ll be willing to trade your front-row seat for an early night and a packet of Strepsils as your seat mates start coming down with something they swear isn’t Covid, but is – kind of – similar. You’ll FaceTime your hair colourist from your hotel bathroom to walk you through a root touch up.

By the time Paris Fashion Week is in full flow, however, you’ve acclimatised to living off the truffle crisps in the hotel mini bar between filing. You’re rejuvenated by Alessandro Michele’s debut Valentino show, and still buoyed by the memory of Pieter Mulier’s Alaïa spring/summer 2025 runway, which turned the famous helix of Manhattan’s Guggenheim Museum into a catwalk; the group chat has come back to life to hypothesise about where Hedi Slimane might go next, now that he’s parted ways with Celine. Now, you don’t want to go back to normal life – you want to hold on to the surreal fantasy of fashion month to the very end of the rollercoaster. And you’ll want the mid-ride photograph, where your eyes are half closed but you're smiling, having survived the loop-the-loop, as a souvenir.

Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, co-founders of viral French fashion label, Coperni, seem to be able to intuit how show guests would like to feel at a runway show – the wow-am-I-seeing-this-for-real-ness of a really great fashion spectacle. (Who can forget Bella Hadid and the spray-on dress, a piece of performance art that stunned onlookers – and broke the internet – during the finale of Coperni’s spring/summer 2023’s runway show.) For those of us who didn’t come down with the illness which definitely isn’t Covid, Paris Fashion Week (and an entire fashion month) ended at 1am this morning on Hyperspace Mountain at Disneyland Paris. It was there – specifically at Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – that the Coperni duo staged their spring/summer 2025 runway show. After a little over four weeks of divine chaos, I stepped off the rollercoaster with my hair standing on end, and thought: I’m so lucky that this is a job – like, an actual job – and then I rode Hyperspace Mountain again for a second time before retiring for a bag of truffle-flavoured crisps.

Meyer and Vaillant dubbed last night’s Disneyland Paris takeover “a celebration of youth, nostalgia and imagination” – and were bang on the mark. For anyone well versed in Disney-speak, the al fresco pre-show cocktails were held near the start of Main Street. (I should add that the fashion industry – and Vogue editors in particular – are Disney stans.) The atmosphere was similar to a school trip as we began walking en masse through the Magic Kingdom towards Sleeping Beauty’s castle to take our seats. At just before 11pm Paris time, the castle’s signature pink lights shut down. Everyone fell silent. Not tired silent, but in awe. That’s when the Disney string orchestra soundtrack, which makes you feel like everything might one day be OK in the world, kicked in and the show began. Fireworks, cinematic lightning bolts et al.

Jenner is now a mainstay on the world’s most select front rows, but taking a turn on the runway herself? That’s pretty rare. Sleeping Beauty’s castle glowed fuchsia pink as Jenner elegantly walked across the footbridge in a fairytale strapless gown and stocking gloves. The beauty mogul wasn’t in a hurry to get back to the city after the finale, either: when I stepped out of my Hyperspace Mountain seat (for the second time around in half an hour), a jubilant Jenner hopped in for her turn. The other rides which guests enjoyed well into the small hours? Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast and the Orbitron, while the Videopolis Theatre was transformed into a Coperni dance club for one night only.

Lila Moss graced the runway in a Cinderella-yellow body under a watery-sheer minidress (look 41), while Amelia Gray played the evil queen (look 27). Think: jets of smoke, flame-throwers and a throbbing techno soundtrack to accompany the raven-haired model as she strutted across the footbridge – the castle, naturally, illuminated fluorescent green.

Ten per cent of the collection was produced in collaboration with Disney, the designers told Vogue Runway’s Luke Leitch. They even mixed in vintage Disney merch, which is why looks 17 and 15 are among my personal favourites – right down to the key chains that jingled as the models walked. Naturally, I boarded the Eurostar the next day (having rested my head in the Disneyland Hotel under a portrait of Snow White), loaded down with souvenirs (see above: Vogue editors are Disney stans).

Missoni Names Its New Creative Director

Filippo Grazioli is stepping down as creative director of Missoni after just over two years to pursue “new creative and artistic challenges”, the Italian house said today. He will be replaced by company veteran Alberto Caliri.

Caliri has previously held the creative director role on an interim basis after Angela Missoni — daughter of the founder — stepped down in 2021 amid a management shake-up.

Grazioli joined the family-owned brand in 2022, taking on responsibility for the men’s and women’s collections and lifestyle division. Before that, he worked for Burberry under Riccardo Tisci, first as design director for women’s runway and later as a consultant. He was previously head designer of women’s ready-to-wear at Givenchy, also under Tisci.

For the spring/summer 2025 show in Milan, Grazioli leaned into Missoni’s zigzag stripes with “unwavering focus”, which made the collection “both punchy and strangely captivating”, wrote Vogue Runway’s Tiziana Cardini. The show was styled by Paris-based stylist, creative consultant and Dazed fashion director Imruh Asha, who is known for his eclectic use of colour.

“We are grateful to Filippo for his contribution and dedication. We look to the future with confidence, continuing our path of growth driven by innovation and quality while staying true to our strong identity,” said Missoni CEO Livio Proli in a statement.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to be part of Missoni. I am proud of the achievements and the experiences shared with the entire team. I am now ready to face new challenges and explore new frontiers,” said Grazioli.