That’s fashion, Sweet: Challenge Accepted.

Now, if someone asks me what makes fashion physical, my answer is a robot doll that keeps pushing its own lever into place. Fashion is constantly pushing back and changing, for better or for worse.

We see this every day as people do – or rather re-do – to breathe new life into regular clothes (the good), or when retailers like Urban Outfitters try to offer affordable, but clearly subverted luxury items to their consumers (the bad).

Even in high fashion, last Paris Fashion Week had a lot of press coverage, especially for Schiaparelli, their animal heads and guest dresses – especially the red-crystal-covered Doja Cat and Kylie Jenner’s dress, which Irina Shayk officially debuted at the same show. Viktor and Rolf have a cover for their physically neutral gowns, upside down, upside down, and even next to the model.

A special shout out is owed to Maison Margiela. I will always have a soft spot for them. Their latest collection was a brilliant tribute from creative director John Galliano to the late Vivienne Westwood and her doctrinal take on the classical, coy and feminine, from the anarchy of punk’s past to creative and visual journeys. Leon Dam’s closing walk was very soft, smooth and – dare I say it – motherly, and the set as a whole was incredibly cohesive. I felt like listening to a song that your favorite artist has been teasing for a long time.

But with these fashion triumphs, I’m keeping my eyes on the future of three brands.

First: Louis Vuitton. Former creative director Virgil Abloh After 2021, the brand has yet to reveal or indicate whether it has taken any steps to find its new creative director. But after three successful collections, featuring Rosalia in their latest menswear collection and live music from Kendrick Lamar and director Gustavo Dudamel, there may be future fashion houses without leading directors.

Instead of pulling back, Louis Vuitton increased funding in their marketing, acquired new A-list and international spokespeople and still managed to engage their consumers. Their initial momentum doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so it will be interesting to see how LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) fares in terms of the face (or lack thereof) of the luxury powerhouse.

The second is Valentino. Their PFW collection received a standing ovation from Anna Wintour (not only that, but she was the first in the audience), but the show went viral for another reason: the ongoing feud between models and Valentino shoes.

Don’t get me wrong, these models are much better than what I can do. Some shoes are incredibly difficult to fit, and even the most seasoned veterans have failed – going back to Naomi Campbell and her “Super High Gilly” heel at the Westwood AW93 show.

But what about Valentino shoes? Their new collection had supermodel Christine McMenamy completely desperate to take off her shoes on a roller coaster to finish her walk after a major fall. But at the October Spring/Summer23 runway show, models were not only crowded side by side, but confused about where to walk and the layout of the runway. Some people think of advertising show to get more attention from the media, but I think this is inappropriate, poor planning and not enough attention about the models.

The third brand is the one-and-only Gucci, which has had a really rough couple after being hit harder than other luxury brands.

Interestingly, the newly named creative director effective January 28 is Sabato de Sarno, who is a close associate of Valentino’s own creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli. While not new to the fashion world, as De Sarno has worked at Valentino since 2009 after Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, his name is not (yet) a fashion household name.

According to Fashion Business, former creative director Alessandro Michele quadrupled the company’s annual sales and profits in the years before the pandemic slowed Gucci’s growth. The maximum beauty of this segment comes from the inclusion of bright designs, streetwear and logo mania. Focusing more on classic styles like the jackie bag, stripes and bumblebee. Also bringing in A-list ambassadors including Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.

However, BoF’s prediction is that De Sarno is “likely to focus on stabilizing the brand image with a more classical identity”.

I personally hope this means a return to the classic days of Gucci minimalism by Tom Ford.

I don’t have a problem with Michele Gucci, but two characteristics put me off his Gucci days: the combination of black and silver and my love of flashy designs, and I feel like Michele was Gucci. – and bear with me – also Gen-Z.

The former is a matter of personal taste; My mother dresses this way and it leads to quiet, luxurious and minimalist design, and I am, after all, my mother’s child.

The latter, however, stems from a desire for brands to stick to their ancient roots. I know this is wishful thinking, because all brands have to grow and change as people do, but I truly believe the Ford era was great. It was fun, in the classic, old money, quiet luxury – “my daddy’s got a boat” style, and very obviously Gucci. Playing devil’s advocate, Michele has created his own iconic Gucci.

However, they felt the bright orange, green and purple hues were too rich for the eye to appreciate the true quality of the design – including the careful choices of fabrics, tailoring, footwear and image. It became a distraction, and when the striped sneaker and logo mania blew up, the ready-to-wear collection didn’t have the same feel as their runways. Of course, I don’t mean this literally – collections and ready-to-wear collections are different, and not all runway pieces are sold at retail, especially couture and high fashion collections – but it looks like 2018-ish Gucci. Listening to numbers, sales and customers more than the voice of the brand and the story behind their name.

I’m excited to see De Sarno’s first collections and where he takes Gucci. He has big shoes to fill, but that doesn’t mean he can’t meet or exceed expectations. As demonstrated by Ford, sometimes a quiet name is what a brand needs – and, ironically enough, we all love a not-so-good story.

Good luck and good luck, De Sarno! Let’s see what you’re made of.

Hadin Phillips is a secondary text that discusses fashion in the 21st century, particularly new trends and popular controversies. Her column, “This is Fashion, Sweet,” runs every Tuesday.