FASHION'S NEW ALT STARS

Is luxury fashion looking in new direction of celebrities for representation and relatability?

- PRATIKSHA ACHARYA

The luxury fashion house on everyone’s lips seems to be Loewe of late. According to the Lyst Index, a quarterly ranking of fashion’s hottest brands and products, Loewe was number one in the second quarter of 2023 and continues to enjoy its position at the top at number three in the last quarter of 2023, trumped only by Prada and Miu Miu. Shining bright as one of the sponsors at the 2024 Met Gala, what really drew our attention was the motley crew of guests that the brand invited to the event. Undoubtedly the most coveted invite in the fashion world, the Met Gala is known for having only the creme-de-la-creme in attendance every year, with even A-listers dying to be a fashion house’s muse to score an invite. While the erstwhile luxury houses got along the usual attendees, Loewe had us all sit up and take notice as stars like Ambika Mod, Ayo Edebiri, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist made their way onto the Met steps head-to-toe in Loewe.

It’s not to say that these actors have more than earned their invites; it’s the fact that, at an event where brands love to show off their highest-billed ambassadors, Loewe took a chance on what the masses would call the unexpected A-team. Yes, each of these stars has had a big year, and they are connected to Loewe, but it is essential to observe that this crew is different from the brand ambassadors we are used to seeing. Jonathon Anderson, Loewe’s creative director, has expressed his admiration for Netflix’s drama series One Day, which has propelled Mod to fame. Naturally, he invited Mod to the Met Gala in custom Loewe.