Fashion's Fresh Slate

As we contend with some of the industry’s biggest shake-ups, fashion experts weigh in on their predictions for the new season.

- CAELAN MCMICHAEL

September ushers in fashion's blank canvas, a time when reflection is not just encouraged but essential. It beckons for meditation and dialogue on the progress we've made and the horizon ahead. With guidance from industry pioneers and visionaries, we delve into the burning curiosity of who will helm Chanel next and explore the question: what can we expect to see in fashion in the year ahead?

"I'm excited to see emerging brands break through the noise and to see how young people continue to disrupt the industry," Willa Bennett, the editor-in-chief of Highsnobiety for over two years and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, says. There continues to be this warranted space where there is a desire for change and disruption in the industry, paved explicitly by emerging brands. Now more than ever, we are seeing experimental small brands get the chance to be recognised and seen globally. Bennett's emerging brands to watch include A--Company, Jane Wade and Lucila Safdie.

Lucila Safdie, in particular, is expanding beyond the fashion ecosystem and connecting with the film community through the Lucila Safdie Film Club. "It's a space where people can come together to go through all the emotions of their favourite movies surrounded by a room of strangers who share their interests and angsts." Safdie says. By making fashion interactive, smaller brands emphasise fostering interconnectedness beyond just the clothes themselves and bringing together like-minded people for something greater. The colliding of multiple artistic worlds will continue to flourish, acting as a gateway to collaborative creativity. "I treat each collection like a cinematic release, first and foremost exploring a character and their story and then imagining how their identity shapes the clothes they wear and their sense of style," Safdie explains.