THE DECADE IN FASHION
From Instagram influencers’ impact on style to Lady Gaga’s meat dress
2010: Alexander McQueen dies
The news that Alexander McQueen had died at age 40 shook the fashion world to its core. The British designer, considered one of the most wildly creative fashion designers of all time, created some of the most daring and provocative designs to this day. — Kristin Larson
2010: Instagram launches
No one could have predicted the magnitude and influence Instagram would have on the fashion and beauty worlds. Instagram stars like Aimee Song used the social media platform to build their brand. According to Rakuten Marketing’s 2019 survey on influencer marketing, 80% of consumers revealed they made a purchase recommended by an influencer. — K.L.
2010: Lady Gaga wears a meat dress
Leave it to Lady Gaga to wear the first dress made out of raw meat. It didn’t spark any fashion trends (thank goodness!), but everyone remembers the dress — it even has its own Wikipedia page. Gaga turned out in the steak dress, at the MTV Video Music Awards to make a political statement, urging the U.S. military not to discriminate against gay men and women. If you’d like to see the dress up close, the preserved version resides at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. — K.L.
2015: Rihanna wows at the Met Gala
Talk about a fashion moment — Rihanna in that dramatic, over-the-top yellow cape gown by Chinese designer Guo Pei at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala catapulted her into fashion icon status. It had a 16-foot embroidered train, but all eyes were on Queen RiRi. From “the moment when she walked in, late, and stole the show from virtually every celebrity in the known world, was truly a moment to behold.” said Kerry Pieri, fashion and features director at HarpersBazaar.com. — K.L.
2017: Fenty Beauty — at last, makeup for all skin tones
Inclusivity hit the beauty world big time when Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty, which now offers 50 foundation shades. The “Fenty Effect” ensued, and other brands followed. “People seeing that they are considered by brands, whether that be by having your skin tone available in makeup or via size inclusion is not frivolous, it’s good business,” Pieri says. — K.L.
2017: “Ugly” sneaker mania takes over
The decade saw sneakers rise to the level of designer shoes, but who would ever think hugesoled, orthopedic-looking sneakers would be fashionable? Think again. The “ugly sneaker” may have started with Balenciaga’s Triple S and Louis Vuitton Archlight style, but the giant sneaker trend picked up speed and continued with designers like Gucci, Prada and Coach. — K.L.
2017: Athleisure is here to stay
Blame it on the rise in sportswear or celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Gigi Hadid rocking sweats, hoodies and leggings in their downtime, but athleisure shows no signs of slowing down. “Activewear currently represents 24 percent of total apparel industry sales and is forecast to grow,” according to a “Future of Apparel” study by NPD Group. — K.L.
2018: Chicago’s Virgil Abloh becomes men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton
Designer Virgil Abloh had already gained a major following with his OffWhite fashion label, but in spring 2018, he ascended to the position of men’s artistic director for Louis Vuitton, the iconic French brand that represents the height of luxury. From the start, Abloh injected the storied fashion house with cool, youthful energy, showing fluid silhouettes — and his now-famous harness designs. With the appointment, Abloh became Vuitton’s first black designer and one of only two black creative directors at a European luxury fashion house. — David Syrek
2018: Meghan Markle steals the show
Call it the Meghan effect. Ever since Markle became the Duchess of Sussex, whatever fashion brands the royal wears benefit. Global fashion search engine Lyst proclaimed Markle the “most powerful dresser” of the year, with her outfits sparking on average a 216% increase in searches for similar pieces. The whiteand-blue Club Monaco dress she wore in South Africa sold out in less than 24 hours, following a 570% spike in searches. — K.L.
2019: Karl Lagerfeld dies
Part designer, part cultural superstar, Karl Lagerfeld was without a doubt the most prolific and influential fashion designer of a generation. As Chanel’s creative director for 36 years, the iconic designer with the white ponytail and black shades pushed the fabled fashion house into the future by continually reinterpreting the brand’s style. His collections were staged on epic sets; fall 2010 saw an astounding polar landscape anchored with a 265-ton iceberg made of snow imported from Sweden, and for spring 2019, Paris’ Grand Palais was transformed into a beach, complete with white sand and functioning waves.
Through collections that blended the classic Chanel codes of tweed, pearls and quilting with elements of youth culture from goth to streetwear to surfer, Lagerfeld connected the brand with a new, younger audience, all the while challenging what luxury could be. — D.S.
2019: Fashion embraces women — all women — with size-inclusive fashion
The body positive movement is here to stay, thanks to body positive icons like model Ashley Graham, singer Lizzo and social media influencer Katie Sturino, and for the first time, designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Tanya Taylor, Christian Siriano and many more expanded their size range, offering sizes up to 24. Online retailer 11 Honoré,
the first retailer devoted to size-inclusive designer fashion, also made fashion history, holding its first runway show at New York Fashion Week and showcasing models from sizes 12 to 20. It’s about time the fashion industry listened—the majority of U.S. women are a size 14 and above, according to Edited Retail Data. — K.L.
2019: Barneys New York — end of an era
The bankruptcy and closure of Barneys New York, the legendary retailer founded in 1923, proved no retailer is immune to the challenging retail climate. Still, Barneys, from its uber chic black shopping bags to its iconic Route du Thé fragrance to its iconic window displays, will be terribly missed. — K.L.