Streetwear Takes Over (2010-2030)
Riccardo Tisci's Rottweiler tee. Yeezy at MSG. Demna's Vetements + Balenciaga. Virgil at Louis Vuitton. The Met Gala's viral moments. Pieter Mulier at Alaïa. A24-era runways. TikTok eats the trend cycle.
Part of Fashion
29 moments in this segment.
- — McQueen — Plato's Atlantis. October 2009 (S/S 2010). McQueen's final completed collection. Iridescent reptilian prints, the Armadillo boot. Live-streamed (first major fashion show to do so) when Lady Gaga released "Bad Romance" during the show. McQueen died February 11, 2010.
- — McQueen Armadillo Boot. McQueen's S/S 2010 Armadillo boot — 12-inch carved-wood platform. Lady Gaga wore them in the "Bad Romance" video. Three pairs exist; one sold at auction 2015 for $295,000.
- — McQueen's Death. February 11, 2010. Alexander McQueen found dead in his London apartment at 40, ten days after his mother's death. The single most-mourned designer death of the 21st century. Sarah Burton takes over the house; designs Kate Middleton's 2011 wedding dress.
- — Lady Gaga's Meat Dress. September 12, 2010. Lady Gaga at the MTV VMAs in a dress made of raw beef by Franc Fernandez. PETA outraged; Gaga said it was a comment on military "don't ask, don't tell." Permanently preserved + on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- — Galliano Fired by Dior. March 1, 2011. John Galliano filmed making antisemitic remarks at a Paris bar. Dior fires him within days. The first major designer cancellation; Galliano spends 3 years in exile before quietly returning at Maison Margiela 2014.
- — September Issue 2012 — 916 Pages. September 2012. American Vogue September issue: 916 pages, the heaviest single magazine issue ever published. The peak of the print-magazine model right before its decline. Subject of R.J. Cutler's 2009 documentary "The September Issue."
- — Kering Rebrand. 2013. François-Henri Pinault rebrands PPR as Kering — Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Boucheron. The clean two-house structure (Kering + LVMH) that defines 2010s+ luxury industry.
- — Yeezy Season 1 at Madison Square Garden. February 12, 2015. Kanye West's Yeezy Season 1 streamed live to 42 cinemas globally. The first widely-anticipated streetwear show, the Yeezy Boost 350 reveal. Defined the late-2010s celebrity-designer template.
- — Rihanna Met Gala 2015 — Yellow Cape. May 4, 2015. Rihanna at the Met Gala in Guo Pei's yellow embroidered cape — 16-foot train. The cape was reportedly two years in the making. Single most-memed Met Gala look of the 2010s.
- — Met Gala Becomes the Super Bowl of Fashion. 2016 onward. The Met Gala — Anna Wintour's annual fundraiser — becomes the most-watched fashion event of the year. Each year's theme (Camp 2019, Heavenly Bodies 2018, Karl Lagerfeld 2023) drives the cultural conversation. Most-photographed red carpet in the world.
- — Rick Owens — Human Backpacks Show. October 2015 (S/S 2016). Rick Owens' "Cyclops" show — models carry other models on their backs/shoulders. The most-discussed Owens show; framed conversation about womanhood, support, weight. One of the most-photographed runway sets of the decade.
- — Virgil Abloh — Louis Vuitton Menswear. March 26, 2018. Virgil Abloh's LV menswear debut. First Black artistic director at a French luxury maison. The Spring 2019 rainbow runway show was the cultural moment of that fashion week. Died November 28, 2021 at 41 from a rare cancer.
- — Virgil's Rainbow LV Show. Virgil Abloh's March 2018 LV menswear debut — rainbow runway in Palais-Royal, the most-photographed runway moment of 2018. Marked the first Black artistic director at a French luxury maison.
- — Jacquemus Mini Bag. 2018. Simon Porte Jacquemus's Le Chiquito mini bag — 5 cm wide. The "this is fashion now" Instagram bag of 2019. Jacquemus's lavender-field 2020 show + salt-flat 2024 show became fashion-Instagram canon.
- — Beyoncé Coachella — HBCU Performance. April 14, 2018. Beyoncé's Coachella ("Beychella") in Balmain custom HBCU costumes. The most-watched live music performance on YouTube of the 2010s. Reframed performance as a fashion event.
- — Fenty Beauty Launches 40 Shades. September 8, 2017. Rihanna launches Fenty Beauty with 40 foundation shades. Reshapes the beauty industry overnight ("Fenty effect"). First non-white celebrity beauty brand to do $100M+ in first month. Fenty Skin 2020; brief Fenty fashion under LVMH 2019-2021.
- — A24-era Fashion Cinema. 2022-2025. A24-produced films become fashion's adopted aesthetic anchor: Past Lives styling, Aftersun mood-boards, The Brutalist costume design. The "A24 girl" Instagram aesthetic — cardigan over silk slip — defines mid-2020s wardrobe references.
- — Balenciaga Controversy. November 2022. Balenciaga BDSM-teddy holiday campaign + court-document campaign. Mass cancellation campaign; Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid distance themselves. The most-damaging luxury brand controversy of the decade; brand recovers by mid-2024.
- — Balenciaga Mud Show — Spring 2023. October 2022. Demna's Balenciaga Spring 2023 show — models trudge through ankle-deep mud in front of a graffitied set. Stage-set blew up on social media; defined late-Demna Balenciaga's commitment to spectacle-over-clothes.
- — Kim Kardashian — Marilyn Monroe Dress at Met 2022. May 2, 2022. Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroe's Jean Louis "Happy Birthday Mr President" 1962 dress to the Met Gala. The borrow caused public conservation outrage; the dress was reportedly damaged. Single most-discussed Met look of the 2020s.
- — Phoebe Philo Returns. October 30, 2023. Phoebe Philo's first collection under her own label after a six-year absence. 150 pieces. Sold out within days; revived the "Old Céline" intellectual-minimalism market that had been waiting for her.
- — Sabato De Sarno at Gucci. September 22, 2023. Sabato De Sarno's Gucci debut after Michele's departure. Stripped-back, "quiet luxury" aesthetic — the early-2020s industry pivot away from maximalism. Mixed critical reception; let go in February 2025.
- — Pharrell at Louis Vuitton. February 2023. Pharrell Williams named LV menswear creative director after Virgil Abloh's death. The Pont Neuf show (June 2023) — Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian front row. The most-commented menswear debut since Virgil's.
- — TikTok Eats the Trend Cycle. 2022-2024. TikTok aesthetics ("coquette," "blokette," "tomato girl," "mob wife," "indie sleaze revival") rotate every 4-8 weeks. The trend-cycle compresses from seasonal to monthly. The first generation of fashion consumers who can't name 5 designers but can name 50 aesthetics.
- — Cargo Pants Return. 2023. Cargo pants return after a 15-year absence. Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, the Y2K revival. The garment most associated with the early-2000s mall era becomes the silhouette of the early-2020s street.
- — Quiet Luxury Discourse. 2023. The Succession-era "quiet luxury" / "stealth wealth" / "old money" discourse: Loro Piana, The Row, Brunello Cucinelli. Maximalist Gucci out; cashmere-and-loafers in. Defined the post-pandemic luxury aesthetic correction.
- — Galliano Margiela Artisanal Spring 2024. January 25, 2024. John Galliano's Maison Margiela Artisanal Spring 2024 — staged under a Paris bridge. Universally voted Best Show of the 2020s by Vogue, Business of Fashion, etc. The collection that brought Galliano back from his decade-long penance.
- — Blazy at Chanel. February 2025. Matthieu Blazy succeeds Virginie Viard (who had succeeded Karl Lagerfeld) at Chanel. The most-anticipated creative-director appointment of the 2020s.
- — Jonathan Anderson at Dior. June 2025. Jonathan Anderson named creative director of Dior — both menswear and womenswear, the first single-person directorship of both since Galliano. Anderson left Loewe for the bigger stage.
