Trends come and go, but there has been one trend that has systematically dominated the fashion landscape over the past decade, Sportswear. Sportswear is described as clothing suitable for recreation or more broadly: clothing designed for casual or informal wear. The iteration that has been prevalent combines typical sportswear with a high fashion twist. For many years sportswear has been strictly associated with America and American style. However, the definition of sportswear has shifted throughout the course of the decade.
The style is no longer associated with the traditional American version which consisted of a wardrobe of chic ready-to-wear lifestyle clothing. Instead, this new version mixes traditional sportswear with recreational sportswear. The beginning of this development can be traced back to 2014 when Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld showcased sneakers that had an upper made of the house’s signature tweed. At the time, the shoes were seen as a typical Chanel seasonal novelty. The sneakers grew in popularity and the seeds of a new trend were firmly planted. The trend laid dormant for a brief moment in 2015 until the Ukrainian designer, Demna Gvasalia was appointed creative director of the storied couture Maison, Balenciaga. Gvasalia had previously gained notoriety with his brand, Vetments. The brand was an early pioneer of the Norm-core aesthetic.
Another designer who shared a similar design sensibility was Virgil Abloh, the founder of the streetwear label Off-White. The two brands were relatively low key in the first half of the 2010’s, almost like cult brands. Gvasalia’s appointment at Balenciaga ushered in a new era for fashion. Gone was the structured bodycon futurism of the previous creative director Nicholas Ghesquiere, and in its place was the Demna look. Normcore juxtaposed to high fashion, created a look that was not only desirable, but also marketable. The house staples included Hoodies, t-shirts, sneakers, baggy Pants, and structured handbags. While he proposed more conceptual designs on the runway, it was the items listed previously that drove sales.
The biggest hit was the Triple S Sneaker and the Hourglass Bag. While Demna was shaking up the high fashion world, Kanye West offered a more affordable option with his Yeezy line, a collaboration with Adidas. The success of taking a gamble on Gvasalia at Balenciaga encouraged confidence in other brands to hire streetwear designers. Virgil Abloh was appointed as the creative director for the menswear division of Louis Vuitton in 2018. At this point in time, streetwear was beginning to become integrated into the offerings of other houses. Virtually overnight nearly every high fashion brand from Prada to Givenchy had their own version of a sneaker.
Along with the sneaker came a new it item, logo mania. All of a sudden designers bombarded their products with logos and monograms. Many attempted to craft their own version of a monogram, but only a small handful succeeded. Streetwear became a lucrative product category. Everyday items such as jeans, athletic wear, and even fanny packs were reimagined in luxurious fabrics. These new products birthed a new customer who previously did not exist in the high fashion market, The Hypebeast.
The Hypebeast can best be defined as “a person who is devoted to acquiring fashionable items, especially clothing and shoes”. Throughout the late 2010’s into 2020, the sight of an urbanite wearing a head to designer look topped off with a luxury sneaker and its matching bag became a common sight. The Streetwear trend was fully integrated into the mainstream. The time came for a new question, What’s next? Ironically one of the most influential streetwear designers, Virgil Abloh proclaimed in a 2019 interview for Dazed Magazine “Streetwear is dead”. His full response was “I would definitely say it’s gonnadie, you know? Like, its time will be up,”.
Abloh passed away in 2021, but his words reverberated into a ripple effect. The pandemic ravaged the luxury market. Nearly every house saw losses. Trends are only relevant for a short time, so a change was inevitable. Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent introduced a new Bourgeoise look for his fall 2021 collection. It was slick, sophisticated, and modern. The concept of Streetwear looked incredibly passé when contrasted with this revival of sophistication. The spring 2022 collections marked the first signs of change on a larger scale.
Designers were now prioritizing fashion as opposed to products. Of course, they are still selling streetwear online and in boutiques, as they continue to sell extremely well. Streetwear no longer dominated the image of a brand. The days of sneakers and hoodies on the runway have seemingly come to an end. The success of that Saint Laurent collection could possibly be attributed to the death of streetwear.
It just goes to show, trends may come and go, but sophistication lives forever.
