As we hit the milestone of a decade in fashion, we look to the fashion brands who have also recently hit this landmark birthday. The 10-year survival rate is a tough threshold to cross in fashion, but just getting there isn’t enough, as it is by no means a guarantee that the business will last another 10 years. 10 years in business is mostly reflective of the stamina and strategic wiles of the designer, although many would argue that it is the mark where the real work begins. No longer can they be considered as fledgling and emerging, instead it is the time to strategize about how to sustain growth and decide whether to compete with the established industry heavyweights, such as Chanel, Dior, and Prada.
Nicholas Kirkwood, who recently celebrated his anniversary explains, ‘the first 10 years is just the start,’ adding that the first and second decades are two very different stages for a brand. ‘The beginning is about defining your voice, and the next 10 years, as you become more established, is about expanding and perhaps even exploring other categories.’
A decade after they launched, Christopher Kane, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Erdem, Alexander Wang, Roksanda, Nicholas Kirkwood and more recently Rodarte have become mainstay fixtures in the fashion industry, and we look at the momentous moments during their fashion journey so far.
Erdem
Turkish-Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu, is one of London’s most respected designers, earning commercial success and critical accolades. The designer has grown from zero to hero in the space of a decade, with a year-on-year growth pattern and no external investment. Indeed, he was the last of his 10th anniversary peers to open a store, which is located just off Mount Street in London’s Mayfair, however the marble floored boutique is just the start in the expansion to leather bags, a perfume and own brand footwear.
Alexander Wang
Wang, who sits atop a highly lucrative indie brand, which expanded rapidly, and has more than 25 stores worldwide, celebrated the milestone by reissuing his 10 most popular pieces of all time as chosen by fans via social media using the hashtag #WANG10. Now, after a 3-year tenure at Balenciaga, Wang is concentrating on taking his casual, yet edgy, eponymous brand to the next level.
Roksanda Ilincic
Roksanda marked the anniversary with a capsule collection of dresses that riffs on her archive designs, and is also branching out into more categories and lines. Her distinctive mix of voluminous, couture-like shapes, and bold colour combinations have earnt her a host of A-List devotees, including the political wife. A committed fan, Samantha Cameron emerged from Downing Street on her husband’s last day in a navy dress with colourful geometric shapes, and Michelle Obama has also worn her designs. More unexpectedly, Melania Trump chose a dress she bought herself from Net-a-Porter, for her speech at the Republican convention.
3.1 Phillip Lim
Co-founders Phillip Lim and Wen Zhou fêtes their 10th anniversary with a retrospective look at the last decade, one that saw the impressive brand with an eye for elevated street-wear grow exponentially. The documentary, channels their favourite moments from their debut show to the 10-year sculptural installation made by revered artist and environmentalist Maya Lin.
Nicholas Kirkwood
Kirkwood, whose company is now majority-owned by LVMH, waved goodbye amicably to his cofounder and longtime chief executive officer Christopher Suarez, as the brand turned 10. The duo grew the brand considerably over the past decade, from a Harrods account in its second season to flagship boutiques in New York, Las Vegas and London, culminating in an arcade and Pac-Man inspired anniversary collection. The shoe designer has since expressed his desire to launch a handbag range, but a spokesperson for the label confirmed that jewellery will be next.
Rodarte
Kate Mulleavy and her younger sister, Laura, first carried 16 handmade dresses from their home in Pasadena, California, to New York in 2006, and from there grew into an outlying and exquisite feature on the New York show landscape. They may not have expanded in the way others have done, however, because they are independent, they can go at their own pace. Ignoring the pressures to do pre-collections, they have instead immersed themselves in books, installations, an opera with Frank Gehry, and, most significantly, writing and directing a movie.
Christopher Kane
A fresh graduate from Central Saint Martins almost 10 years ago, Christopher Kane started his namesake label in a studio bedroom in east London. Today, Kane, alongside his sister Tammy, a driving force behind the label, has earned a well-deserved seat in fashion’s major league. Backed by industry conglomerate Kering, Kane’s label is stocked by prestigious retailers across the globe, and last year his first standalone boutique opened in the heart of London, neighbouring the stores of Lanvin and Balenciaga.
By Eliza Scarborough
