In a way, lifestyle is the alternative to designer drag when looking to offer continuity, and preserve the legacy of a designer who is still very much alive. “What a customer wants is to create a connection so they can feel like they’re embodying the same aesthetic [as the designer],” says Kahn. If whoever takes on the DVN mantel preserves what Dries Van Noten represents to its customers — the conspicuous contrasts and clashes of prints, the unexpected mélanges of fabrics and materials, and the kooky but inextricably elegant hybrids of quintessential silhouettes — then what is there to fear? If they preserve his ethos of putting the clothes first — no celebrities to dress up in drag, no hype-chasing It-bags and sneakers — then perhaps Dries can still be Dries, and one can still be a “Dries girl”, even without Dries himself.
The artist is present
It’s a strong competitive advantage for designers to define a distinct look and have that become associated with them as well as a reflection of their brands. It’s what Ford did first with Gucci, then with his own label, creating a signature for himself too in the process Van Noten took a different approach, putting himself aside and creating a universe so specific that his name is now evocative of a particular visual language rather than just himself.
The 2024 version of this, it seems, at least for independent designers, is to do both – they are creating the universe and fashioning themselves as its most important ambassador. Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, started to share style tips and musings through her personal Instagram during the pandemic, and has since made herself the primary ambassador of Tibi. “When you’re talking with people rather than just at them, they give you a lot of bandwidth to make mistakes, recover, change your mind, and explain your rationale,” says Smilovic.
Smilovic will post pieces from her current collection and suggest how to style them alongside items from her personal wardrobe, many of which include pieces from older Tibi collections. It’s a circular approach that has seen her connect with customers in a way that promotes authenticity and transparency. “It’s about being in the same mindset,” she says. “We’re meeting them in a way where they’re already evolved. We don’t have to massage them to adjust their eyes. By the time the runway show comes, they’re usually halfway there with us.”
