The Fashion Highlights & Lowlights of 2013

This was a year of ups and downs in the fashion world, and we think the departure of Marc Jacobs from Louis Vuitton easily takes the biscuit as the biggest news of 2013. Marc announced his departure after yet another inspirational show with his spring 2014 collection for Louis Vuitton. It was a show dedicated to his many muses with a set that featured a number of his  iconic props from his past 16 years at the Maison. He took the reins in 1997 and has transformed the high end leather goods label into a major player on the catwalk stage. The reason behind his departure was a desire to focus on his own label with rumours of an IPO in the near future. His successor is the Balenciaga Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquiere, so we will see what 2014 has install for them. 

Marc Jacobs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fashion Highlights

It’s all about the Punk. In terms of glamour the Met ball was definitely one of our favourites. The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosted a new Costume Institute exhibit, "Punk: Chaos to Culture," celebrating a movement that embraced anarchy in the 1970s. "Despite its best intentions, punk has come to symbolize integrity and authenticity," said curator Andrew Bolton. Punk, Metal Studs  were the named styles working their way for the red carpet and Madonna even pulled off a Pulp Fiction style wig. From Miley’s spiked look went down a treat as well as  Madonna’s tartan-tastic suit, the rebellious dress code made for a seriously stylish mobocracy.

Kate Middleton made polka dot and pregnancy fashionable and so was the birth of Prince George.

Max Mumby/Indigo / Getty Images Contributor

Two Tone Style

Two tone this year along with neon (a come back of the 80’s style) was huge this year. One of the most talked about Two Tone outfits was worn by Gwyneth Paltrow, when she appeared at the "Iron Man 3" premiere. She looked great in a dress with sheer mesh panels on the sides with sheer black and white being on trend this season.

MARIO ANZUONI / Reuters

Gwyneth Paltrow, in a revealing Antonio Berardi gown, at the premiere of "Iron Man 3" in Hollywood

It’s all about Accessories – Paris Fashion Week

 Design Charles Platiau

Stylish shoes, Chic sunglasses, bright bling, clutch purses, statement jewellery – this was the year that accessories were all out on the catwalk and made a huge hit at the Paris Catwalk – making the runways fun, interesting  and adding an edge to Paris Fashion Week.

Balance Diversity on the Catwalk

There is no doubt Iman and Naomi Campbell are legendary supermodels, but this year they lent themselves to something different: promoting diversity on the runway. They controversially named the designers catwalks whose catwalks were  almost all white. The women joined forces with modelling Bethann Hardison in their Balance Diversity campaign. Explaining their purpose, Iman, now 58, said she was shocked to hear there were fewer black models on the runway than when she stopped modeling in 1989.

Lesbian Couture
The message was unmistakable: At the Karl Lagerfeld haute couture show in Paris, the designer sent two brides down the runway for the finale where the brides walked hand in hand in their feathery concoctions, a clear vote of support by the designer for France's gay marriage law. The show came only nine days after hundreds of thousands of people marched in Paris in opposition to the law.

LOIC VENANCE - Getty Images

Models present creations for Chanel during the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2013 collection shows on Jan.22, 2013 in Paris.

From the runway & fashion designers to the high street stores they definitely made themselves heard this past year.

 Written by Rosie May Reddington