Watch Susie Lau's Favourite Fashion Moments of 2015

Many prolific designers celebrated the ten year anniversaries of their eponymous labels in 2015: from New York-based Alexander Wang, to a spate of London talents such as Christopher Kane, Nicholas Kirkwood and Gareth Pugh. Come 2016, I too will be notching up ten years in the industry as a blogger and writer, which in turn has made me think about the sheer amount of fashion I’ve experienced over the years.

This year alone, I’ve clocked up over 400 shows and presentations across various fashion weeks around the world, countless atelier, studio visits and interviews and have had the pleasure of experiencing very special exhibitions, spectacular one-off shows and happenings that ensure I stay excited to work in this industry.

We’ve had so much recent commentary on the hyper-speed of fashion, but as a self-confessed “fashion sponge”, it’s also been interesting to wade through so much information to find that elusive new discovery, whether it’s in an up-and-coming style capital or a random Instagram account or Tumblr blog. We’ve never had so much access to as much fashion as we do today, and yet making sense of it all, placing it in a cultural context and seeing its evolution still inspires me.

Here, I pinpoint some standout moments and additionally reflect on my year in fashion with a short film, inspired by Moët & Chandon's latest campaign: Open The Now, which encourages us to embrace and enjoy the spontaneity of life. 

1: Passage to India
I never had that quintessential ‘gap yah’ experience so my trip to India back in February felt belated. Thanks to the V&A Museum and their current Fabric of India exhibition, I got to experience Delhi and Jaipur in an intense three day trip, visiting the atelier of Manish Arora and seeing incredible embroidery skills as well as learning about ancient crafts like block printing. The meticulous and repetitive skills were mesmerising to watch. It is important for me to always see fashion from the perspective of skilled artisans, craftsmen and ultimately, the hands that make the clothes we write about. People might see this as a fetishisation of craftsmanship, but at a time when consumers seem increasingly disconnected with the origins of their clothes, the hand of creation has never mattered more. 

2: Fireworks at Dior
After the Dior Cruise 2016 show in Monaco, which was held at Pierre Cardin’s Bubble Palace, we were treated to a glorious fireworks display set to a soundtrack of The Orb and Kraftwerk. It felt like an exacting physical expression of the way Raf Simons had chosen to reshape Dior. Until of course, he chose to go his own way and leave the house he had so magnificently remoulded. Even in my short time of working in fashion, we’ve seen many tumultuous changes in creative directors at houses and shuttering of fashion brands. Simons’ tenure at Dior was impactful if short-lived, and just as fireworks fizzle out, it’s a reminder that fashion is always in flux. 

3: Where’s Molly?
It has given me the biggest buzz to support many young designers through the blog. Molly Goddard is someone I’ve followed from her first BA collection through to her recent New Gen-supported presentations at London Fashion Week and it’s been brilliant to see a designer cement their aesthetic in such a short period of time. Earlier this year in Japan, a stylish Tokyite stopped me in the streets to ask if I was wearing Molly Goddard.  For all the critiques of the overexposure of fashion on social media, for young designers like Goddard, it’s fantastic that they can build up an international following in such a short period of time.    

4: Rick Owens’ Gesture of Compassion
I thought nothing could beat Rick Owens’ sorority step dancing show two years ago, but in a way, the female gymnasts carrying one another, bound together with what Owens affectionally called “loving ribbons”, in the recent S/S 16 show was even more powerful. Women supporting other women, showing their strength and in clothes that are defiantly majestic. It was a gesture that rang a little hollow when it became a viral moment, but in person, felt moving. They’re feelings that can’t be transmitted digitally. 

5: Gucci’s Garden of Growth
Most industry insiders will agree that Gucci’s turnaround from the beginning of the year to where it is now has been pretty astonishing.That time frame is mind-boggling considering back in January, Alessandro Michele had two days to put together a menswear show. From then on, his vision of an altogether more storied and characterful Gucci has only gone from strength to strength. Aesthetically, it chimes in with my own personal interest in eclectic dressing but on a business level, it’s interesting to see such a highly personal and emotive approach to fashion work within this massive corporate infrastructure. It’s an affirmation that even at the highest echelon of fashion, the emotional value of clothing can’t be discounted. 

Watch Moët & Chandon's #OpenTheNow campaign video here