Fashion's exodus: what happens when designers step away?
The relentless churn of the fashion industry rarely grants respite. Yet, a quiet revolution is underway: a steady stream of established designers are leaving the runways behind, trading the pressure of seasonal collections for unexpected new pursuits. What happens when the architects of our style abandon their ateliers—and what does their departure reveal about the evolving demands of creativity?
A shift in priorities: from runway to other realms
It's a familiar pattern: a designer reaches a peak, then pivots. Christian Lacroix, the enfant terrible of 1980s fashion, famously transitioned to theater design, a move that showcased his innate flair for spectacle. Helmut Lang, a name synonymous with 1990s minimalism, traded his label for the pursuit of art. Rifat Ozbek, known for his exuberant designs, found a new canvas in interior design, notably contributing to Robin Birley’s exclusive club, Maxime’s. The list, as it turns out, is extensive.
Dries van Noten’s recent departure from the brand he nurtured for nearly four decades marks a particularly striking example. Rather than fading into obscurity, van Noten and his husband, Patrick Vangheluwe, have poured their energies into the Fondazione Dries Van Noten, a Venice-based foundation housed within the magnificent Palazzo Pisani Moretta, a 15th-century palace with interiors dating back to the 1730s. The palazzo, a testament to craftsmanship—its stucco work crafted by an assistant of Tiepolo—serves as a platform for exploring a broad range of disciplines, from ceramics and silverwork to music and culinary arts. “For me,” van Noten explains, “craftsmanship is very broad.”
The impetus behind these shifts is often a desire for a different kind of creative expression, a yearning for space and quiet that the fashion industry rarely affords. Clare Waight Keller, after years navigating the high-pressure world of luxury brands, sought a period of reflection, “taking a year where I really did start to do things that I hadn’t done for a while.” This included extensive reading, online research, and simply “letting my mind drift.” Her subsequent work with Uniqlo, a venture she describes as a “brilliant opportunity to deep-dive into another culture,” demonstrates a broadening of perspective, a willingness to engage with a world beyond the rarefied atmosphere of high fashion.
Haider Ackermann, who left his own label in 2019, experienced a similar journey. Initially, the absence of a structured work life was unsettling. “I’ve always been quite an insecure and anxious person,” he admits. Yet, the downtime ultimately proved invaluable, allowing him to “feed your mind and your soul,” to revisit art, literature, and ballet. The result? A resurgence of creativity, culminating in collaborations with Canada Goose and, most recently, a triumphant return to the Paris runways under Tom Ford’s creative direction, delivering collections that have captivated critics.
The ripple effect of these departures extends beyond the individual designers. It prompts a broader conversation about the sustainability of the fashion model itself—the relentless cycle of collections, the pressures on creative talent, and the potential for alternative pathways for artistic expression. Christopher Bailey, after a long and illustrious career, left Burberry to prioritize his role as a father, a decision that underscores the evolving values of a generation. “I just had this very strong emotional desire to be a very hands-on dad,” he reflects.
The exodus isn’t simply about designers leaving fashion; it's about them finding new ways to engage with creativity, to redefine what it means to be a maker. Whether it's through theater, art, interiors, or a foundation dedicated to craftsmanship, these departures reveal a hunger for a more holistic and fulfilling creative life—a life beyond the fleeting trends and relentless demands of the runway.
Ultimately, the stories of these designers serve as a potent reminder: even in the most all-encompassing of industries, the desire to create, to express, remains a fundamental human need—one that can manifest in unexpected and profoundly beautiful ways.