The new investment in fashion? Everything to do with culture

The film industry could be the new battleground between LVMH and Kering: on 10 September, Dior and the production company A24 announced a two-year agreement, which provides for extensive collaboration on new products and support for young talent. This is not exactly new territory for the group, which two years ago launched 22 Avenue Montaigne, another company dedicated specifically to multimedia productions, a year after the debut of Saint Laurent Productions, a similar division of the Kering brand, which has since produced hits such as ‘Emilia Perez’ and ‘Parthenope’.

Forging an ever-closer link with the cinema, moving beyond the mere production of fashion films, is just one aspect of the multifaceted new era in the fashion industry, which is facing, if not a crisis, a profound evolution, by focusing on cultural products and channels, in search of a new narrative that will refresh and enrich brands and, ultimately, justify their prices. Films, books, exhibitions and cultural events thus become not only channels of communication, but also areas for investment to support growth.

The news, however, dates back to the last day of August that the exhibition which the Costume Institute at the Met in New York was due to dedicate to John Galliano in 2027 had been cancelled. And whilst we wait to find out who or what will replace it, the autumn is packed with retrospectives dedicated to brands that are still going strong, or those seeking a revival: the latter is the case with “The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon”, at the V&A South Kensington in London, a celebration of the 170th anniversary of the British brand’s iconic garment, which is currently on the mend (+5 per cent revenue in the first quarter of the new financial year 26–27) after several very lacklustre years. The exhibition also heralds the opening of the Burberry Gallery, also within the museum, expected in 2028. And following “Viktor&Rolf. Spectrum”, the first solo exhibition in Italia dedicated to the brand owned by the OTB Group (which presented “Be Brave”, a documentary film about founder Renzo Rosso, at the recent Venice Film Festival), from 25 September at 10 Corso Como, the Dutch designers will take centre stage from 28 January in the exhibition “Le monde de Viktor&Rolf. 30 ans de haute couture”, at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. Meanwhile, on 21 November, the Legion of Honour in San Francisco will host the first exhibition on Azzedine Alaïa (a Richemont brand) ever organised in the United States, and until 25 October, the GNAMC in Rome is hosting “After a career with Fendi / Karl Lagerfeld 1985”.

Also in Rome, the new series of Lessons in Contemporary Creativity at the Auditorium Parco della Musica will be dedicated to fashion for the first time; three events will take place between 30 October and 20 November, featuring Alessandro Sartori, artistic director of Zegna, Antonio and Patrizia Marras, and Lucia Silvestri, creative director of Bulgari.

Having moved beyond mere coffee-table books to take their place amongst a brand’s most beloved and effective narrative tools, the book range is also welcoming new titles: *Arte Moda. Dolce & Gabbana* (Rizzoli), “Schiaparelli Anglomaniac” (Skira, catalogue of the exhibition currently on display at the V&A in London), “Chanel Philosophy” (White Star, with a special focus on jewellery and accessories), “Giorgio secondo Armani” (Marsilio, a project by Roberta Filippini revived and completed – thanks to the approval of the family and heirs – one year after the master’s death), which, as the author explained in an interview with Giulia Crivelli, reveals many previously unknown aspects. Beyond its celebratory aims, everything that lies behind the scenes remains one of the most fascinating themes, as demonstrated by the book on Armani’s presence in the bestseller lists.