Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Yohji Yamamoto: Why these fashion icons are still relevant

True fashion icons in an era of shallow influencers and disposable talent, Giorgio Armani at 90, Ralph Lauren at 85, and Yohji Yamamoto at 81 have beaten all the odds in the fashion race to show stellar creations in their latest collections – and in decades of shows. They are the long-distance champs in a world of sprinters and leapers. For fashion is not known to be an endurance race, it favours the mercurial upstart and energetic disruptions rather than grace, beauty and consideration – you need look no further than to compare Alessandro Michele’s clickbait vision for Valentino, in contrast to founder Valentino Garavani’s (age 92) vision of dainty, noble femininity for the Roman house.

The fashion game, often celebrated for its creativity and inclusivity, is often obsessed with youth, equating its loucheness with desirability and modernity. This significantly impacts more experienced designers, perpetuating a narrow definition of desirability that sidelines the older demographics. Brands unapologetically focus on marketing products to Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha, assuming that older creators are less clued-in or influential on what consumers want.

While some designers have challenged these norms, Karl Lagerfeld literally died while preparing for the Fendi show at age 85 in 2019, prevailing narrative remains one of exclusion, and the senior designer is an exception rather than the norm. The few older designers (such as Paul Smith, age 78), despite their wealth of experience and status, struggle to maintain visibility in a landscape that prioritises new talent (Peter Do, former creative director of Helmut Lang is but 35). This means that fewer established designers get noticed in the social media landscape, or recognised as trendsetters, as the focus remains on emerging, younger faces – a taut cheek being everything in fashion.

Older designers – even the iconic Miuccia Prada, age 75 – have been thought to face challenges in adapting to rapidly changing trends. This, and other errors of perception, is but a function of the loud echo chamber of social media fashion critics, the loudly ignorant who decry any older designer’s work as outdated, even when they were creating innovative designs. The pressure to appeal to younger audiences may force them to alter their style or brand identity, risking the authenticity that originally defined their careers. Mrs Prada, for instance, hired Raf Simons, who is known for having the frisson of youth (even if he is no spring chicken himself at age 57) in 2020 to give the Prada collections a bit of an edge. And now Prada is reaping accolades – cool again, suddenly. Others have simply exited the stage in dignified silence – Dries Van Noten retired from fashion last year, at age 66.