A couple of weeks ago theVogueoffices welcomed a much celebrated American designer.
Amongst other off-the-record things, they shared that their belt business is booming.
The category, they said, is growing 400% month-over-month.
Photographed by Phil Oh
Pre-Vogue, I spent four years as a leather goods designer at anaccessibleluxury label.
One of my many responsibilities was to design belts alongside my boss.
We worked on mens and womens belts across the companys retail and outlet channels.
Gucci, spring 2024 ready-to-wear.
(And with four collections a year of three deliveries each, we made a lot of them.)
A year or so in I came to understand how crucial these little leather straps were for the business.
Most important of all,everyone wears them.
Hermès, spring 2021 menswear.
And odds are that even if you dont, one day youll need one.
Gucci, spring 2024 ready-to-wear.
Fashion writers across the Internets many fashion websites often wax poetic about It-bags.
Ferragamo, spring 2021.
We love to zoom in on a fabulous shoe, even if impractical.
Belts not so much, though its a mistake to ignore them.
Its a new day at Gucci.
The viral Diesel, fall 2022 ready-to-wear skirt/belt.
He knows a good accessory when he sees one.
Hermes, spring 2021 menswear.
Ferragamo, spring 2021.
Chloé, fall 2024.
The viral Diesel, fall 2022 ready-to-wear skirt/belt.
Chloe, fall 2024.
Theres also Daniel Lees knight experiment atBurberry.
Burberry, spring 2024 ready-to-wear.
Burberry, spring 2024 ready-to-wear.
Dont be like Andrea Sachs and look down on belts.
They may be a long strip of leather, but they make the industry go round.
