Take a trip through time with the WWD archives, a treasure trove of the most fascinating moments in fashion, beauty, culture and beyond.
Trends may come, go and come back again, but the pages of WWD have never gone out of style as a trusted source to the fashion industry, covering some of the most compelling news stories for more than 100 years.
Fashion has the ability to inform, reshape and, perhaps most importantly, inspire. In the spirit of keeping inspiration alive, here is a nostalgic look back at the archives from On This Day in fashion history.
On This Day is a recurring column in WWD that spotlights fashion moments of the past from the WWD Archives.
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October 25, 1983 – College Preps Rally to the Regatta
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Ivy Leaguers took a break from their studies to convene for The Charles Regatta in Boston, where rowing crews were cheered on by preppy onlookers in smart plaid skirts, chunky Fair Isle knits and zeal for their alma maters, as seen in WWD on Oct. 25, 1983.
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October 23, 1995 – Designers Mull Diffusion Lines Without Tarnishing Brand Image
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media In an industry where image can make or break a brand, designers and retailers discussed the pros and cons of creating lucrative “bridge” diffusion lines, without diluting a brand’s luxe allure, as seen in WWD on Oct. 23, 1995.
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October 21, 1964 – Audrey Hepburn Charms the Press Room for ‘My Fair Lady’
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media The cast and crew of “My Fair Lady” were all in good spirits while promoting the film, but it was Audrey Hepburn’s gentle presence that truly charmed the room, as seen in WWD on Oct. 21, 1964.
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October 18, 1968 – Jackie Kennedy Shocks With Surprise Engagement to Aristotle Onassis
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis drew feverish speculation after announcing their engagement just days before their Greek private island wedding, as seen in WWD on Oct. 18, 1968.
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October 16, 1968 – Rudi Gernreich Takes Time to ‘Refresh’ After Whirlwind Success
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Exhausted from the demands of back-to-back collections, Rudi Gernreich took a well-deserved break following the success of his infamous topless swimsuit, as seen in WWD on Oct. 16, 1968.
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October 14, 1968 – Lady Bird Johnson Cultivates Her FLOTUS Style
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media As Lady Bird Johnson grew into her role as FLOTUS, she also found a confident sense of style with the help of designer Adele Simpson. Here, WWD praised LBJ’s style strides in a way that might raise some eyebrows today, as seen on Oct. 14, 1968.
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October 11, 1999 – Designer ‘It’ Bags Command Attention
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Following the success of handbags like the Fendi baguette and Gucci Jackie, the importance of the designer “It” bag quickly came into focus, and European houses wasted no time churning out a bevy of covetable styles and colors each season, as seen in WWD on Oct. 11, 1999.
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October 9, 1973 – Home Decor Gets a Makeunder With a Return to Nature
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Home interiors took a turn from opulent to organic, as nature-inspired colors and home accents made “phony decorator gimmicks” like matchy-matchy rooms and overdressed windows look passé, as seen in WWD on Oct. 9, 1973.
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October 7, 1970 – Five Looks Were Just Enough for Sonia Rykiel’s Collection
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media After seeing women wearing the same dress in completely different ways, Sonia Rykiel was inspired to pare down her collection to just five styles in a variety of fabrications, as seen in WWD on Oct. 7, 1970.
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October 4, 1991 – Elizabeth Taylor Wears Valentino for Wedding Number Eight
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion Media Elizabeth Taylor made her eighth walk down the aisle in pale yellow Valentino, as the designer shared details about the wedding dress and his friendship with the famous bride, as seen in WWD on Oct. 4, 1991.
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October 2, 2012 – Karl Lagerfeld Cheekily Bans ‘Le Smoking’ on the Chanel Runway
Image Credit: Fairchild Fashion media Karl Lagerfeld took a tongue-in-cheek jab at the flood of Yves Saint Laurent-inspired Le Smoking suits seen on Paris runways ahead of Hedi Slimane’s YSL debut, handing out “No Smoking Here” illustrations to editors at previews, as seen in WWD on Oct. 2, 2012.