The 2024 GQ Fashion Awards Go to Pharrell Williams, Willy Chavarria, Rick Owens, and More

Show of the Year

Rick Owens’s Hollywood

Courtesy of Rick Owens.

In January, citing our “barbaric times,” Rick Owens moved his runway show into his Paris town house. Guests sat on his furniture and drank coffee while models lurched through his living room in the fall ’24 collection. Unlike most hard-core Rick Owens productions, this one was warm, cozy even—if you were lucky enough to nab one of the 100 or so invites. Owens felt guilty that he couldn’t include the black-clad cult that treats his shows like national holidays. “I felt kind of like a dick about that,” he said six months later. So for spring ’25, he said, “I thought, well, we’ll just put them all in the show!” In June, 200 fans, fashion students, and a handful of runway regulars (plus a 13-person “gymnast bouquet”—look it up) marched around the Art Deco Palais de Tokyo like representatives from the Rick Owens republic in a Cecil B. DeMille–directed Olympics opening ceremony. Owens called the show Hollywood, a tribute to the place where he invented himself as a young Californian. It was an I-was-there moment in Paris, one that will go down in fashion history as an unforgettable testament to Owens’s radical independent vision—and a poignant appeal for humanity in fashion. —Samuel Hine

Look of the Year

Saint Laurent Fall ’24 Look No. 34

Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s tribute to the label’s namesake was a sublime collection of flowing tailored looks, like this one, in surprising color combinations cut from elegant silk. To make the suits drape and wrap around the body, Vaccarello crafted them with dressmaking—rather than tailoring—techniques, cleverly infusing the ultimate masculine garment with echoes of Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic work.

“Men’s wardrobes are ultimately very standardized,” Vaccarello told GQ. “I wanted to play with these archetypes and the fantasy of the man going to work, while having fun with the proportion. The tie is a bit wider, the jacket a little longer, the shoes are a bit too square.” —S.H.

Courtesy of Saint Laurent.

SHIRT: Semi-sheer, double-layer buttoned silk shirt, with a high, pointed collar and French cuffs.

TIE: Wide, tapered tie in tonal grosgrain.

JACKET: Double-breasted six-button jacket with georgette silk in a ’90s cut, fully unstructured beneath a wide shoulder pad.

PANTS: High-waist pants in matching silk fabric, featuring an unlined, relaxed leg with a single pleat.

SHOES: Vaccarello’s first square-toe shoe design in smooth leather with a stacked heel.

Collaboration of the Year

Tyler, the Creator x Louis Vuitton

Looks from Tyler, the Creator’s collab with Louis Vuitton. Grom left: Getty; Courtesy of Louis Vuitton/BFA (2); Courtesy of Louis Vuitton.

From the moment he exploded onto the scene in the early 2010s, Tyler, the Creator has possessed one of the most prodigiously dialed aesthetics in popular culture—a pastel-splashed, prep-forward, unabashedly fun vision that he’s used to power his own brands, Golf Wang and Golf Le Fleur, alongside an ever-expanding roster of partnerships with the likes of Levi’s, Converse, and Globe-Trotter. This spring, though, Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams granted Tyler his grandest stage yet as a designer: a full-scale LV capsule collection, for which the Odd Future founder was able to harness the full force of the house’s superlative craftsmanship to bring his singular personal style to life in its most opulent form. The resulting line—which included everything from quilted jackets and trucker hats to golf bags and chess sets—was a global smash hit, signaling that Vuitton might just have a successor ready if Skateboard P ever decides to roll on. —Yang-Yi Goh

Store of the Year

Stòffa

At the new Stòffa space, shop off the rack or make an appointment for a made-to-measure experience. Courtesy of Stòffa.

For a decade now, Stòffa has been one of the most tastefully locked-in brands in menswear, doling out a tight edit of drapey, dusty-toned garments every season that all flow together seamlessly. It’s no surprise, then, that the New York label’s new 2,000-square-foot SoHo flagship feels every bit as considered and zen-like as its clothing. The gallery-style front room houses a small selection of ready-to-wear hanging amid arresting vintage furnishings, while the rear space—reserved for made-to-measure appointments—is dominated by an astonishing skylight that casts a soothing glow on the handcrafted ash wood fixtures. It all makes for about as elevated and civilized a shopping experience as you’re likely to encounter. —Y.G.

Courtesy of Stòffa.

Trend of the Year

Male Sluttiness

The boys of the sluttiness mindset (from left): Colman Domingo, Jeremy Allen White, Troye Sivan, Donald Glover, and Shawn Mendes. From left: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Netflix; Mert Alas/Courtesy of Calvin Klein; Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty images; Gotham/GC Images/Getty images; TheImageDirect.com.

It’s not just that the fellas showed a lot of skin this year—though, yes, that did happen, with thigh-baring short shorts and midsection-exposing crop tops running rampant all summer long. The sluttiness we’re referring to, however, is more of a mindset than a literal state of undress. It’s Jeremy Allen White carrying a gigantic bouquet of flowers home from the farmers market in a rumpled shirt and baggy jeans. It’s Jacob Elordi slipping a paperback into his cargo pocket. It’s Donald Glover doing, well, pretty much anything. There’s a knowing energy these guys put out, a vibe implicit in both their clothes and disposition that says, “I know you’ve noticed this subtle but sensual thing I’m doing, and I’m unbothered by your gaze.” And being unbothered under scrutiny? That’s the sluttiest thing a man can do. —Y.G.

Sneaker of the Year

Bode x Nike Astrograbber

Courtesy of Bode.

When Bode unveiled the Nike Astrograbber in April—the American luxury brand’s first major collaboration—sneaker fever was officially back. It had felt like years since a footwear collab made much noise at all—oversaturation led to a fallow stretch of big athletic brands recycling familiar vintage silhouettes. But then, Emily Adams Bode Aujla dove into the obscure corners of Swoosh history, discovering the ’70s turf football model deep in the Beaverton archives. The sneaker, she said, was “definitely not popular.” But by the time Bode Aujla updated the shape and laced each pair with whimsical charms, the Astrograbber looked brand-new, becoming a celebrity-street-style favorite at warp speed and selling out even faster. —S.H.

Watch of the Year

All Things Piaget

Courtesy of Piaget.

In February, Piaget kicked off its 150th anniversary by rereleasing the lavish Polo, a watch with so much gold it could easily double as a handsome paperweight. The Polo 79—to honor the year of the original’s creation—launched a love affair between collectors and the brand’s entire archive of opulent watches, whose dials are resplendent with gemstones like tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, and opal. Piaget met the moment in 2024, as the craze for sexy dress watches escalated and collectors looked for unique ways to express their individual tastes through a timepiece. What makes the Polo so exciting is that when it was originally released in 1979 it became Piaget’s first named watch, meaning nearly every piece that came before it was a one-off custom masterpiece twinkling with its own idiosyncrasies. In 2024, that’s exactly what watch buyers were after. —Cam Wolf

Meme Maker of the Year

Loewe

Zendaya, Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, and Josh O’Connor in the viral shirt of the year. From left: Gotham/GC Images; Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Loredana Sangiuliano/Anadolu via Getty Images.

“This tomato is so Loewe I can’t explain it,” an X user named @homocowboi posted on June 3, above a photo of an unusually photogenic tomato. It racked up more than 97,000 likes and caught the eye of Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson, who by June 6 had crafted the perfect response in the form of a clutch modeled after that avant-garde tomato. That was par for the course for Anderson, who arguably understands how to wield and manipulate internet culture to his advantage better than any designer alive. This year alone, he created the Challengers “I TOLD YA” shirt, perhaps the most viral movie merch since Napoleon Dynamite’s “Vote for Pedro” tee; transformed former 007 Daniel Craig into a shaggy-haired bohemian for a blockbuster Loewe campaign; and dressed Aubrey Plaza for the Emmys in a Post-It-note-esque gown that became instant meme fodder. Keep posting through it, Jonathan. —Y.G.

Comeback of the Year

Alessandro Michele for Valentino

Alessandro Michele’s debut Valentino collection: both elegant and gloriously frivolous. Courtesy of Valentino.

After leaving Gucci two years ago, Alessandro Michele receded from the fashion world. To work on a film, perhaps, or simply spend his days tending to his extensive antiques collection. Thankfully for us, the designer who mainstreamed genderfluid, maximalist menswear made his triumphant return in September at the helm of Valentino, where he presented a passionate argument for the importance of frivolity with polka-dot dinner jackets, languid trousers, and precise column coats tailored from sumptuous needlepoint. They were clothes that don’t have all that much to do with how we live today, connected more to Valentino Garavani’s archive and the bygone golden age of Italian style. But that was the genius of Michele’s return: While he was out of the game, men’s fashion began to emphasize understated practicality and comfort. Michele came back to remind us that beautiful, intriguingly embellished garments have their own special utility. As he put it following the show: “If you have a good relationship with clothes, you can really glorify life.” —S.H.

Breakthrough Designer of the Year

Willy Chavarria

Paul Yem

This year, Willy Chavarria claimed his place as a critically important voice in American fashion. The Willy wave has been building for some time: The Chicano designer’s finely crafted workwear and exaggerated prom suits—tailored with a badass, never- kitschy flair—earned him the top menswear prize at the 2023 CFDA Awards. But it wasn’t until this fall that Chavarria left a truly indelible impression.

Chavarria, 57, is hardly a fresh face—he spent most of his career working in the corporate--fashion establishment. Since going solo in 2015, the Fresno, California–born, New York–bred designer has faced the challenges that confront any young brand. Chavarria has responded with a unique ranginess. As business grew, he unveiled a collection of couture opera coats and, earlier this year, a provocative line of pre-distressed underwear that drew on his experience as a designer at Joe Boxer and Calvin Klein. Some of the most tasteful and influential celebrities have noticed: Kendrick Lamar wore a Willy Chavarria track suit in his “Not Like Us” music video.

In September, Chavarria built on the buzz, bringing New York Fashion Week to an abandoned bank on Wall Street for his treatise on “América,” as he dubbed his spring-summer ’25 collection. In an acrimonious election year with anti-immigrant rhetoric flooding the airwaves, Chavarria told a story steeped in pride.

Set under an enormous star-spangled banner, it was an ode to the working class, delivered through United Farm Workers sweatshirts, cropped mechanics shirts, and dungarees tailored in Chavarria’s signature oversized proportion. Chavarria commands among the most inclusive runways in the business, and his crew of tough, tattoo--covered models embodied a crystal clear idea of beauty and power woefully absent in the wider fashion world. “It’s really about the fact that all of us belong, all of us have purpose, and all of us have the ability to make change in this country,” Chavarria said backstage.

Chavarria’s codes are solidifying, but he still has tricks up his sleeves. The show appeared to be over when the music darkened, then out came a surprise Adidas collaboration, an extensive capsule inspired by NBA legend and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that will introduce Willy Chavarria to his biggest audience yet. The designer made clear that he sees no limits on his empowering vision for American menswear. “I want to make sure that I’m creating collections for all people to wear,” he said. —S.H.

Shoe of the Year

Dainty Little Shoes

From top: Bode, Magliano, Dior Men's, The Row. From top: Courtesy of Bode; Courtesy of Magliano; Courtesy of Dior Men’s; Courtesy of The Row.

For a long while, the biggest thing in men’s footwear was, well, bigness. Balenciaga has been locked in an arm’s race with itself for years now, unleashing ever-more- gargantuan sneakers season after season. The Big Red Boots by the fashion pranksters at MSCHF, meanwhile, ran rampant over the internet last year. But a funny thing happened in 2024: Our shoes shrank. And they didn’t merely return to regular sizes. Instead, guys suddenly gravitated to svelter, more delicate, and, yes, more demure choices—ballet flats, Mary Janes, and low-slung slippers, all with little-to-no outsoles to speak of. That change in dimension brought a touch of welcome contrast to the wider silhouettes that continued to dominate menswear—and gave our feet a break from lugging around all those concrete-block work boots and clown-size runners. —Y.G.

Finale of the Year

Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten took his final bow on the runway in June. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD via Getty Images.

“It was the last chance for me to take risks, so I grabbed it,” said Dries Van Noten of his swan song in June, which marked the 150th and final collection in the Belgian menswear legend’s hall of fame career. Designers don’t always know how or when to hang up their shears, but Van Noten went out on his own terms: with the world’s most graceful retirement party. Rather than stage a retrospective of his greatest hits, he drew over 800 admirers to the outskirts of Paris for a poignant production full of fresh ideas for how to dress with intrigue and elegance. (Followed, of course, by a night of disco dancing.) It was a reminder that Van Noten left menswear much better than he found it, and a clear message to his successor. As he put it: “They have to dare, they have to move forward.” —S.H.

Renegade of the Year

Demna for Balenciaga

Photograph by Jason Nocito.

“Fashion needs to get messed up, it needs to get fucked up…. It needs not to be based on fear,” said Demna in September. For the past decade, the Balenciaga creative director has gleefully ignored the rise and fall of trends to define his own avant-garde universe of style. And as fashion took refuge in the cashmere folds of quiet luxury, Demna found a new gear. Thought “streetwear” was dead? Demna dropped the most extreme Franken-sneaker of his career, then engineered an entire haute couture collection out of T-shirts and hoodies and bombers and jeans. And to close out the year, he threw his own playbook out the window, subverting the oversized, protective silhouette he popularized with a downright steamy show featuring clever lingerie bodysuits and scintillating low-rise jeans, precisely cut right on the fearless edge. —S.H.

Balenciaga is for the fashion die-hards. Courtesy of Balenciaga.

A version of this story originally appeared int he 2024 GQ Men of the Year issue with the title “The 2024 GQ Fashion awards”