The 5 personalities who defined 2022

2022 was a year of change, especially in the fashion industry. The slow recovery after the pandemic was abruptly interrupted by the invasion of the Russian army on Ukrainian territory, and from then on the eternal question resurfaced: should fashion be interested in politics? Between personalities, fashion shows, rises and ruinous falls, this year has undoubtedly been a riot of often controversial events that have helped to underline the deep crisis in which the fashion industry, but also society, finds itself. However, in an overall tense climate, certain personalities have dominated the limelight and attracted the attention of the media, public opinion or simply industry representatives, some for one reason, some for another. Here are the personalities of 2022 identified by the nss magazine team:

Pierpaolo Piccioli: Designer of the Year 

It did not take an international jury of 1,000 industry personalities to name Pierpaolo Piccioli Designer of the Year and present him with the most prestigious of fashion awards at a ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London to understand the extent of the designer's influence. As creative director of Valentino, Piccioli has managed to rewrite the visual language of a historic brand, not only thanks to extraordinary events such as haute couture on the steps of the Trinità de' Monti in Rome, but above all through the Pink collection PP, which has made hot pink the colour of the year and the absolute star of the outfits of the most diverse celebrities, from Zendaya to Mr and Mrs Beckham junior.

Elon Musk: Villain of the Year 

Although he remains the richest man in the world with a fortune of $169.8 billion, Elon Musk - according to calculations by the Bloomberg agency - has lost 100 billion in 2022. After establishing himself as the antagonist par excellence following the takeover of Twitter and the ensuing tantrums - from the deletion of the accounts of "dissenters" to the firings that poured in on him in the first few weeks - the Tesla CEO has come out to the public in a new guise. The multi-billionaire's last public appearance was iconic: in the VIP box at the finals in Qatar, between Trump's son-in-law and friend of the emirs Jared Kuchner and the wife of Kremlin banker Andrei Kostin, a re-enactment of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Bella Hadid: Neo-Baby of the Year 

Her career had already taken off a few years ago, but 2022 was the real consecration year for Bella Hadid: at the Fashion Awards, the supermodel was declared the winner in the Model of the Year category. Hadid has appeared on the catwalk a total of 19 times, 11 of which were in Paris alone, and set the internet on fire with her viral moment during the Coperni show. According to a recent report by agency Karla Otto, Hadid's presence has "generated significant media value for brands, totalling $15.3 million across 13 entries", resulting in a consistent increase in the media value of each of these brands, so much so that the study calls the phenomenon the 'Bella Effect'.

Rosalìa: Artist of the Year 

Rosalìa won Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys with her latest album Motomami. After the release, the 30-year-old artist embarked on a world tour that ended in Paris a few weeks ago. She climbed the charts and animated TikTok with clips of her chewing gum with a disparaging look at Despechà's notes. His musical talent was already well known, but this year, thanks to an exceptional stylist, his sister Pilar, the artist's personality came out strongly in the images of the Acne Studios FW campaign and on the cover of the November issue of Vogue.

Ludovic de Saint Sernin: the revelation of the year

Although the name Ludovic de Saint Sernin is not new to insiders, it is clear that he has been the talk of the town more than usual this year, both with his own line at SS23 in Paris and his new and unexpected appointment as creative director of Ann Demeulemeester. The young indie designer has become one of the buzzwords of Paris Fashion Week in recent years with his gender-neutral collections, but he also attracted attention as a model when he walked the runway for Rick Owens at SS23.