In The Devil Wears Prada , fictional magazine editor Miranda Priestly makes it clear that a life in fashion is the ultimate goal, saying: “Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.”

So what happens when you no longer want fashion – or fashion no longer wants you back?

This year, Donatella Versace announced she was putting down her sketchpad, along with Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, and Sabato De Sarno at Gucci. Some designers fade into a comfortable background cushioned by mega deals and payouts, such as Tom Ford who sold his fashion brand to Estée Lauder for $US2.3 billion ($3.5 billion) in 2022, and Donna Karan who sold her eponymous business for $US643 million in 2001. Others disappear into obscurity as their clothes make their way into vintage stores.

In Australia, the

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