In 2002, theFashionSpot launched as an invitation-only community of industry insiders and fashion fans that dissected designer collections, magazine covers and ad campaigns, celebrating some and skewering others. We soon grew to become the largest fashion-focused community on the web, eventually adding editorial reporting into the mix. Today, our forums are over 71,000 members strong — and counting.
To celebrate #15YearsofTFS, we’re honoring our dedicated community with a look back at the forum threads that demanded their attention and inspired their passion. After examining 162,820 threads and almost 10 million posts, we narrowed it down to 15 of the most momentous and impactful threads over the years.
Best forum threads / 15-year anniversary
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Vogue Italia July 2008 'A Black Issue' by Steven Meisel
Replies: 1,319
Views: 235,684Our forums went into meltdown in 2008 when Italian Vogue unveiled its now iconic (and completely sold out) "A Black Issue" featuring models Naomi Campbell, Jourdan Dunn, Liya Kebede and Sessilee Lopez on the four collectable covers, photographed by the legendary Steven Meisel.
"I am seriously in shock, this is so gorgeous!" [_incognito]
"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy! This is so amazing. I feel like crying. My gosh, Sess looks flawless." [FashionCapital]
"What a breath of fresh air. After comments by Nick Knight regarding the difficulty getting models of color in ad campaigns it's wonderful that Franca Sozzani and Steven Meisel took courage in getting an issue dedicated to the model of color." [lightxposr]
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US Vogue May 2007 'The World's Next Top Models' by Steven Meisel
Replies: 1,224
Views: 175,553Give us a model on the cover of our favorite fashion glossies and we couldn't care less about the contents. American Vogue heard our cries in 2007 and delivered a bevy of beauties on its May issue, captured by Steven Meisel. The likes of Coco Rocha, Agyness Deyn, Raquel Zimmermann and Doutzen Kroes came together for the occasion and it still remains one of forum members' favorite Vogue covers to date.
"Oh God, what a joy, what colors, what brilliance!! I think I'm going to pass out!" [clo]
"The sheer fact that models are on the cover of American Vogue is making me excited for it to come out." [LostInNJ]
"Now this is something that makes me excited about Vogue again! The cover is different than what we have seen from Vogue lately; it has minimal text for once and it is a great studio shot." [Avant Garde]
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US Vogue April 2014 Kim Kardashian and Kanye West by Annie Leibovitz
Replies: 515
Views: 133,980For many forum members, the idea of Kim Kardashian going anywhere near the cover of Vogue seemed blasphemous. But in April 2014, their worst fears became reality as Kim was handed her first-ever Vogue cover, joined by then-fiance Kanye West. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz for the occasion, several horrified forum members couldn't forgive Anna Wintour for the "mishap" and canceled their subscriptions the moment the cover dropped.
"Get out. This thread will be a great one and remembered for a long time." [t-rex]
"This is why after 5 years I've let my Vogue subscription run out. [Irrelevant] cover stars, stale editorials and worst of all unimaginative fashion! It's become a pitiful, desperate edition." [fee de foret]
"Now I have really lost my faith in Anna Wintour. Such a pointless cover. I thought Vogue US was a fashion magazine but I can't see this photo translating into a fashion image by any means. And they look lifeless and dull." [yesitsdagny]
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Prada Spring 2009 Ad Campaign by Steven Meisel
Replies: 554
Views: 95,058We've seen many advertising campaigns over the 15 years, but only a select few remain memorable. Prada's Spring 2009 campaign is one such standout, with forum favorite Steven Meisel behind the lens and models Viktoriya Sasonkina, Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Katrin Thormann, Toni Garrn, Giedre Dukauskaite, Nimue Smit, Sigrid Agren and Ymre Stiekema making up the cast of this ultra perfect fashion campaign.
"I love this, wow. Not what I was expecting, but the girls and the clothes look amazing..." [Melly5525]
"OMG!! BRILLIANT!!! BEST Prada campaign EVER!!!!! I seriously love it! Meisel is a genius!" [helmut.newton]
"This is sheer brilliance... The clothes (and shoes!!) are gorgeous, the light and editing are great, all the girls look beautiful... I'm really excited about the rest!" [taben]
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Louis Vuitton Spring 2008 Ad Campaign With Top Models by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Replies: 350
Views: 57,284Back in 2008, we couldn't contain our excitement when supermodels Eva Herzigova, Stephanie Seymour, Natalia Vodianova, Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell turned up in Louis Vuitton's juicy and electrifying Spring 2008 campaign, captured by photographic duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.
"I love this!!!! Very rich in color!!! And definitely eye-catching!!!" [agneslo]
"This is so fierce I can't even stand it." [kevinnn]
"Oh wow, I cannot explain how fabulous the group shot is. All the models look great, there isn't one model that is more outstanding than the others." [alix*]
Take a look at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2008 Ad Campaign thread.
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Miu Miu Spring 2007 Ad Campaign With Lindsay Lohan by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Replies: 380
Views: 65,405It's a rare occasion when a celebrity endorsing a major fashion brand receives our forum's seal of approval, but girl-of-the-moment (back then, obvs) Lindsay Lohan made a surprise appearance in Miu Miu's colorful Spring 2007 ad campaign. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Lindsay had never looked better (though it took our forum members a while to admit).
"I am frankly stunned, I didn't see Miuccia ever picking someone so obvious and high profile (i.e., consistently in the tabloids) as Lindsay. I think there are countless other better choices out there, so this is a real shame." [GivenchyPrincess]
"I was right to not make any sarcastic comments before these came out. I'm loving these. They're gorgeous!" [kissmesweet]
"Well, this just shows that anyone, celebrity or not, can model in an ad and look decent. I had absolutely no hope for her upon hearing the initial news, I admit, but now find these ads to be some of the best of the season." [seanutbutter]
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2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Replies: 999
Views: 301,381Given our love/obsession for models, it should come as no surprise that members adore the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show extravaganza. Riveted by the likes of Gisele Bündchen and Tyra Banks strutting their stuff in the brand's extravagant lingerie, it was the 2005 show that gained the most attention on our forums.
"The best show in the history of VS shows! I miss this so much, everything was perfect, unlike the forgettable shows of this year and of last year." [Sam12]
"Definitely my favorite show too! I loved the themes, the models, the outfits, everything was just right for a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show." [michelabella]
"Gisele ROCKS!!!!!!" [sh3IIs]
Take a look at the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show thread.
Image: Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
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The Death of Alexander McQueen
Replies: 1,149
Views: 177,223The tragic and untimely passing of Alexander McQueen sent shock waves through the industry. His mesmerizing collections and raw artistic talent kept us entertained for years and the designer's name regularly came on top when considering our favorite. A great loss to the fashion community to this day our forum members paid tribute in 2010 to the man who changed fashion forever.
"Heartbreaking, may he Rest In Peace." [HeatherAnne]
"What a loss...There is no designer like Alexander! Hope you're in a good place, Alexander." [Liinna]
"I'm in shock over this terrible loss. McQueen was a true and rare genius who gave us poetry, fantasy and amazing collections. He will be missed." [FrenchCactus]
Take a look at the Alexander McQueen Tribute thread.
Image: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images
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The Firing of John Galliano at Christian Dior
Replies: 1,260
Views: 134,925In 2011, forum members were stunned to hear that John Galliano had been fired from his creative director position at Christian Dior after video footage revealed the designer using anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken rage. When the shock wore off, our forums began a fierce debate about who might be hired to replace him at Dior.
"Olivier Theyskens would be magical!!" [maxlinden]
"Dior should hire a complete unknown, IMO. Critics will be unbiased to the designer's previous works, and I think a new designer will bring that much-needed freshness to the label. Either a new one, or Theyskens." [valliaddict]
"He was perfect at Sander, but this is a HUGE opportunity for Raf Simons, and I can't see him turning it down. I just hope it works out for him, would hate to see Dior become a mess with a revolving door kicking out designers." [Miss Dalloway]
Take a look at the Who Will Succeed John Galliano at Dior thread.
Image: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images
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Balenciaga Spring 2006 Paris Fashion Show
Replies: 780
Views: 68,961Of the thousands of international fashion shows that are routinely dissected by our opinionated forum members, there was one collection in particular that received the most attention. The award goes to Nicolas Ghesquière, whose Spring 2006 collection for French fashion house Balenciaga received rave reviews and almost 800 comments.
"Breathless to all the detailing in the sleeves!!!! Bravo." [AniexDaffodil]
"I'm crying... I'm crying because this is painfully beautiful. (I actually am tearing up.)" [Pastry]
"The collection's so good it should be illegal...I love the opulent approach and the almost couture like detailing; the silhouette is mind-blowing and the interpretation and Victorian clothes, the tailoring are impeccable and original...Bravo, it was the best visual orgasm so far of the season..." [kiddokiddo]
Take a look at the Balenciaga Spring 2006 Collection thread.
Images: Courtesy
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The Kate Moss Thread
Replies: 58,197
Views: 18,573,394Forum members just love to keep up with Kate Moss. Whether discussing what she's wearing on the sidewalks of London or taking in one of her many magazine covers as she graces Vogue for the umpteenth time — Kate is a bona fide icon in the eyes of our community.
"She is a whole generation's icon." [Purr]
"The main reason is that she is DIFFERENT. She's not just a pretty face, she has an air of awesome effortless chic, and sophistication. Love her." [prixi]
"Oh my, Kate DID start the UGG boot trend. Those pics are from early 2002 when she was pregnant. I thought that she did not start wearing them till 2003." [lunabella]
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The Gemma Ward Thread
Replies: 30,265
Views: 7,988,206Given that our forums were born in 2002, you can understand how our fascination with Aussie stunner Gemma Ward still exists to this day. From commanding the catwalks of all the major fashion capitals to covering just about every edition of Vogue, Gemma remains very much in demand by our forum members and they're still rooting for another major comeback.
"I'm a fan of her too. She looks a little bit like a sweeter Devon Aoki. Her career sure is going fast - I searched for her on Google and on a newspaper website it says she's going to leave school at the end of this year." [Cicciolina]
"She looks great! She does look really young. The 'baby face' is in right now...look at Natalia Vodianova. Overall, I think that she will do awesome!" [kate]
"She is certainly on the up and up!" [Belowen]
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The Sasha Pivovarova Thread
Replies: 32,062
Views: 6,756,169When Russian beauty Sasha Pivovarova stormed onto the scene in 2005, our forums had a brand new obsession. The then-unknown girl who found herself on the Fall 2005 New York fashion scene was later propelled into superstardom, walking for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Chanel in Europe. She soon became the face of Prada while also becoming a fast favorite of Steven Meisel. We were smitten.
"Sasha is so lovely. I heard that she might be getting the Prada campaign. Does anyone know if this is true?" [morgan38]
"She's so beautiful. I want her eyes." [MulletProof]
"WOW, I'm stunned. Sasha is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine." [sasseestefanie]
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The Model Behavior Thread
Replies: 14,685
Views: 3,346,245Members of our forums just love to know who's fighting backstage, who's dating who and which models just cannot keep their mouths shut on social media. So it should come as no surprise that our dedicated Model Behavior thread has received a lot of attention over the years.
When the thread first became active in 2007, forum members reacted to some news regarding Ukrainian model Lera Sheremata:
"Why are people like that? There are so many girls dying to be in that situation who wouldn't act like spoiled brats." [Deborah]
"I can't imagine her career going too well with an attitude like that." [masquerade]
"Maybe I'm just greedy, but you could put me in a potato sack and for $10,000 (though I'm sure they make much more than that at a show like Prada) I would wear it like it was the prettiest dress of the season!" [KhaoticKharma]
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The Photoshop Disasters Thread
Replies: 2,312
Views: 663,247We are most definitely not afraid to call out magazines and major fashion brands for their abuse of Photoshop. Whether it's Margot Robbie's suspiciously freaky smile on American Vogue, Nicole Kidman's alien-like features in a Jimmy Choo ad or poor Vanessa Axente airbrushed into oblivion for Chanel, our forums excel in sleuthing out mishaps.
"They clearly cut the smile from one picture and Photoshopped on top of another, it doesn't connect with the expression of the eyes at all. Vogue loves this sort of mutilation to get the 'perfect pic'." [Marc10]
"Nicole Kidman looks unrecognizable in the new Jimmy Choo campaign (had to do a double take to work out who the plastic/doll looking star of the campaign was)." [Lefemmenikita]
"Where is her Adam's apple??? Strange neck for sure!" [Nymphaea]
