The devastating coronavirus pandemic has truly infiltrated every area of society. It has tragically affected every industry, every business and every person (whether they themselves or a loved one has been struck with Covid-19) in some shape or form. However one industry in particular has been severely, severely affected: the fashion industry. The question is has the industry been affected for better or for worse? Will the industry change? And what is the future for fashion?
It was during the fall 2020 fashion month season that the coronavirus began to rapidly circulate, consequently generating the drastic closing of numerous stores and boutiques, the cancellations of many upcoming runway shows and major fashion events (such as the CFDA awards and the Met gala) and leaving countless workers furloughed with some shops even having to file for bankruptcy. In short the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered an unfortunate series of drastic financial and production losses in fashion which poses the question for both those in the industry and those outside peeking in with curiosity: what does all of this mean for the long-term and how is fashion going to adapt to survive in these unprecedented circumstances?
It is particularly the logistics of the fashion weeks and runway shows that intrigue me. How will it all work? How will it be possible to hold these shows when the audience has to somehow stay socially distanced, as do the models on the catwalk? Especially when considering the intricate complications of this alongside quarantine rules, travel restrictions and different parts of the world being under lockdown, than it seems perceptibly impossible to believe fashion week will occur anywhere at all. And yet... multiple brands have proved this isn't true. Despite fashion weeks across the globe having been cancelled as a direct result of Covid-19 brands have built alternative ways of presenting their collections to the press and public such as attendees watching the show from home via livestreams instead of physically having to attend a venue where coronavirus could potentially be spread.
This solution is a clever one and could suggest a fundamental change in how collections are delivered in the future. After all, it is the most probable long-term antidote to the problem of post-coronavirus runway shows. What could be easier than simply watching the collection being displayed through a series of fast-paced fashion films? However it is not without its faults. You could argue that watching the collections through a phone or laptop screen doesn't possess the same joy or visceral thrill as experiencing a show first-hand undoubtedly does. Many believe that what makes the clothes displayed so spectacular and exciting isn't the garments themselves but how the designer chooses to showcase them. A show can evoke emotions and ideas that otherwise would not be attached to the clothes and witnessing a show through livestream threatens to take this away, which could make the whole runway affair somewhat drab and less dimensional than if the collection were to be viewed in person. This means either one of two things: that we, as consumers, need to learn not to purely rely on just the shows to inform our interpretations of the collections and find sufficient enjoyment in just the clothes themselves, or that this is not a good enough solution to move forward with in the fashion industry. It seems the latter is the more prominent answer with the negatives of this idea forming a long list. Undeniably, fashion weeks and runways shows are a massive (and some would suggest integral) section of the way fashion currently works. So many components of the industry are linked to the fashion weeks... in fact, one of the main problems that crop up with runway shows via livestreams is the fact that certain sectors within the industry (such as streetstyle photography) rely signifigantly on the fashion weeks. If the runway shows were to be permanently shown online than these sectors would struggle to survive.
It is clear that what will happen to fashion weeks and runway shows poses a massive question mark in regards to the future. However, if there are any lessons to take away from this time (and I believe there is) it's that the industry needs a change- and that it has needed a change for a long time now. It is simply not sustainable for things to carry on the way they are with houses churning out multiple collections for the fast-paced seasons (fall/winter, spring/summer, resort, pre) each year.You could wonder if the reason for the industry not changing for so long is based on an outdated business model wholly focused on economic gain rather than the creativity and beauty of fashion. Recently I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts 'Fashion No Filter' by Camille Charriere and Monica Ainley and they talked about how fashion may be improved if the pressure of creating so many collections a year was removed from designers. In the music industry it's not expected of artists to hurriedly produce a specific number of albums a year. Rather the musician is given time to perfect their creations- and this is a system which could be greatly beneficial to fashion. Rather than having a set period of runway shows and a certain number of seasons a designer needs to design for, maybe it would be better if designers were really given the time they needed to birth something special and meaningful rather than just having their creativity forced? That way they could choose when to display collections and collections would grow more strong and powerful.
At the end of the day, whatever solution the industry finds it's important to take in to consideration all the positive sectors and facets of the industry today so that nobody is left behind and so that fashion can still continue to thrive in all it's magnificent glory- just in a healthier, more sustainable manner.
By Frances Hudson
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