Fashion Week And Technology
Written by Trinity Duong
As Covid-19 affected the world in a very drastic manner, the evolution and importance of technology to maintain social interactions have seen a significant increase over the past few years. In need of daily interaction and connection to friends in family in a time that didn’t allow physical contact and the implementation of social distancing social media really became the backbone of many lasting relationships.
This then translated to brands growing their social media to help them stay in the know so that their notability remains in the eye of the public.
With Paris Fashion Week just finishing up last week the implementation of digitalized fashion and shows was a key component to keeping the excitement and accessibility of the industry in your back pocket. With many fashion houses choosing to have an online viewing it leaves us wondering how fashion shows plan to evolve.
The experiment of virtual runway shows and Zoom conferences were thought to be only a temporary alternative, not a new reality. This, however, opened up a whole new world in how we see and view the exclusivity of fashion. These new methods allowed anyone with a device to access the shows creating a new understanding of how high fashion events can become available.
Not only this, but the pandemic created many successful digital experiments that would have never happened if not needed. We can see it in Moschino’s marionette runway show where they debuted their Spring 2021 collection as a fashion film. All 40 pieces of the collection walked down the runway on 30-inch marionette models and incorporated known characters such as Anna Wintour and Hamish Bowles. This also happened with Balmain at their Spring 2021 show. Olivier Rousteing wanted to reimagine the exclusive front row and had guests dressed, set on all white backdrops placed along the runway as if they were sitting at the show in real-time. This was live-streamed on their website and Instagram and viewers were able to click directly on the products for immediate purchase.
In building online communities and changing the roles of the press it’s important to see the opportunities that arose out of these restrictions. The whole concept of fashion week has come into question as designers have gotten creative in ways we couldn’t have seen coming. By exploring new forms of media larger audiences have a seat at the table and it’s also done wonders in reducing fashion week’s carbon footprint by engaging designers that have used digital mediums. With this introduction and crossover, technology can now become the backbone for fashion shows in the near future.
What do you think of digitalized fashion week?
If you want to read more about the effects of technology on fashion make sure to check out “TikTok and Fashion Marketing”.
