FASHION REVIVAL

Arab Fashion Council

COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected all industries around the world, including the fashion industry. Lockdown and severe restrictions forced brands to look for new ways to experiment with high technologies in order to showcase their collections and to give their customers at least a tiny sense of physical shopping that they were deprived of. This is how virtual fitting rooms, digital catwalks, and clothing appeared. What is more surprising is that the brands intend on keeping such technologies even after the pandemic has passed. In fact, brands like Jacquemus became very inventive in the way they present content and collaborate with models, even resorting to FaceTime as a means to do photoshoots. Of course, such homemade shoots don’t involve make-up artists, hairstylists, or any other personnel. There is only one model in the room which allows both her and the remote photographer to show their creativity to the fullest.

It wasn’t easy for some brands to create new clothes or to supply them, which is why they created virtual clothing that became both practical and innovative solution to displaying a new collection without organizing such a complex and time-consuming event as a fashion show. What’s more, even if a brand can’t produce a clothing item physically yet, its customers can already place the item in their cart, wishlist, or at least pre-order it. Once the item is made, it will be promptly shipped to the customer. Designer Kat Taylor became one of the first pioneers of this system by creating digital renders of her new collections, available on the Selfridges retailer’s website.

Moreover, many buyers from across the world used this extended period of isolation to self-reflect and understand the detrimental effect that the fashion industry has on the environment. Recognizing this, buyers are now prioritizing responsible consumption, seeking out and buying from designers that not only outwardly care for the environment, but are also transparent about their environmental choices.

Carling

CLO Virtual Fashion LLC

Meanwhile, representatives of the newest generations (millennials and generation Z) have already studied the topic of sustainable fashion in-and-out, long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. However, after everything humanity’s been through, the voices of the youngest generations are now louder than ever, demanding change and applauding the intentions of the brands to help our planet from suffering. Followingly, adopting more sustainable practices has become a conscious and crucial choice for many. Instead of being a shortlived trend, sustainability has proven to be an expanding system, whereby many people and brands abide by switching to more ecofriendly analogs.

It is therefore safe to assume that sustainability and flexibility are the keys to success for many brands in the future. Some call it a reboot of the fashion industry – we call it a fresh new start, which we hope will bring about the most basic, yet most wonderful and important values in fashion, such as simplicity, beauty, and uniqueness.