PROTECTION BY SOPHIA LUND
Protection wear is back and now more relevant than ever. + COVID-19’s effect on the fashion industry.
CONTENTS Shoot 1 Pages 1-7 Covid’s effect on the fashion industry Pages 8-11 Shoot 2 Pages 12-14 Shoot 3 Pages 15-16 Final Shoot Pages 17-24
SHOOT 1
Look 1: Handmade bin bag dress styled with black argyle Calzedonia tights. Dr Martens Boots and vinyl gloves. Styled with jewellery all hand made by fair silver jewellery.
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Look 2: Vintage tortoiseshell sunglasses paired with red Moon Boots. Caledonia tights with Hellraiser oversized jumper.
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Look 3: Racer Worldwide jumper paired with vintage tiger tights. Jeffrey Campbell patent kitten heels and tortoiseshell sunglasses.
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Look 4: Drool The Label hand painted up cycled leather coat. Vintage skeleton tights and black pointed heeled boots.
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COVID’S EFFECT ON THE FASHION INDUSTRY. The COVID-19 pandemic has had multiple effects on the world. For the fashion industry it is has exacerbated existing pressures and driven almost darwinian change within an industry that was already struggling. This year almost all the established business models have been hit hard - from the the major fashion houses to the mass market retailers. December 2020 has started with news reports of the demise of many such as Topshop, despite reaching the traditional season of consumption. An industry that has existed for hundreds of years, ridden changes through world wars, rationing and major upheaval will survive. The questions are how will survival manifest When thinking what has happened to the high fashion segment this year, one of the major impacts has been the cancellation of fashion weeks. At the grass-roots level graduate fashion shows have been cancelled leaving graduating students with no obvious means to showcase their pieces. Removing this vital link to the press and ultimately job opportunities has made an often difficult industry significantly tougher. However, the nimblest fashion houses and graduates have embraced the digital age with multiple online shows. I believe the shift to this on-line approach in 2020 will continue as the pandemic subsides, however, influencers, journalists and buyers will come back to ‘real’ physical shows as well. To me the logical outcome will be much closer interaction between both methods of reaching the key audience. With more online activities the level of detail and ultimately reduced time taken to put on shows may significantly disrupt the established season cadence. Perhaps a legacy of fast fashion growth, in the past decade or two, will see the industry leaders increase the velocity with which new designs and shows are produced. Online access to a global audience will enable the successful to reap rewards, but pressure will increase. In other industries digital disruption has expanded market opportunities and access for the successful, but margin erosion has typically been quicker. It is likely fashion will be caught in a similar situation. Innovation and creative development rates will accelerate, but tastes and fashions will also change more rapidly. 8
In this environment the switch to online to reach markets as well as reduce costs is vital. Amidst this year’s online shows I particularly loved Jeremy Scotts puppet show titled 'No Strings Attached’, created for Moschino's Spring 2021 collection. Using extravagantly dressed puppets instead of models for a front row audience also of puppets was a truly inspirational example of how to take change in one’s stride and made a remarkable and unique concept that wowed everyone. This could be the new take on fashion weeks to come! Although this is not like experiencing collections in the flesh, it is a much more environmentally friendly way of exhibiting and single show can have a much longer life on-line. Savings on costs such as travel, electricity, props, backdrops, the list is endless. Equally important, is the reduction in carbon footprint and sequential environmental impact. COVID has really tested a struggling fashion industry to the maximum and you can tell who has managed to adapt to change.
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Fast fashion has become increasingly topical this year within the mass market as ethical practices, and focus on social and environmental impacts have increased. We have seen the collapse of brands such as Topshop and several other familiar high street retailers, particularly those with weak on-line presence. The economic impact will push the luxury brands such as Chanel and Bottega Veneta further out of reach for many people. As that gap widens I believe that the ‘middle market’ will expand. New niche designers with on-line followers; speed to market; frequent, limited exclusive premium offerings; and flexible low-cost bases will emerge such as Unknown London and Heaven Can Wait and thrive. Fragmentation of styles and simultaneous fashion changes that are not linked, will also be a likely outcome - a trend that has been developing this century in any case.
Brand and style loyalty seems to be waning. Shopping from home has stressed the need to have clear, efficient websites - people won't spend time thinking, they'll simply find another one. Behind it all there is still such a huge demand for fashion; people want to stay on trend and update their wardrobes to match what is being shown. Fast fashion may be an outcome of this, but I hope that this refers to the speed of development; how quickly new styles and designers emerge rather than the current interpretation of the term. Current fast fashion is not, I believe, the way forward if you learn about the horrors of how some cheap clothes are made. Currently you can buy multiple items for very little - one could argue this is democratising fashion, but is it really? We risk exporting the true cost to textile and garment makers, often in developing countries. 'The True Cost' opened my eyes further to this and shocked me when I realised what some people have to endure on a daily basis.
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Black Friday has come to epitomise fast fashion. This year Pretty Little Thing held a 99% off sale for thousands of items starting as low as 3p for a brand new jumper. People were purchasing whole new wardrobes for literally GBP10. Raising awareness of the true cost; how workers may be being treated; the environmental effect of an industry that produces 10% of global carbon emissions; is the second largest consumer of the worlds water supply; and continues to pollute the oceans with micro plastics. There are positive changes emerging as a generation seeks to shop sustainably, shop vintage and support small independent brands - further enhancing the middle market I mentioned earlier. In addition many brands boycotted Black Friday which brought in a whopping GBP718 million last year. Retailers such as M&S, Next, REI, B&M and Deciem refused to take part and urged others to consume responsibly. Climate activists including the Fashion Revolution campaigned against it, raising awareness of all the issues it represents. Market places such as Etsy also help fill the middle market gap bringing global access to handmade good and fashion. Depop facilitates selling and buying vintage pieces that are often one of a kind as well as bringing young independent designers like Lois Saunders (1XBLUE who creates garments out of old football scarfs ingenious!) to her audience. It is our job to keep pushing for change within the industry and make a conscious effort to think before we buy, but continue to innovate.
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SHOOT 2:
Second shoot inspired by the feeling of safety and protection within ones home.
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Tilly wears nude leotard, pearl necklaces all stylists own.
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SHOOT 3:
Exercising the idea of containment. Inspiration from Charlotte Wales’s shoot for POP Magazine that featured Bella Hadid in a box. Safety in small places but also the feeling of being trapped.
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FINAL SHOOT:
Look 1: Natasha Zinko corset underneath my vintage Tomasz Starzewski coat. Black sheer tights and Agnès B kitten heels. Futuristic sunglasses and Dilara Findikoglu kybele necklace.
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Look 2: Red puffer jacket paired with red vintage tie dye tights. Red Jeffrey Campbell patent kitten heels paired with red silk gloves and ski headband.
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Look 3: White knee high Raid boots paired with white vinyl croc trench. Vintage patterned tights and white bodysuit. Accessorised with Vivienne Westwood pearl necklace.
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Look 4: Grey wool. Brushed coat paired with white leotard. Grey metallic cowboy belt along with black rectangle diamantĂŠ sunglasses. Grey vintage faces tights and black leather boots.
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Look 5: Blue wool trench coat over vintage John Galliano for Dior gothic vest top. Calzedonia houndstooth tights and Kurt Geiger patent croc platforms.
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THE END.