Fashion || Still A Bright Industry Amidst All The Dust
From ashes to flames, the fashion industry has proven once again that creativity, love, and passion can withstand any crisis. The past year has been a hurdle filled with a myriad of obstacles. No matter what sector you operate in, you probably did worry about how to keep your business running, wondering if you eventually needed to come up with ways to adapt to “the new normal”.
However, it is undeniable that through all the dust and grime a star never shined so bright. The fashion industry has proven to be one of the most sustainable industries, adapting to all the pressures and changes occurring in the present. Through the restrictions placed, the industry was committed to finding loopholes assuring that we are kept in the loop itself.
It is no surprise that the seismic activity brought by this virus has delivered dense hardship and dimmed a lot of hope this past year. Yet through the dimmed light and the dark days, creativity was still able to ignite across several sectors emerging to adapt and striving to survive. Through the crisis, the fashion industry has yet enabled us to connect through numerous techniques.
At the beginning of this nightmare, the world of fashion was successful in reminding us the key weapon pivotal to winning this battle was, unity. Despite the fall in profit, popular brands such as the Tiffany & Co foundation, LVMH, Giorgio Armani, Moncler, and many others continued to offered their support. Regardless of the internal crises these firms faced, large donations to NGO’s, hospitals, universities, were made in hope of saving as many lives as possible. Although the industry was going through a tough route itself, it still put humanity ahead of currency, considering its customers prior to its profits.
While fashion shows were cancelled and stores were temporarily closed, the world of fabric and glitter has never been more successful in giving us the chance to reconnect and practice our favorite hobby of shopping. Unprecedented, the pandemic was able to give us the chance to shop from the luxury of our homes. Brands were successful in launching online websites to maintain a supply and demand chain, keeping their customers intrigued with designs.
Undoubtedly the decision to switch from dresses to sweats was a calculated risk made in order to adapt to the new standard of normal. While the virus permeated across the world, lounge wear dominated, developing the trend of sweatpants and pajamas. From having “sporty and rich” clearly dominate the market with the trendy lounge set to, having traditional designers such as Chanel explore the comfort of leggings under almost each and every outfit in its 2020/2021 “Metiers d’art collection” Comfort was a fashion statement.
The show also went on. In spite the difficulties brought on; the social distancing and limits placed; the fashion industry clarified that the show must go on. As physical shows were cancelled a new era of virtual shows emerged. The tale of fashion was narrated through videos, live streams, and even physical objects, maintaining the magic in the industry. Various ideas emerged through the hardships; Dior’s ready to wear spring collection was presented digitally through a video streamed on the 8th of March. The designs celebrated the past, exploring the 15th century’s tarot cards deck.
As for Loewe, designer Jonathan Anderson explored a new path to revive the industry. “Show on the wall” was literally a show on the wall. The brand had a three-meter box mailed out to each member of its audience. The package included posters of the 2021 spring collection, pictures of models displaying the collection, Thomas Tallis’s 1570 “spem in alium” music sheet, wallpaper designed by Anthea Hamilton, in addition to a paintbrush, scissors, and a canvas. All, forcing the viewer to interact with the content displayed. The delivery was later followed by a 5-minute video where, model Kaia Gerber and Anderson showcased the box. The original ideas that arose in this period proved to the world how limitless creativity could be.
Despite all the complications, the fashion industry was still able to maintain its own magic. Designers and trendsetters revealed that creativity and passion can overcome any crisis no matter how complex it may seem. So, next time you plan on taking a risk ask yourself, if really the pandemic is stopping you from pursuing your dream? Or is it the excuse you are using to delay your goals?
