How the coronavirus crisis is forcing fashion to rethink the way it does things
The industry is under tremendous pressure, with plunging sales and fashion weeks and red-carpet events cancelled or postponed. But brands are fast embracing tech to counter the impact of the pandemic.
Fashion is cancelled. Not really, but it can feel that way these days.
So, for a few months at least, we are more likely to see photos of celebs in their pyjamas than in haute couture.
For anyone affiliated with the fashion industry, the concerns are serious as sales have dropped significantly. Events bring brand exposure, which is key to marketing. Fashion week, in particular, is more than a glitzy party for playing dress-up. It is integral to the business, bringing together buyers, editors, industry leaders, celebrities and influencers. Wholesale buying takes place in showrooms.
Behind the scenes, the shows employ production crews, make-up artists, hairstylists and more, all working to make the models and the clothes look their best. And everyone has to get there, so that means business for the travel industry – airlines, hotels and so on. Pictures of street-style stars, celebrities and models on their way to the shows often inspire our purchases. So can the industry function without such events?
Well, even before the dark spectre of Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill, fashion shows were increasingly coming under fire for their staid format and wasteful nature. The industry as a whole has a bad reputation over its carbon footprint. Change is necessary, but how?
