Hot Takes #1: Is Fashion Month Out Of Touch?
Now the chaos has died down, let’s analyse
Hey, hi, how are you?
So we’re switching things up here on Fashion Tingz, and today is the debut of a brand new post that’ll be a somewhat semi-regular feature.
Introducing ‘Hot Takes’.
This will be a place where I explore and analyse whatever’s going on in the realm of fashion in a relatable and helpful way, basically my bullet point thoughts on fashion's hottest issues. These posts will get to the heart of why people are talking about what they’re talking about, what this means and where this could go next.
Think: what direction is fashion heading in? What’s new, innovative and exciting? What could do with a little less showmanship and a little more thought? And also, what's going on in fashion that's really pissing people off?
Hot Takes will tie fashion topics to a wider cultural and social context, and dig into why these topics are important now and the often more significant meanings behind them.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading these posts, and I hope they give you a little more food for thought when thinking about the latest fashionable goings-on.
So sit back, relax and let's get into it. Here’s Hot Takes #1.
Seeing as the most recent fashion month, the Spring/Summer 2023 season, was the first fully fledged fashion month since the pandemic began, it was sure to be one where brands, designers, influencers, global press, retailers and fashions usual in-crowd went all out. I expected chaos in the streets with fashion peeps decked out to the nines, I expected drama and fanfare typically associated with big name designer shows, and I expected newcomers to the scene to shake things up and cause a stir. And yeah, the spectacle that was SS23 didn’t disappoint.
From K-Pop stars dominating the front row at shows and walking the walk on runways, to Fendi celebrating 25 years of its iconic Baguette handbag with a special anniversary collection co-designed in collaboration with Tiffany & Co, Marc Jacobs, Sarah Jessica Parker and Porter, it was all guns blazing this time round and fashion connoisseurs were lapping it up as if there was no tomorrow. But the noise associated with fashion month did raise a few eyebrows, and left me with more questions than answers.
In the name of virality
By now we’ve all born witness to Coperni’s viral runway moment where they spray painted a dress on Bella Hadid in the name of sustainable fashion, but can the spray-on fabric really be replicated on a wider scale to match up with brands that make larger than life eco-claims and commitments? And how sustainable was it, really? This viral PFW moment may have generated a ton of buzz, but it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter, which is how fashion brands can make the sector truly sustainable and kinder on the planet. It seems as if fashion month is becoming more focused on creating and catering to viral trends that can be shared on socials, rather than digging into and platforming deeper issues going on in fashion.
Jet setting around the world clashes with sustainability
It's very much part and parcel of the fashion calendar that each year the whole of the fashion circuit flies high around the world to see new collections, network, and just basque in all of fashions glamour and glory. If the pandemic did one thing, it forced fashion to get creative and experiment with digital offerings and live events as we all adjusted to the new normal. But now the world has opened up once again and the typical fashion month schedule is back in action, this doesn’t exactly align with changing eco values as all of the air miles clocked up and taxis taken here, there and everywhere aren’t exactly eco-friendly. Which begs the question, can fashion month really be sustainable?
Fashions ‘more is more’ attitude vs tightening purse strings
Given that we’re currently living through a cost of living crisis that's pertinent on a global scale, and given that people have less disposable income to spend on fashion now compared to times past, fashion shows that adopt a ‘more is more’ attitude feel out of touch and out of place. I get it, our post-pandemic pent-up fashion angst has us craving maximalist designs and anything that gets us out of loungewear and into something more worthy of venturing further than the boundaries of our own homes. But should fashion month really be flaunting excessive luxury and wealth, and encouraging people to live beyond their means at a time when most people's current economic realities are incredibly dire?
What do you think of these kick-starter thoughts that I hope encourage you to think a little more deeply about this topic? Do you think runway shows are still relevant? And can fashion shows have a purpose going forward?