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COVID-19 restrictions forced New York, London,
Milan and Paris fashion weeks to go virtual in the past year,
with brands rethinking how to keep the buzz of catwalk shows
online.
While many are optimistic of a return to the events usually
attended by buyers, editors and celebrities, digital
presentations - which have opened up fashion week to a wider
audience - are likely to stay on.
"Digital first is absolutely something that we will continue to
see," British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush told
Reuters.
While streaming shows is nothing new, the pandemic has
accelerated a shift in an industry that in recent years turned
to social media to target younger spenders.
Some labels, including Gucci and Tommy Hilfiger, sat out fashion
week this season. Versace is presenting its collection after its
usual showcase, Milan Fashion Week, ends.
"We will see physical runway shows from these very large brands
who can afford to put on multimillion dollar entertainment
events. But they may not be during the traditional fashion week
and they may have audiences that are primarily made up of
customers," Lauren Sherman, chief correspondent for The Business
of Fashion, said.
"There's been a real shift in the balance of power that was
already happening ... But now there's proof of concept that if
you want to ignore fashion week, it's probably not going to hurt
your bottom line."
Foregoing the usual expensive catwalk events, most brands
streamed pre-recorded videos on a fashion week platform.
On show this season were plenty of bright colours to lift moods
in an industry that saw stores, factories and studios shut in
the pandemic.
"A large part of fashion week outside of the shows was the
community getting... together and feed(ing) off of that
creativity and so, with that lacking, it's not the same,"
designer Rebecca Minkoff, one of the few to hold a live
presentation in New York, said.
"But for those who are able to be creative and innovative, now
is the time to figure out how you pivot and for those that do, I
think there is great opportunity."
(Reporting by Alicia Powell in New York and Marie-Louise
Gumuchian in London; additional reporting by Hanna Rantala,
editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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