Why Fashion Week Belongs on a Screen.

Sep 30

Fashion and haute couture have always been a part of our lives, but fashion was mainly a Parisian-owned idea. Charles Frederick Worth created the first official fashion show in Paris with actual live models. Before Charles, dolls and miniature clothing were used to sell customers a design idea. In the 1800s, Charles created salon shows for a specific, wealthy group of clients. This later transformed into fashion parades of models wearing designs in front of buyers. Paul Poiret and Lady Duff-Gordon aided in the creation of such parades of fashion [1]. The Ehrich brothers put on the first United States fashion show in 1903 in New York to increase business in their store. Other retailers copied the idea by making themed events in their stores for an exclusive client group [2].

As most of our fashion came from Europe, an issue came about when World War II put a stop to travel in Europe. The U.S. clients and media could not travel to Paris or any other country to buy the new season’s apparel and accessories from designers abroad, forcing them to think outside the box for a new alternative. Eleanor Lambert, a publicist in fashion and founder of the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, started Press Week in 1943 in New York during the war to bring the media and fashion designers together to sell new American designs [2]. Press Week involved a schedule of events in sporadic locations across New York; these shows were later put into a single location and called 7th on Sixth in 1993 [3]. This would eventually be called New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Milan Fashion Week (MFW) was formed in 1958 by the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, Paris Fashion Week (PFW) became official in 1973 by the French Fashion Federation, and London Fashion Week (LFW) was created in 1984 by the British Fashion Council. London Fashion Week was also first to broadcast globally online in 2010 [2]. Eleanor Lambert did a lot for the American fashion industry; she aided in the creation of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1962 [4]. Lambert and her dear friend Ruth Finley worked together to make America the place for fashion. Ruth was a businesswoman who created the first fashion calendar just two years after the making of Press Week [4]. She believed it would help build the empire of fashion in New York and overseas; she gathered designer information as well as runway show details to release in a weekly publication that still exists today [4]. NYFW has many producers today ranging from the CFDA to Alexander Wang to Macy’s [3]. Lambert had New York Fashion Week becoming the place to be with designers like Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenburg, and Halston bursting through the seams! As the only fashion week of the four not in a capital city, MFW has a unique history. Italy immersed itself into the global market of fashion after World War II with many of its cities fighting to be the best. Florence, Rome, and Venice were the first to emerge out of Italy as major fashion venues [5]. Florence offered Emilio Pucci and the Fontana sisters (who dressed Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn) as high-end designers, with Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue buying up their designs. Rome and Venice also provided a new sense of fashion in the film industry, popularizing the little black dress [5]. Milan emerged in 1958 when the National Chamber of Italian Fashion made it their goal to preserve Italian design. Milan provided unique textiles, more affordable fashion than Paris, connections with manufacturing plants, the home for Vogue Italia, and the emergence of famous designers like Gianni Versace and Giorgio Armani in the 1970s and 1980s [5]. Paris, or the place we all think of when dreaming of beautiful gowns and luxurious style, has had a tradition of fashion shows. As stated above, Charles Frederick Worth hosted events for clients with real models wearing his designs in his atelier or boutique [6]. Designer Paul Poiret would end the evening with over-the-top balls to present new collections in the early 1900s [6]. After World War II, Paris reignited itself into the fashion industry with the famous designer Christian Dior who finally allowed the media to photograph his newest collection. Pierre Balmain, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, and many more famous designers came out of Paris, but this did not solidify it as a fashion week. The Battle of Versailles, a fashion show in 1973 that took American designers and set them against Parisian designers with the main purpose of acting as a fundraiser to fix the Palace of Versailles, initiated the true start of PFW [6]. The American designers ended up taking the win in the battle. Paris was not going to be the best in fashion if Lambert had anything to do with it. She truly made American fashion skyrocket with her initial Press Weeks that got Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to showcase more American, rather than Parisian, designers [7]. PFW stands out by not having a single location for its runway shows, allowing for designers to create truly eye-catching productions anywhere. London had its own unique start to the fashion scene as well. Percy Savage, the “PR Guru” who made Parisian designer brands like Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent famous, traveled to London in 1974 to begin creating fashion shows with new designers in the area [8]. He gave the locals small tastes of fashion to slowly starve them, enhancing their craving for a more formal fashion week. The British Fashion Council was founded in 1983. A year later, London would have its first London Fashion Week. LFW utilized two main venues for its runway shows: the car park of the Kensington Commonwealth Institute and Kensington Olympia [8]. British designers began to grow in popularity with the royals taking note; in 1985, Princess Diana even provided a venue at Lancaster House to celebrate the designers. LFW took a dive in the 1990s recession, causing the shows to decrease in quantity at The Ritz. This prompted the British Fashion Council to establish the NEWGEN to support emerging designers with mentorships and financial assistance. The 1990s weren’t all bad, Alexander McQueen had his first fashion show in 1992 and Stella McCartney released her graduate collection in 1995 with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell showcasing her designs [8]. The British Fashion Council expanded fashion week in London in 2016 by adding a festival to the mix to give designers the opportunity to meet with consumers in a ten-day festival that started in 2008; this festival consisted of workshops, time for shopping, runway shows, and designer talks [8]. New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and London Fashion Week have only grown and gained popularity from the elite fashion industry professionals as well as celebrities.

Moving on from the history lesson, let us discuss the pros and cons of an in-person fashion week. The obvious benefits of traveling to the various fashion weeks include getting to experience the world of the elite, luxurious upper class. Those lucky enough to get invited to fashion week runway shows also receive extravagant, exclusive gifts from designer brands. Brand ambassadors, fashion designers, celebrities, and royalty gather for the social events of the season. Not only do they get to attend exclusive runway shows, but they also are provided with invitations to after parties as well as meet and greets. NYFW hosts after parties that are perfect networking events if you can catch an invite [9]. Other events include conferences, blogger and YouTube events, showroom collection viewings, and speaker events from famous designers like Narciso Rodriguez [9]. There even exists a list of the most difficult after parties to get invited to at NYFW; these include Paper Magazine, Christian Siriano Afterparty, Jeremy Scott Afterparty, Nylon Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar Icons Party [10]. Christian Siriano’s party is small-scaled with an exclusive guest list of industry professionals, while Jeremy Scott’s party is the opposite with dancing into the early morning, drinks by Svedka Vodka, and Instagram-worthy photo ops [10]. The cons to fashion week are just as plenty. Not only is it feeding into an in-group out-group mentality by only allowing select celebrity-status guests in, but the entire concept of an in person viewing of designs is comical in the digital era. In addition, the entire concept is worsening our ever-fragile environment. I understand fashion week is meant to be exclusive to provide the luxurious feeling atmosphere for consumers to desire the fashion that goes with it, but does it have to be this obvious? Exclusive tickets, invite-only after parties, secret runway shows, etc. keep fueling a mentality of in-group versus out-group. The lower and middle class already know where they exist in society, does it need to be rubbed in? Are these after parties necessary? The mere price of these garments already makes them exclusive or off-limits to more than half the world, so why hide the viewing of these goods from that other half? With the digital world we now live in, technology allows us to communicate effectively with people across the planet. During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, technology enabled fashion week to still happen via the internet. People could tune in to see the runway shows from all over the world. Everyone was able to watch the same show, in nearly the same way. Why not make this permanent? In addition, the comical aspect of an in-person fashion show is that we are forbidden by the fashion gods to even lay hands on any designer garment strutting down the runway. We cannot feel for texture or examine at a private session. So, why must we travel to sit and watch the same show we can see online, possibly with a better view? Now, we must speak about the environmental impact of fashion weeks. NYFW alone has 230,000 people traveling to attend the over 300 runway shows annually [11]. Of course, New York pushes for the week-long events to continue as they generate more than $900 million each year for the city [11]. The four fashion weeks emit a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide; NYFW accounts for 37%, MFW creates 17%, PFW gives off 28%, and LFW causes 18% [12]. One report found that a single year of fashion weeks created 241,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which is the equivalence of a small country [13]. This also equates to 42,000 homes’ electricity in a single year [14]. Some fashion week event management teams are pushing for more sustainable options in the organizing of the events; they are committing to recycling waste from the events, reducing emissions, and more. One such international event producer is Bureau Betak, which is behind Dior runway shows, with a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 25% [14]. Something must be done to prevent the continuous release of CO2 emissions into the planet. One study even found a single year’s emissions from the fashion world could be used to power Times Square for at least 58 years [15]! The fashion industry needs to start caring about more than their clothing. It seems contradictory for brands to promote sustainable collections then participate in a fashion week. Carbon neutral events need to be the new norm and designers can work to make it possible; it is only a matter of making them want to do so [16]. In 2019, the Swedish Fashion Council announced it would permanently cancel Stockholm Fashion Week to prevent the negative impact being placed on the environment, pushing for a future with no runway [17]. I am not saying this extreme action must be taken by all fashion weeks, but something needs to change. Copenhagen Fashion Week enforced a sustainability requirement for all brands participating in its shows, stating it will reduce emissions by at least 50% over the next 3 years [17]. A fully digital fashion week could be the answer to minimize travel, with only models and designers participating in the location desired for that specific fashion week. This would obviously not eliminate all emissions and negative impacts to the environment, but it is a start. Greenhouse gases and other emissions are not only created from fashion week travel, but also fashion week event planning and production, the designing and manufacturing of the collection, and the making of samples/props/etc. [18].

So what am I proposing exactly? I believe an ALL ONLINE Fashion week set-up will provide a foundation for a sustainable future. The pros to an online fashion week include everyone having more equal access to the events, brand ambassadors still receiving their special gifts, and the environment not taking a hit from travel. During the 2020 pandemic, I was able to fully immerse myself in the runway shows and watch all the ones I had hoped to! People do not have to run for a taxi to get to the next show; they can simply click the next link as they sip coffee on their comfortable sofas at home. I understand this is not the luxury some desire, but it works, and it is effective in showcasing designs. LFW in Spring 2020 went completely online and was considered a huge success as the week consisted of video presentations, podcasts, written content, and other talks. It was so well liked that LFW this September 2021 decided to create a hybrid schedule of physical and digital showcased events. Many designers chose to host smaller events and appointments, not runway shows [8]. Brand ambassadors and other elite celebrities were sent gifts consisting of new collection pieces like Dior handbags, bouquets of flowers, Valentino high heels, and more. The online events did not affect their closets at all, so the only thing these elites will miss are their in-person exclusive gatherings. Now we go into the environmental impacts again. An online fashion week would require little to no travel as guests view every show through their phones, laptops, computers, or televisions. There may exist some travel as models or design teams will need to gather to put these runway shows or exhibits on. The elimination of travel during the 2020 pandemic fashion weeks allowed for emissions to decrease around the globe! A single flight from London to New York City generates around 986 kgs of carbon dioxide [19]! Globally, CO2 levels dropped by 6.4% with the aviation sector largely impacted as 48% of emissions dropped compared to the amount in 2019, not nearly enough as it should be but a good start [20]. Planes are the problem, and the fashion industry could do its part by eliminating a large amount of the flights it creates every year. The fashion industry is growing to become more than a place to simply look good; designers are beginning to care about more than just designs. Some examples include the Valentino Vaccinated Hoodie [21] showing that the brand cares for the health of its customers and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) making a controversial political statement on the red carpet of the Met Gala as she wore a gown with the words “Tax the Rich” painted across the back [22]. Next on the list is the environment. The fashion industry already accounts for so much textile waste that is damaging the planet; designers are slowly working on making more sustainable pieces, but it does not need to stop there. Travel by plane and car can damage the planet, but so can a world of excess. In-person events also cause for excess in the fashion world with designs being created merely to LOAN to editors or celebs to simply WEAR to runway shows and then RETURN the designer pieces [23]! This is outright ridiculous and a waste of resources. Fashion weeks are equally about the pieces coming down the runway as well as those on the streets of the city the runway shows are happening in; this is wrong. Yes, it is a good advertising tool to have celebrities sporting a designer’s new piece while they attend a runway show, but is it that vital to the success of the brand? No. Fashion weeks can be held online to eliminate this excess and the caring of who wore what where. Fashion is more than the celebrity wearing the designer piece, and, with the way designers are changing their mindsets, things are going to advance, alter, and improve. As for the downside to an online only fashion week, cons include the destruction and elimination of socially gathered parties at the cities of these fashion weeks as well as a drop in economic benefits. Brand ambassadors, designers, exclusive guests, and models will not be able to socially gather and party in the cities as guests will be in their home countries, watching online. Celebrities this September 2021 rushed to planes like hungry predators leaping onto the dead carcasses of the wild. Brand ambassadors are quoted joyfully saying it is so nice to finally see a live show in person again instead of on a screen; one said, “so surreal to see a fashion show in real life rather than on a screen. What a way to start this week.” Well, to them I say, I am so sorry you had to be normal and unprivileged for a year. Poor thing. Another negative implication to an online only fashion week is that the economy in the cities the fashion weeks reside will lose the benefit of stimulating the economy from travelers from all over the world. Is the money worth the planet slowly decaying?

So, what should the future be for fashion weeks? Is it possible to go all online? Well, obviously it is if fashion weeks did go all online in 2020, but is it desirable enough? I guess time will only tell. Can celebrities and designers handle not being able to party and bask in the luxury of runway show after parties? Is an online platform enough to reel in new customers for a new collection? What do you prefer?

REFERENCES

[1] https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fashion-week-history

[2] https://vue.ai/blog/retail-trends/brief-history-of-fashion-week/

[3] https://web.archive.org/web/20170505222105/http://newyorkfashionweeklive.com/history-of-new-york-fashion-week

[4] https://www.hautehistory.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-new-york-fashion-week/a-brief-history-of-new-york-fashion-week

[5] https://www.vogue.fr/fashion/article/a-brief-history-of-milan-fashion-week

[6] https://www.hautehistory.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-paris-fashion-week/the-evolution-of-paris-fashion-week

[7] https://slate.com/culture/2006/02/a-brief-history-of-the-fashion-show.html

[8] https://www.hautehistory.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-london-fashion-week/the-evolution-of-london-fashion-week

[9] https://poshinprogress.com/2018/02/14/attending-new-york-fashion-week/

[10] https://www.oneconcierge.com/5-hardest-parties-get-new-york-fashion-week/

[11] https://fashionunited.com/landing/new-york-fashion-week/