The Met Gala was cancelled this year; both the CFDA Awards and the Cannes Film Festival were called off; and the 2021 Oscars have been postponed. But for the fashion industry, there’s a chance for innovation amid COVID-19. Ahead of September’s fashion month, brands are navigating how translate live runway shows to a digital fashion week format for the Spring 2021 season. While Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week have confirmed they’ll be going forward with some in-person
events with limited audiences despite continued border closures, many are instead opting to sit out completely or go entirely digital with virtual shows. Fashion weeks in Japan and Moscow were some of the first to explore digital options, and other cities are following suit.
The pandemic has forced brands to go digital, cancel, or rethink plans entirely — but in reality, this shift may allow for wider access, a more sustainable platform and a slower fashion cycle. “The fashion industry is archaic and has been doing things the same way for years,” explains event
producer, Brittney Escovedo of Beyond 8 , who produces Pyer Moss’ iconic shows. “Furthermore, [the] calendar has never been sustainable. The current climate of this global pandemic has forced the industry to take a moment to think about how it can function more efficiently and sustainably. ”Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images London Fashion Week combined mens and womens’ designers for a virtual fashion week in June, the men’s and couture shows that typically
take place this summer in July will go digital. But in addition to nixing traditional runway formats, brands including Gucci and Saint Laurent have stepped away from the traditional fashion show calendar, instead promising fewer shows and collections. “I’m passionate about fashion shows, but maybe we can be open to seeing them in a different way,” Gucci’s Alessndro Michele said in a virtual call with fashion journalists.
In some ways, the fashion industry was already initiating larger structural changes. In summer 2019, The Swedish Fashion Council cancelled Stockholm Fashion Week to focus on launching an alternative, pushing some brands to consolidate in Copenhagen. In time for the next season, Stockholm Fashion Week will launch a digital platform August 26–28, created specifically for consumers rather than the fashion industry insiders. Designers will show new collections via digital live streams while also putting an emphasis on current, shoppable collections and adding live events including designer interviews and panels.
Previously, the focus for live streaming fashion shows was always put on major designers. Brands like Gucci, Chanel and Dior typically live stream their shows for fashion week, and fans who aren’t able to attend in person tune in. At the current time, though both brands are still planning to move ahead with some sort of IRL runway presentation, increased movement towards virtual experiences give emerging brands with less exposure a greater platform for exposure.
Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs have both announced that it will not be showing during NYFW this coming season, instead they’re among brands preparing digital content, like films or photographs to be dispersed socially, with the possibility of later events that follows safety guidelines. In addition to forcing brands to reevaluate its priorities, digital-only content allows all labels to be part of the schedule, rather than forcing them to vie for a prime time slot and venue.
It’s still yet-to-be-determined whether or not Paris and Milan fashion weeks scheduled for September and October 2020 will adapt their traditional formats. But in the meantime, there are others who are trying to figure out a solution for digital shows to be more cutting-edge. While videos, designer Q&As, and content is interesting, there’s still the question of whether not seeing the clothes and the way they move in real life is a problem or not.