Livia Firth,
founder and creative director of Eco-age, thinks so
What we’re experiencing today will transform everything. I believe it will be for the better. The normality everyone keeps referring to – as in, ‘we want to go back to normality’ – wasn’t a normality. We were operating and living in a system that was not in equilibrium. And at some point, any system like that breaks.
What’s happening today is that it’s breaking on an unprecedented scale, and unfortunately there will be many who suffer – not only from coronavirus, but from a business point of view. It’s the price we have to pay. We needed so badly to rebalance the industry and overall system.
The problem is, on one side we have fast-fashion brands with a business model that is completely unsustainable, based on exploitation of labour and depletion of natural resources. On the other, you have a luxury fashion system with price points that are completely unrealistic. Then in the middle you have lots of small, independent designers and lovely brands, some artisanal, some operating on small productions, trying to compete in this market.
Unfortunately, a crisis is never gentle. This pandemic has brought the veil down. In the fast-fashion sector, orders are being cancelled with brands refusing to pay and millions of garment workers are being hung out to dry.
You can finally see the fashion industry having the serious conversations that it should have had for a long time, and going from ‘Should we change? How do you change?’ to ‘Oh gosh, we have to change’ and that is incredibly exciting. I also love how some brands have come together like never before, and how others immediately transformed their factories to produce PPE. This unity is what it should be all the time.
You can only protect your business when you protect the people, resources and raw materials that make your business possible. You have to relook at your system and supply chain. I strongly believe that the future will be about craftmanship and small, emerging or independent brands, because people will realise this is what we really
but actually quite an emotive memory of that moment in time. That’s why I don’t think fashion shows are over. No way. London Fashion Week’s digital edition will launch 12 June at londonfashionweek.co.uk.
Yes – we all want to see fashion back on its feet and influencers are vital in driving sales. But just like other factions of the industry, the influencer economy will also have to adapt. Here’s what to expect next:
Instagram, in particular, thrives on glossy perfectionism. But we’re beginning to see a kick-back. During this period, we’ve enjoyed seeing people (even, you know, celebrities) in their sweats and without make-up; it’s relatable, and has helped foster a sense of unity. When we’re all allowed back outside again you can expect this type of #Nofilter content to keep resonating.
We’re all getting creative now: gardening, baking, cocktail shaking. Online, this translates to an interest in practical skills and useful content, rather than simply looking pretty (see how brands such as Bottega Veneta, Alexander Mcqueen and Jimmy Choo are using this time to put out inspirational, community-driven content). Expect to see feeds full of things to do, rather than things to buy. In other words: fewer #OOTDS, more cook-a-longs.
The teens’ favourite video app has come into its own, with people passing time perfecting Drake dance routines and recreating their favourite scenes from Friends. Its appeal? Tiktok is not about being ‘perfect’, it’s about having fun. Expect to see brands tap into its potential, hoping to woo a younger (or not) audience.
Sure, Instagram is about escapism. But do you really want to see someone living it up on a private jet/in a fortressed mansion/on a £10k-per-night island right now? Thought not. To thrive in a post-coronavirus era, influencers will have to offer aspiration, yes, but make sure they don’t look out of touch.
This has been a great period for fitness influencers (shout out to Joe Wicks) who have been working up a sweat to provide content from home on Instagram Live and Youtube. If their fashion counterparts want to survive, they’ll also have to switch up their content strategy.