JOANNE

BEING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE

OCTOBER 6 marks 10 years since the launch of the photo-sharing app that turned a generation into narcissistic amateur photographers who, when not taking photos of their own reflection, shared carefully curated visuals of breakfast, lunch and brunch.

Instagram made the Kardashians billionaires and the humble avocado the only thing a selfrespecting millennial would eat on toast.

It also provided a business platform for thousands of people – known as influencers – who influence others using only digital photographs.

Social media democratised fashion in a way we could never have imagined a decade ago when fashion editors, dressed head to toe in black, were wrinkling their noses up at the jostling scrum of outrageously dressed bloggers (as many were then) who turned up outside catwalk shows in the hope of being snapped by street style photographers.

No one could have foreseen that many Christian Siriano showed his collection from his home for New York Fashion Week

Q

I LIKE to layer up in autumn, I’m not ready to wear a big coat yet. I like denim but I would like to experiment with colour too, any suggestions?

A

of them would now be self-appointed fashion editors of their own platforms, with hundreds of thousands of followers.

Successful ones can command serious money to promote brands, and their street style looks are a driving force for trend setting.

Fast forward to 2019 and it was they who were sitting pride of place at Fashion Week.

2020 is another story all together. September is when the fashion juggernaut usually travels from New York to Milan and London with a grand finale in Paris.

This year many designers in New York opted for virtual shows, while in London others such as Victoria Beckham, did more intimate sociallydistanced presentations for buyers and press.

The designers talked through the collections, the fabric and the inspiration, which harked back to fashion presentations of old and feels right at a moment when sustainability and slow fashion is high on the agenda.

But low attendance means no street-style photography for the first time in 15 years and what will that mean for trend prediction?

I am sure Instagram will keep us updated.

DENIM is great for layering, but so it Corduroy, its a very Autumnal fabric. This mustard cord shirt from Monki is great for layering and it comes in loads of colours. Price £35, monki.com