Booted and suited

for ‘new normal’

AS THE PANDEMIC CONTINUES to disrupt the world, the fashion industry is one area that is being hit hard, and is now looking at how it will be changed in the long term.

Models are out of work as there are no fashion shoots or fashion shows; there are also no new advertising campaigns and there are no commercials being shot. So not only models are out of work, but also photographers, makeup artists – all that world is out of work and will be for a while.

But despite the high fashion world being put on hold, online demand has actually been high for clothing that people associate with comfort. Sales of cashmere, pajamas, slippers and streetwear are booming.

And even though industry mavens predict there will be a serious downturn in spending when things begin to return to normal, they say people will still want to dress well when they come out of lockdown.

In the fashion world as with everywhere, people are thinking maybe this is a time to hit reset, to rethink the current business model because what they have been doing isn’t working right now – and it may not work when they finally get back to work.

This pause could, in turn, lead toward a greener fashion industry, with zero-waste fashion production becoming more common. Post-COVID-19, there is also likely to be a seismic shift from global to local, with high fashion not necessarily disappearing but instead seeing more smaller businesses, particularly as main chains close stores.

We thought we’d take a look at a couple of local boutiques as we suited and booted up for the duration. For

Grace Lerner wears a linen dress, mask and earrings from Sam’s Shop on Bent Street.