The Future of Fashion Shows — The Lexington Line

Fashion week has a whole new look and meaning this year, and possibly will for many years to come. Because of, dare I say, the global pandemic we have struggled with since 2020, things are looking a little… different. Designers are forced to get creative and revamp their traditional fashion shows to something that is safer, but still manages to draw in an audience.

Fashion shows have been a crucial part of the fashion industry since the early 1900s—it’s a way for designers to visually express their vision to an audience. However, people are no longer cramming into a small space to watch garments flow down a runway. Whether it’s the use of Zoom or socially-distanced seating, designers are making it work.

Giambattista Valli told Vogue, “Go big and stay home.” The couture designer discussed that although people are unsure of what the future holds for the fashion industry, you still want to convey your vision to the consumer because that’s what provokes the customer to make a purchase—even during a pandemic. Valli explains that sales are still steady and consumers are hungry for more. Contrary to what many may believe, people are still buying couture to make themselves feel good; buying clothes is something that brings a sense of normality to peoples lives.

Dolce and Gabbana took a different route with their latest runway show—they had planned to have a real audience at their show. However, because of travel bans, they had to change their plans. Instead, they had their audience attend the show virtually via Zoom, having models walk down a runway wearing their garments.

Some designers, like Chanel, chose to socially distance their audience at the Palais Galliera in Paris, which is currently closed because of France’s COVID-19 protocols.

Another socially distanced show was Comme Des Garçons, where they kept their audience six feet apart and made sure that everyone had a face mask and face shield. Designers allowing live audience members is risky, but it allows people to see the garments in person as well as giving us hope for the future of runway shows.

Face masks are being used as fashion statements, and it was really only a matter of time before we started seeing them pop up on the runway; especially with in-person runway shows. Reese Cooper showed how face masks were used to not only keep the models safe, but to also incorporate them into each look. Cooper also took the extra precautionary measure to make sure that every model and staff member was tested for COVID-19.

The question that most people in the industry have is, how long will these protocols last? Is this the beginning of the end of the traditional runway show? So many more designers are creating “virtual realities.” This allows the models, designers, and other staff members to remain safe while still giving the consumers a chance to look inside the designers vision and understand the inspiration for each collection.

Who really knows when this pandemic will be over? And who’s to say that these protocols wont continue beyond these uncertain times?

Although many might be pessimistic about the future of fashion week as we know it now, it’s not all negative.

Online fashion shows can provide more opportunities for people to view shows on their own. These types of events used to be considered somewhat exclusive. With the use of the internet, more people can now view full shows start-to-finish and pay no fee. This also means that designers can now get their vision across to a broader audience without the hassle of a traditional guest list. The internet can also allow designers to better promote their collections in a way that’s never been done before. Fully virtual shows means that they can release it on multiple platforms at a time for people to view.

Whether it’s a virtual show or just a simple photo shoot of each look, fashion week has a new face—and who can really tell exactly what the fate of it will be? It’s important for designers to take things slow and watch closely for newest shifts in the industry. However, while things seem so unpredictable and maybe even scary, designers and staff continue to give us hope through their creative and innovative ideas that leave us hungry for more.