The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on almost all industries. And the fashion industry is no exception to this. It seems shallow to put the words global health crisis and the fashion industry in the same sentence, especially when thinking about front-line service industries fighting to keep people alive. But the fashion industry contributes significantly to the world economy and is an entire ecosystem. If the fashion industry deteriorates, it not only would be detrimental to the global economy, but it would also lead to the furloughing and unemployment of artists, designers, stylists, seamstresses, and more.
It begs the question, how is the fashion industry adapting under the pressure of the Coronavirus?
One of the answers to this hefty question is Instagram.
Luxury fashion labels are now doing virtual fashion shows on Instagram Live. This virtual experience allows audience members to enjoy the new collections in the comfort of their own homes. Viewers can also peek behind the scenes and see live interviews with hairstylists and make-up artists and ask questions through the Q&A platform Instagram provides. And for the most important part, shopping, viewers can buy directly from Instagram Live. Brands can tag products during the videos, allowing customers to access the new collection at their fingertips easily.
Even though people still crave seeing fashion shows in person, the digital format has many advantages. Instead of being tied down to a specific location or a catwalk, designers are free to express themselves and their clothing in unique ways. Designers can showcase their clothing as a music video, a fashion movie, or even a cartoon! The possibilities are endless. The other advantage is that everyone, and I mean everyone, has a front-row seat to these exclusive shows. No matter where or who you are, you can be a part of the fashion world.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the future of fashion was uncertain. But thanks to Instagram, designers can now showcase their latest collections virtually. It is important to note that some fashion designers are planning on doing socially distant shows in September. If you are interested in fashion or want to see what all the hype is about, I would recommend taking advantage of seeing these shows through the digital format.
The link to the Milano Fashion Week schedule: https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/en/
It is hard to “rank” how hard different industries have been hurt during the pandemic, and while it is true that it is hard to look at fashion versus other more essential industries and say it is not important, that is far from the reality of the situation. There are still people who are losing their jobs like you pointed out and lives being affected. Everyone has been hurt by COVID in one way or another. However, also like you pointed out, the pandemic has pushed everyone to think of creative solutions to problems, solutions http will become mainstays in some industries even once life is back to the pre-pandemic normal. I absolutely see Instagram/virtual fashion shows staying long after…
The ability to hold fashion shows on Instagram live allows more people to watch the show. This created more inclusivity on these exclusive fashion events, in my opinion. Before the pandemic, to my knowledge, not many people were able to attend fashion shows; instead only see photos. Instagram and social media, in general, helped many businesses stay afloat during the hard times of the pandemic.
Carolyn- such an interesting point you make here. I think many good things have come out of fashion brands pivoting to Instagram during COVID. Instagram has a natural community-building quality to it, and for luxury brands that often seem out of reach to the average consumer, the platform does an excellent job in bridging the gap between brands and prospective customers. I think this also helps the fashion industry in shedding its exclusive reputation. As we've seen in recent years, people are less afraid to call out fashion's biggest names for their shortcomings and discriminatory behavior. The more eyes watching, the more accountability is enforced. As their audience expends, so will the brand's expectations for themselves and their product.
Several years ago, Instagram was mostly used to share personal photos with ugly prefilters. Now, it seems like Instagram is one of the biggest platforms to shop. Personally, I found it annoying and frustrating how Instagram changed its layout so that one of the home buttons was a shopping page and how almost every other post I saw on my feed was an Instagram ad, telling me to buy this or that. I wish Instagram could go back to the old version where we just shared our own photos without any sponserships! Although I personally have never shopped through Instagram, I could definitely see how Instagram and other social media platforms like Tiktok are contributing to fast fashion and the…