The return of live fashion shows, sustainability and the metaverse catwalk
In 2021 the fashion industry has sought to revitalize itself by combining old and new formulas
The consumer crisis generated by covid-19 weighs down a fashion industry, which has sought to excite its buyers while questioning some of its basic principles. Seven keys define 2021 and give clues about what 2022 will bring.
return to direct
From the Balenciaga video game to the short film by Matteo Garrone (director of Gomorra) for Dior. The brands tried for almost a year new formulas to show their collections that did not involve face-to-face events, but, as soon as these were possible, the parades returned to dominate the role of yesteryear. Reflections on the usefulness, relevance and environmental consequences of forcing buyers, journalists and professionals in the sector to fly around the world to participate in elitist and multimillion-dollar 15-minute shows were overcome by the inertia of a still profitable system. The Paris Haute Couture and Fashion Federation estimates the media impact of the Men's, Women's and Haute Couture fashion weeks at 250 million euros. But, it is not only a matter of income. For many creators, like Giorgio Armani, nothing "can replace the physical experience of seeing and touching the garments." The parades began to return to normal in June, starting with the men's fashion weeks and during these months they have oscillated between open-air formats and with minimum capacity —such as Chanel's Haute Couture presentation in one of the Galliera Museum's courtyards— to the pseudo music festival with 6,000 guests that Balmain organized in September; There were also mixed ones, like the last one by Balenciaga, in which at the end of the analog catwalk an episode of The Simpsons was projected, created expressly for the brand. The question now is how this sixth wave will affect the first events of the year: the Paris haute couture shows that take place at the end of January.
mutual consent
Collaborations between luxury brands and commercial firms are old and have brought great commercial joy to the sector, generally in the form of sports shoes. But last April the first joint venture between two large high-end brands was announced: Gucci and Balenciaga. Halfway between hacking, provocation and marketing genius, the project allowed the creative directors of both houses —Alessandro Michele and Demna Gvasalia— to interpret iconic designs from the opposing firm under their own codes and, of course, include them in their respective collections. In September Fendi and Versace replicated this formula at Fendace. The path of creative contamination was left open.
in severe mourning
Two deaths have shocked the fashion industry this year. The first, that of the French designer Alber Elbaz, who died of covid last April at the age of 59 and was honored through an emotional fashion show —Love brings love— with which the Paris fashion week closed its calendar in October and in which 46 firms and designers —such as Pierpaolo Piccioli or Rick Owens— reinterpreted the legacy of one of the most beloved men in fashion. Virgil Abloh, creative director of Louis Vuitton menswear and founder of Off-White, died in November of cancer. He was 41 years old and embodied the landing of streetwear in luxury, and a contemporary way of translating the sign of the times into the language of fashion.
The woman of change
At the beginning of December it was announced that Marta Ortega, daughter of the founder of Zara, would occupy the presidency of the Inditex group in 2022. The appointment speaks of a change in the Galician multinational, but also - and due to the specific weight that the company has in the industry—in a textile sector where three times as many women as men work, but where only 14% of managerial positions are held by women, according to The Glass Runway report, prepared by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Just a year ago, the four largest fast fashion companies in the world were run by men. In January 2020, Helena Helmersson was appointed CEO of the H&M group; Sonia Syngal assumed the presidency of GAP two months later; and Tadashi Yanai, founder of Uniqlo, head of Fast Retailing and currently the only man in this club, has long expressed his desire to be relieved by a woman.
the buzzword
We live in an era where there are no trends, nothing is fashionable, except for one word: sustainability. Omnipresent in the discourse of any designer, press release or results report, its overexploitation has practically emptied it of meaning. If buying a fur coat for a thousand euros is sustainable because it is a long-lasting garment that can have other lives through second hand; and some plastic boots, too, because this material is much easier to recycle than leather. What is not sustainable?
The future is in the past
Haute couture is experiencing an unexpected resurgence. Made to measure, manually and to order, the most traditional and elitist of fashion disciplines also embodies some of the values that, in the opinion of many designers, will guarantee the future of the luxury industry: customization, craftsmanship and decent working conditions. In addition, a new batch of designers trained in streetwear are beginning to land in the ateliers of the most ancient maisons to question their rules. Two buttons: in July, Demna Gvasalia presented, to ecstatic critics, the first haute couture collection produced by Balenciaga since the house's founder closed his workshop 53 years ago; and in January, Matthew Williams will make his debut as head of this division at Givenchy.
The Metaverse Walkway
Non-fungible digital assets (NFTs) are going from anecdote to business division in the textile industry. Dolce&Gabbana, Karl Lagerfeld and Louis Vuitton have already created garments and accessories for the digital world, and it seems that they will not be the last to team up with virtual artists to explore this new market. JW Anderson recently sold an NFT version of a patchwork jumper worn by singer Harry Styles for four times the price of the analog garment. It seems that the three-dimensional world is not enough for the luxury industry.
More information
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