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As September approaches, New York City will turn into the mecca of fashion press, buyers, retailers, and models. Full herds of fashionistas will take over New York for one of the most important events in the city, FASHION WEEK.
As a fashion blogger and someone who works in the industry, I can attest that fashion week brings hype and recognition to the many designers that show at the tents, however as we all know our economy has changed consumer attitudes and fashion week this year is not the same as three years ago. So I ask myself, Is fashion week still relevant in this economic landscape? Don’t get me wrong I acknowledge that fashion week brings us the most important trends for next season, and yes it is a great platform for presenting us new fashion from upcoming and established designers. However, with the internet and blogs constantly showing consumers the trends of the upcoming season by the time the products hit the stores, the items will seem outdated and even repetitive. This was one of the many issues that were brought up at the CFDA fashion week town hall meeting a few weeks ago:
Proenza Schouler’s Hernandez noted there is a “disconnect between the press and the buyers,” and that the label’s shows mainly target the press. With the speed of the Internet, and blogs, he noted how runway clothes can often seem dated by the time they reach the consumer.”
So how can a designer remain relevant in the fashion industry when most of the designs are being replicated by fast retailers and being copied worldwide before the pieces have hit the stores? Not only do I think that bringing fashion shows too early of the target season creates problems, I think pricing is also a main issue, with everyone wondering if they will have enough money to pay bills and make their home payments, many opt to buy at fast retailers rather than buying a full price designer item. Hey imitation is the best form of flattery, and I’m up for a bargain! Another concern are discounts, many designers at the CFDA meeting complained that everything is being marked down too early, as Diane Von Fustenberg mentioned;
“The consumer has been trained to buy on sale. The clothes in stores are not in season, so she is confused. Why should she go out and spend money early in the season, when in fact come September and October, when the season actually changes, the next season is there and it’s called resort? We are putting all the energy into something that the consumer isn’t really getting, because by then it’s on sale.”
I admit that I now only buy designer items only if they are on sale, I refuse to buy anything at full price, why? Well, why would I pay more when it will be discounted in a few weeks. I think retailers should work with designers to set their discounts schedule but I think that designers also need to bring their prices down, they will have to cut their costs because unfortunately many people cannot afford full prices anymore. We need something spectacular and brilliant, something that will make us wild for designer items and no this does not include the watered down variations and collabos.
Many people are hoping that consumers will come out and shop during Fashion’s Night Out, and I am not going to tell you to go shopping to help the economy because honestly that’s not going to change the fashion industry and that will not change your spending habits. I believe that the fashion industry needs us but at the same time they should also adapt to our new needs, we need better quality garments at a fair price that will not leave us feeling guilty after we have spent part of our monthly’s income on something that is non-durable. On the other hand, I also applaud the many designers that will have trunk shows and events during fashion week and although many people criticized Betsy’s comment at the fashion week forum, I think she brought up one of the smartest things at the event:
I would love to show at Madison Square Garden. I wish that fashion week for the public could be like Christmas. We could put green lights up — green and pink [representing money and breast cancer, respectively]. I could completely have my showroom open to the public. I could run around that week. I could celebrate in the stores. I could make it clear in my presentation that, ‘This is now,’ and ‘That’s coming
I agree Betsey, I would love to see you more often at the stores, I would like you to tell me what inspired you and show me with you charming personality what to expect now and feel excited about your upcoming designs. I believe many designers became disconnected with consumers and as a result they kept churning safe designs thinking these would sell as they had in the past, when in reality what many of us want is something different and exciting. I would love to wear something unique that will cheer me up and make me forget about all my troubles and the economy.
Fashion week has been lackluster these past seasons but it will never loose it’s influence in the fashion world and in our lives. I am looking forward to this upcoming season and can’t wait to see how designers will surprise us and bring us spectacular pieces. I will attend several events and will be reporting some fascinating finds, I can only hope that our industry to will lift up and become what it used to be and I believe it will :)
Quote source: WWD
If you could what would you change about fashion week?
I never pay full price for designer items either. Mostly because I can’t, but also because everything is marked up so insanely high. And to pay top dollar for trendy items just seems ludicrous. Even if I had buckets of cash I’d feel guilty dropping $600 on some Alexander Wang it shoes/bag/jacket/whatever that I’ll be sick of after one season. Though there are designers with more timeless designs that might be worth it (ahem: Chloé).
Fashion week is a bucket of stress for me. I thought I was going to escape this one and now it seems I’ll be doing some freelancing to help cover it. There better be some beautiful creations to soften the stress level!
love your take on this! i agree on so many things – especially designer pricing. dvf is spot on about sales and women buying clothing out of season – those days (whenever they were) of women buying pieces right off the runway and WAY out of season just to get the “it” piece are gone. none of us are stupid, seriously – someone tell me why you would pay three times more for a coat to have it NOW (when summer’s not even over) as opposed to waiting a while when it’s actually in season, and cheaper!
in addition, i think big shoes are quite honestly a waste of money for many designers, especially the smaller ones for reasons you outlined above. i’ve never been to fashion week, and i don’t really follow any of them much, but i am always more interested in the designers who show in hotel rooms, or impromptu, as opposed to “the tents.” there’s more creativity involved in those shows i think – and more effort to really impress with the clothing, and not the show. that’s what it really should be about – the clothes coming down the runway, not the lights and music and chaos surrounding the shows.
and absolutely the fashion industry should adapt to consumers new needs – we cannot prop them up forever – and some of the old “habits” are antiquated and useless. any industry that wants to survive now and into the future, will have to change to fit the needs of the time. otherwise it will die, and deserves to in my humble opinion.
I was brought up shopping on sale. My mom is a serious sale shopper and now so am I (I shop sales at fashion fashion too). I would still prefer to buy designer, as the quality is better and the piece will last longer, but as I just graduated university, I can’t afford to. When I do have more money, I would rather it go to designers than to big chain stores so I can get one great piece rather than ten ok pieces. But I will still wait for a sale unless I can’t live without the piece.
Let me see, what would I change about fashion week?
I would change my inability to go!
Conferences & big groups of people meeting together and jibber jabbing about what they like isn’t nearly as powerful as the web.
Look at Apple, they pulled out of their conference built around their very own brand. Instead they hold small press conferences for top bloggers mostly to spread the word.
Do We Need Fashion Week? » Style Amor…
An interesting look at fashion week’s relevance…
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[...] week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
I think its been years since I actually purchased something off the rack at full price. If its not on sale, its on clearance (marked down multiple times) or purchased at a discount store like Lohemans. I rarely bey super trendy items so my clothes are rarely temporary.
In the age of consignment stores, clothing swaps, and luxury discount stores, we don’t need to empty our wallets just to look good.
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] Style Amor – Do We Need Fashion Week? [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] Style Amor – Do We Need Fashion Week? [...]
[...] Style Amor – Do We Need Fashion Week? [...]
[...] This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links … seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need Fashion Week at all … Heavy Heels senses the Wind of Change, as models [...]
[...] out! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links, seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need Fashion Week at all, Heavy Heels senses the Wind of Change, as models [...]
[...] in! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links…seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need fashion week at all… Heavy Heels sense the Winds of Change, as models [...]
[...] out! This week, we’ve got an amazing round of links, seriously, it was so hard to pick only 20. Style Amor wonders if we really need Fashion Week at all, Heavy Heels senses the Wind of Change, as models [...]
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