It’s that time of year again when every social media platform from Instagram to Facebook is flooded with images of designers, products, and fashion weeks happening all over the world. These events are increasingly taking place online making once-exclusive events now available to anyone with a smart phone.
Vancouver Fashion Week, while still a relatively young event, represents an important cultural facet of the Vancouver lifestyle. The demand for higher forms of fashion in the community initiated the event 30 seasons ago, but a major part of its continued success is tied to social media. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter provide platforms through which media teams can actively engage with the public.
While traditional outlets such as magazine editors are invited, this year saw a much greater number of bloggers and influencers invited to the event than ever before. Participating designers benefit from this exposure by having their lines recognized by a larger audience through the accounts of these individuals.
It’s not all good news for the future of Fashion Week though. The Economist noted that designers are seeing a trend of people who are able to instantly snap or ‘gram directly from the runway, which makes the latest styles available to fast-fashion stores months before the original designers clothes come out.
“Fashion week used to serve a distinct purpose. Designers would prepare collections and present clothes to the press, to major retailers and to other industry insiders … technology has upended all this. As soon as models sashay down the runway, photographs are posted online and shared endlessly across social media.”
In the age of technology it is painfully clear that those who don’t ride the social media wave get left behind. When before it was the opinions of the few best editors that decided what was in style, with the accessibility of social media there are hundreds of thousands of opinions on what to wear and who to buy it from. While more voices give the consumer more choice about what to buy, it also makes it more difficult to be original and express individuality.
The traditional values and outlets of the fashion industry may be changing for good, but not for the better.
Post everything, know nothing
One of the biggest changes experts are seeing with the move from print to online media, including apps like Instagram and Facebook, is a shift from industry professionals to relative amateurs for major brand representation.
The Guardian reported that in a 2016 perfume campaign, Burberry passed on experienced photographers and instead hired football star David Beckham’s son, Brooklyn Beckham. Yet his famous parents had less to do with this decision than Beckham’s 10.3 million Instagram followers. Many industry professionals criticized Burberry’s decision, but they defended their choice by directing critics to his Instagram account for a portfolio of his work. This is hardly working within the realms of the norm in the fashion industry and this pattern isn’t showing any sign of letting up.
This raises the question if we should be letting “influencers” dictate what’s fashionable and in style. Fashion blogging is ubiquitous online and is now a multi-million dollar industry. Blogs are now replacing magazines like Vogue as the new “style Bible”, with the prophets now at-home bloggers instead of experienced editors. This type of media is outside the influence of traditional establishments and can provide a more varied opinion than traditional magazine outlets. Yet with the rise of sponsorships and ad collaborations many of these opinions become biased and lose their touch of sincerity. This shift could effectively be destroying the art of fashion by turning common opinions into a widespread consumer-driven business.
The outfit seen around the world
Another characterizing feature of the new fashion industry is what Professor Eric Li of UBCO calls the “age of exhibition”. Posting your outfit online—a common form of expression found on Instagram—ensures a wider audience than ever before. With this comes an increasing pressure not to be seen in the same outfit twice, and social media makes it impossible to wear something again without it being recognized. A problem that used to only plague celebrities now affects anyone active on social media.
“These images become an everyday part of life,” says Eric Li, who acknowledges that the influence of social media leaves immediate and lasting effects on the latest trends.
This mentality has led to the recent rise in “fast fashion”. According to Business Insider, fast-fashion stores like Forever 21 and H&M are seeing a rise in sales from between 10 percent to a skyrocketing 80 percent. These cheaply made but stylish pieces appeal to the average consumer who can’t afford to spend hundreds on clothes only worn once. This “low fashion movement” is not only unsustainable but has led to a decrease in originality in every day fashion with everyone buying similar items from the same stores.
Yet Li believes there are concrete benefits of social media to both the consumer and producer. The wealth of options, although overwhelming, also provides an escape from the monopoly of powerful magazines. Social media allows anyone to have a voice and make an impact, which fosters a more collaborative industry that caters to the changing needs and values of the customer.
The business of fashion
Social media also gives small businesses alternative channels to promote their products. Rebecca Rawlinson, the owner of local boutique Rebecca Bree, identifies that 70-80% of her sales are driven by posts on Facebook or Instagram. These channels not only allow for free advertising to a wider variety and range of clients all over the world, but also allow for personal connections between her and the client.
“People see me in the clothes on Instagram and can instantly call in to buy a piece, when before I would have to email each client individually,” says Rawlinson. These apps help boutique owners communicate with clients, engage new customers, and showcase the brand and products more efficiently, which enables small businesses to continue thriving in a fickle industry.
Many small businesses have a hard time getting off the ground, and according to Fast Company, over half fail to make it past the five-year mark. Part of the appeal of social media is that it allows these small retailers to maintain their loyal clients by providing them with newer and easier ways to shop. These boutiques aren’t competing with larger retailers, and maintain their relevance through personal growth instead of beating out the competition.
The instant feedback provided by social media through comments and likes allows owners to constantly modify their businesses without waiting for sales reports, which proves an invaluable resource for local brands. Social media is a two-edged sword; while it suppresses some aspects of the industry it is helping others to flourish.
When the other shoe drops
With the rise in popularity of brands like Louis Vuitton, Coach, and Chanel, luxury brands are no longer symbols of status, but symbols of conformity.
“96% of Japan office ladies have a Louis Vuitton bag,” quotes Li. “Luxury fashion brands are feeling the effects of competition from fast-fashion retailers.”
This trend has triggered what is becoming the next step in the evolution of fashion and what Li identifies as “mass-customization”. Brands like Burberry and Nike are beginning to make customizable pieces available to be ordered by the public. The appeal of making something that is one of a kind in a time when the industry is flooded with copycat clothing is obvious. This development reflects a growing desire to express the individuality that is lost in social media.
Yet these brands are still taking full advantage of the technology at their disposal. Online campaigns, live feeds, and sponsored posts are just some of the techniques that brands are using to stay relevant. It seems that to retain their status of top dog, luxury brands have to use every aspect of ingenuity on social media, as well as innovating for the future.
Does the move to online platforms make fashion more accessible to those who couldn’t participate in the past? It is an ever-changing industry that we shape and that shapes us, and perhaps our changing attitudes aren’t to blame for any metamorphosis – the next step in the evolution of the fashion industry may be just what consumers, and producers, need.
It’s unlikely that fashion is going away anytime soon. As long as we continue to self-identify with what we wear there will always be a desire for expression and acceptance in the multi-million dollar industry. Yet social media certainly isn’t slowing down. New apps are constantly developing as old ones are updating to stay relevant. If the core of the fashion industry needs to change to the needs of the consumer, can we say that this is a bad thing? Or will we change the way we see the industry through our rose-coloured Forever 21 aviators? Though the answers to these questions aren’t clear, what is certain is that the future of the fashion industry will be decided by the opinions of the many, not of the few.
Share this article
