Twice a year, those fortunate enough to have climbed the emotionally hazardous fashion ladder descend upon London to participate in a circus of collection displays, parties and self-funded photo shoots. Festivities ended yesterday and though there are some troubling dynamics – real time bullying of interns, unpalatably thin models, the volume of waste derived from six-inch-thick paper invites – it’s an industry that brings £26bn a year to the UK economy while showing off some of our best talent. Yet, the trending conversation in all fashion circles is whether or not Fashion Week is relevant. For an industry that is built on turning ideas around quickly, it’s astonishing that this discussion has been taking place for over 10 years with no real developments. While everyone is agreed it’s not working, there is an unhealthy preoccupation with tweaking the current form instead of simply bidding Fashion Week goodbye and moving on.
Impressively, though the voices of dissent vary wildly in tenacity and intellect, they are largely united in their arguments: fashion shows are too expensive; there’s too much pressure on designers to deliver multiple collections; there’s too much pressure on buyers/editors to view multiple collections; shows are not the optimal way to see clothes; the global e-commerce market renders fashion seasons redundant.
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