I think this begs the question, what is the purpose of a runway show? Years ago, it was to showcase a collection being sold to store buyers. Today, it's everything from camp to reality TV. But rarely does it fulfill its core mission since, as you rightly point out, very little will actually be produced and sold. If this is art-for-art's sake, maybe the rest of us just need to catch up with that concept. But let's stop pretending we'll actually see these garments on racks come September.
I see runway shows now as pure marketing and entertainment propositions, and to be honest, when I see editors sitting at a show, I can’t help thinking, “what’s the point? Don’t you have better things to do?” Because the shows now largely seem to be for public, mass consumption entertainment. Not for the industry (since obviously, anyone can jump on the live stream and watch it from anywhere in the world). Fashion week feels like another event in the Art Basel, Coachella, etc circus.
This is absolutely right, I think. For the big conglomerate-owned fashion houses, fashion week presentations are a marketing and brand asset generation exercise (the real money is in bags and perfume).
Smaller labels definitely produce what they show, still.
And then those smaller labels probably struggle because if they're not shooting glitter out of a cannon or whatever, no one pays attention... thereby giving existing conglomerates all the airtime, no matter what garbage they show!
It's confusing to everyone, because there is no clear and unified purpose to these fashion weeks! Reality show? Publicity stunt? Art gallery? Who can say...
If fashion is Art (with that capital A), then just exisiting and being seen can, and perhaps should be, enough. For example, watching the Maison Margiela show by John Galliano was an artistic visual experience, like seeing a movie or looking at a Monet, that adds to one's life experience in an impactful way and I would argue it does not matter if any of the clothes in that show are ever worn after. And if that sounds strange, let me point out no one seems to care what happens to all the items produced, say, for a TV show or film, because we have as a society deemed those as forms of entertainment or art where the production of one-of visual aids (props, costumes) are justified. The conflict seems to come from the fact that many in the public do not view fashion as true art and fashion houses themselves can't seem to decide whether they care more about pushing the boundaries of human expression or just making as much money as possible. I myself hope we have more fashion shows like John Galliano's Maison Margiela; feed me beautiful fantasty worlds through the combination of goregous clothes, makeup, music and acting please. Like a movie with no dialgoue, where the costumes are no longer aids to the story, but the entire plot.
Related to your thoughtful comment, I am curious about Thom Browne's business. Clearly, he finds value in putting on elaborate shows that are more akin to theater (they are also not to my taste and I find them kind of pretentious, but that's another matter, haha). In other words, I wonder if his shows make good business sense in addition to being a representation of his creative vision.
After seeing recent John Galliano show, I have purchased and is going to buy more items from that brand ranging from bags to perfume. I also keep thinking of the red shoes bottom and hourglass shape dress and see-through type fabric cloth and will definitely keep my eyes on stuff related to those elements from MM. this show made me feel this brand is on its rising path full of creativity and cool taste of aesthetics...
I’ve seen a lot of fashion in my lifetime.(I am 64) so I feel I have seen a lot. There were mini, midi,, and maxi dresses in my lifetime. There was also style, a story behind what was being shown, a new take on clothing and a sense of real artistic beauty and attention to details. The clothing itself was of the highest quality. And then it all went down hill. Grunge look, heroin chic, and the guy who dresses grown women like baby dolls. It has become a travesty of itself. It is throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks(sells) and nothing does because women now are not afraid to say this is crap and I will not spend money on it. I will stock up on some basics and go from there. Some of us would love sensible workwear. Pockets people! People are going to thrifty stores not only for stylish pieces but because they can afford it.
Who attends fashion shows? The current flavors of the month. They add only their clicks and move on. Nothing is standing the test of time because time has run out for so many. The next dopamine hit isn’t coming. Thinking, buying, food, wars, political malfeasance, financial doom and no clear path out of this sludge. The fashion show is just for a few people, a select minority that has an “in” the rest of the population survives and dismisses $1000 shoes that only are used for three months if that. The shows become irrelevant because of growing discontent, and disconnect with the other half. Stores, malls, are of a bygone day and they aren’t coming back.
I think this begs the question, what is the purpose of a runway show? Years ago, it was to showcase a collection being sold to store buyers. Today, it's everything from camp to reality TV. But rarely does it fulfill its core mission since, as you rightly point out, very little will actually be produced and sold. If this is art-for-art's sake, maybe the rest of us just need to catch up with that concept. But let's stop pretending we'll actually see these garments on racks come September.
I see runway shows now as pure marketing and entertainment propositions, and to be honest, when I see editors sitting at a show, I can’t help thinking, “what’s the point? Don’t you have better things to do?” Because the shows now largely seem to be for public, mass consumption entertainment. Not for the industry (since obviously, anyone can jump on the live stream and watch it from anywhere in the world). Fashion week feels like another event in the Art Basel, Coachella, etc circus.
I don't know what the point is, either, and I suspect we'll see a lot fewer media people there pretty quickly.
This is absolutely right, I think. For the big conglomerate-owned fashion houses, fashion week presentations are a marketing and brand asset generation exercise (the real money is in bags and perfume).
Smaller labels definitely produce what they show, still.
And then those smaller labels probably struggle because if they're not shooting glitter out of a cannon or whatever, no one pays attention... thereby giving existing conglomerates all the airtime, no matter what garbage they show!
exactly! it didn't used to feel this confusing to me
It's confusing to everyone, because there is no clear and unified purpose to these fashion weeks! Reality show? Publicity stunt? Art gallery? Who can say...
If fashion is Art (with that capital A), then just exisiting and being seen can, and perhaps should be, enough. For example, watching the Maison Margiela show by John Galliano was an artistic visual experience, like seeing a movie or looking at a Monet, that adds to one's life experience in an impactful way and I would argue it does not matter if any of the clothes in that show are ever worn after. And if that sounds strange, let me point out no one seems to care what happens to all the items produced, say, for a TV show or film, because we have as a society deemed those as forms of entertainment or art where the production of one-of visual aids (props, costumes) are justified. The conflict seems to come from the fact that many in the public do not view fashion as true art and fashion houses themselves can't seem to decide whether they care more about pushing the boundaries of human expression or just making as much money as possible. I myself hope we have more fashion shows like John Galliano's Maison Margiela; feed me beautiful fantasty worlds through the combination of goregous clothes, makeup, music and acting please. Like a movie with no dialgoue, where the costumes are no longer aids to the story, but the entire plot.
Related to your thoughtful comment, I am curious about Thom Browne's business. Clearly, he finds value in putting on elaborate shows that are more akin to theater (they are also not to my taste and I find them kind of pretentious, but that's another matter, haha). In other words, I wonder if his shows make good business sense in addition to being a representation of his creative vision.
After seeing recent John Galliano show, I have purchased and is going to buy more items from that brand ranging from bags to perfume. I also keep thinking of the red shoes bottom and hourglass shape dress and see-through type fabric cloth and will definitely keep my eyes on stuff related to those elements from MM. this show made me feel this brand is on its rising path full of creativity and cool taste of aesthetics...
I’ve seen a lot of fashion in my lifetime.(I am 64) so I feel I have seen a lot. There were mini, midi,, and maxi dresses in my lifetime. There was also style, a story behind what was being shown, a new take on clothing and a sense of real artistic beauty and attention to details. The clothing itself was of the highest quality. And then it all went down hill. Grunge look, heroin chic, and the guy who dresses grown women like baby dolls. It has become a travesty of itself. It is throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks(sells) and nothing does because women now are not afraid to say this is crap and I will not spend money on it. I will stock up on some basics and go from there. Some of us would love sensible workwear. Pockets people! People are going to thrifty stores not only for stylish pieces but because they can afford it.
Who attends fashion shows? The current flavors of the month. They add only their clicks and move on. Nothing is standing the test of time because time has run out for so many. The next dopamine hit isn’t coming. Thinking, buying, food, wars, political malfeasance, financial doom and no clear path out of this sludge. The fashion show is just for a few people, a select minority that has an “in” the rest of the population survives and dismisses $1000 shoes that only are used for three months if that. The shows become irrelevant because of growing discontent, and disconnect with the other half. Stores, malls, are of a bygone day and they aren’t coming back.