As we embark on another COVID fashion week season, we’re asking one big question - is the pandemic the nail in the coffin for magic that had all but already gone?
Our latest Focus roundtable dug into this and more, exploring the battle of content overload, who shows are really for, where street style comes in, and the balance of relevance versus authenticity. Read on for our highlights, and join our founders on March 1, 5.30pm GMT via IG Live for an exploration of it all in the thick of show season.
ON DIGITAL FATIGUE
It goes without saying we are all overwhelmed by content in every form right now, making cut-through as a brand in this space ever more difficult. At best, designers are thinking outside the box and producing brilliantly creative content (at worst, the usual lo-fi fashion films). However, without the physical fashion week hype, there's no noise and very little engagement. Has opening the doors to shows ultimately equally been their downfall?
ON WHO FASHION WEEK IS FOR
It’s important to remember that the sense of fatigue we’re witnessing plays out across all audience groups but is most acute with consumers. The trade viewers remain crucial to brands in order to secure buys for the season. While engagement still exists around streetstyle and front of house buzz, we’re increasingly seeing consumers simply don’t care for the shows themselves. In turn, this fundamentally changes the content that is produced.
ON RELEVANCE VS AUTHENTICITY
There’s a big difference between relevance and authenticity, but those words are often used interchangeably when arguing the case for marketing. By chasing the notion of being relevant amid all manner of fashion through to cultural moments, many brands have indeed lost their authenticity. Should such brands be considering the idea of giving fashion week a break where it no longer has relevance for them? Instead, this would underpin their conversations with other, more authentic, stories.
FashMash Focus is sponsored by Klaviyo. #fashmash #fashmashfocus
Comments