Couture Autumn 2023
I usually love writing about couture shows and see what creative directors come up with when the sky is the limit. They have at their disposal the most skilled staff to produce by hand whatever they envision, the most exquisite fabrics and the most powerful PR and marketing teams, not to mention access to A-list celebrities with millions of followers each.
Couture shows, Autumn/Winter 2023/24
Some dresses end up gracing the red carpet, although that won’t happen in the coming months for celebrities working in the film industry, due to the actors strike. Apart from financial reasons related to an unfair wealth distribution, the regulation of AI is also a key concern.
Without regulation, actors bodies and voices can be used to produce limitless fake multimedia content that looks so real people won’t be able to tell the difference. That’s the thing about innovation, it’s important to consider what can happen if used without any moral principles and negative intentions.
But I’m going off track, the main point of this post is to express my disappointment towards the way fashion has just picked up where it left off before the pandemic, with even more aggressive tactics to encourage consumption.
Yes, fashion is a business and the more people buy the better, but considering how the impact of our relentless consumption is manifesting vividly in the weather and sea temperature on a global scale, why can’t we find an alternative way of doing business and making money?
Many industry insiders have voiced the need to transition to a circular fashion system where products remain in circulation for longer through rental or resale. They can also be upcycled, and there are brands using only recycled materials like Been London.
This transition needs to occur across the whole industry, and adopted particularly by those who have more power such as luxury conglomerates, LVMH and Kering. The new generation is far more concerned about the planet and will shop from brands with aligned values.
Couture shows, Autumn/Winter 2023/24
Luxury conglomerates are investing in fashion sustainability to prepare for the future consumer, and progress is being made, but it’s still far too slow. All the past sci-fi movies about the future included robots and fantastic hi-tech developments and machines, but no one considered the simple bare essentials.
Crops are dependent on climate and the rising sea temperatures will have an impact on the fish we eat, chemicals released in rivers will make potable water more and more scarce.
The lack and food and water will lead to instability, and due to rising temperatures more and more areas will become inhabitable, which will push the already problematic human migration.
Aliens are not going to destroy us, we are doing that ourselves. I’m passionate about fashion and this is the industry I’m focusing on, but all industries should be adopting circular economy principles. Our recycling bins are full of packaging that we get from the supermarket… Is packaging really necessary?
I’ve studied fashion and keep following what’s happening, so this is where I can help. Now that fashion shows are shared online across different platforms on a global scale, why not asking people to place orders before producing anything?
What if a creative director would present a new couture collection totally made out of leftover fabrics? Or by re-designing unsold merchandise? Why brands don’t add resale and rental to their business model?
Could influencers start using AI and virtual fashion to continue making a living? Celebrities could also collaborate with luxury brands in a more eco-friendly way, not only by wearing vintage, but also by using AI generated videos and photos to promote virtual fashion instead.
These are just some ideas, but if more and more people who are working for the biggest fashion brands in the world put their mind into making fashion not only sustainable, but also circular, things can improve dramatically.
Fast fashion needs to collapse, the quality of the products is not good enough to make circularity possible, and they need to sell volume to make a profit due to the lower price point. It’s important to educate those with a lower income and give them an alternative to be fashionable on a budget.
Hopefully rental and resale will become more mainstream and new business models, encouraging people to swap clothes and accessories, will come to the fore. It’s time to move away from the linear model of relentless production and mindless disposal. Think again before you buy!
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