Post-Virus Fashion: an Overview from the Insiders

Fixing new strategies, re-assessing digital spaces and, most of all, re-evaluating long-lasting values: these are some of the matters that Fashion insiders and authorities have been finding themselves questioning about lately, in order to find concrete solution to the post-Coronavirus economical issue.

Giorgio Armani directly addressed an open letter to WWD, restating his firm adhesion to his principles, now more relevant and actual than ever: the most long-lived Italian King of Fashion raised indeed some questions about the validity of the intrinsic structure of the Fashion System schedule, wishing it to take “a careful and intelligent slow down”, taking its time to redefine priorities and mind-sets, to bring value back to designers’ work and focusing on what really matters. Id est, not the location, nor the spectacularization of fashion shows nor the globally-known top models, but the very essence of a timeless clothing collection, made by putting quality and value at the forefront.

In a faster and immoral race towards the quickest delivery cycle of the fashion product – in the hope of selling more-, brands have lost the value of time, and the possibility it offers to achieve a high-quality and long-lasting design product.

“The ideal situation would be if we could limit the offer and match the timing of our collections with the seasonal needs of our clients”, Armani told WWD, in relation to his will to reduce to the minimum the pre-fall collections – integrating them in a single seasonal lineup -, to embrace coed shows and to fight against what he defined “a criminal nonalignment between the weather and the commercial season”. 

The outbreak of the pandemic is then offering us the opportunity to “realign everything” and to “regain a more human dimension”. 

Alessandro Dell’Acqua (N.21) also thinks a more ethical and responsible behaviour can lead to an encouraging future (fashionnetwork.com): it will be necessary to focus on shorter collections, relying on quality and creativity, not to mention the importance of local talents and know-how. He’s embracing the coed format as well, yet, conversely to Armani’s priority, he reckons to be paying more attention than usual to the pre-collection. In his opinion, post-coronavirus fashion will be more connected with technology and released from anything unnecessary and useless.

 

Franco Mantero (CEO of Mantero) wishes these emergency times to determine a reinforcement of the Fashion system, which gathers enterprises and assures their survival, alongside a general increased digitalisation in the fashion panorama. He also highlights a refound patriotism and team spirit he wishes to be maintained in the future.