Why doesn’t anyone know what where to shop?
The heightened interest among luxury fashion brands in consumerism consciousness peaked after the pandemic, leading many to embrace sustainability causes. Nevertheless, the endurance of the commitment to sustainability raises uncertainties, sparking inquiries about its lasting viability in the industry.
In the past two years (post-pandemic), people that were confined in their homes repeatedly donned the same attires to the point keyboard dressing was coined. As a result workers mixed formal and casual dressing, and luxury brands like Miu Miu paved the way for cozy coporate trends that included tailored mini skirt and cropped dress shirts striking the domino effect of the Y2K frenzy. When we finally returned outside the desire to glam up for outings like brunch became irresistible. Consequently, the industry flooded its 2022 ready-to-wear collections with extravagant Y2K cuts and styling, collectively “grew up” from streetwear and abandoned logo-mania. Simultaneously, Gen Z ingeniously embraced cost-effective alternatives, perpetuating every trend all at once and making it a consistent presence over social media significantly Tik Tok.
Social media fashion critics grew weary of these trends. The industry’s response to low sales led to rapid turnover at the helm of fashion houses, causing legacy brands to lose their distinct identities. The accelerated trend cycle meant creative directors struggled to establish a solid identity before new demands emerged, contributing to this phenomenon.
Despite the industry’s top-selling brands in 2023 pivoting towards producing “Quiet Luxury” garments, it’s evident that our interest in sustainability did not surge immediately after the pandemic concluded. The uncertainty about where to shop is compounded by a more pressing question: why people aren’t shopping. Inflation, contributing to a cost of living crisis, has affected a majority in the western regions of Europe. With increased prices across the board, consumers are carefully prioritizing what, how, and when they make purchases. Does this mean the downfall of luxury is near? The reorganisations and rebranding is not only irking for houses like Gucci, Burberry, Givenchy and so on. When fast fashion brands have upped the quality of their eerily similar vêtements. But frivolous spending is no longer a priority for the average consumer. Especially since the industry wanted to double down on exclusivity to prioritise big pockets thus turning away their biggest consumers.
Every luxury house opted for presenting subdued, uniform collections, but this choice didn’t go without consequences. The decision to move away from logomania resulted in a new but niche clientele. The fashion maths of employing young designers at heritage houses, turning away from unique house codes and established brand identity lead to a domino effect of mirroring collections across the industry’s top selling luxury brands thus diminished sales. Instead, they emphasized on clean cut essential pieces and sought to revive iconic leather goods. Yet, just how fashion trends always come back around, prices of re-editioned pieces skyrocket. The obsession consumers have with following fashions new agendas, pushes eager buyers without the funds to go out and buy second hand pieces that are in retrospect more sustainable.
Even fashion magazines have had to adjust to the times and reflect the reality we live in. The lack of the escapism and fantasy in our fashion bibles has starved us thus creating a famine of beauty.
