Whether it’s floating cloaks at Mcqueen, cow print at Jeremy Scott or a literal chandelier dress at Moschino, these past few weeks have been a visual fashion feast.
New York, London Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks have drawn to a close, and whilst I didn’t attend any of the events, I had to ask myself; how much of the show did I actually miss from not being present?
The answer is much less than I would expect.
With Instagram and Snapchat constantly being updated with the best looks from styles biggest players, the front-row experience is bein replicated for the stay at home consumer.
Snapchat covered the shows with live feeds available to everyone and Vogue gave us instant video coverage of their favourite looks and backstage access in the hands of Alexa Chung. This snappy, quick fire video making gives the viewer the feeling of being there.
Scrolling through my Instagram newsfeed my eyes rested upon luxurious velvet and sequins in renaissance feel dresses at Roberto Cavalli and a silver sprinkled cloak at Alexander Mcqueen, embroided with splashes of the stars and moon. As we are force fed a incessant flow of catwalk looks they began to blur into each other, with only a few standing out from the crowd and capturing my attention.
Jeremy Scott’s musical masterpiece was captured in an array of videos, as was the elegant minimalism of The Row.
Instagram explodes with a flurry of beautiful dresses, catwalk struts and backstage insights. In a constant, dramatic struggle to capture the fleeting attention span of the audience, fashion publications must not only be first to capture the looks but make informed decisions about which they want to show.
Rather than searching for show coverage, as we move further into the grasp of technology, the coverage comes to me.
Videos, pictures, instant reviews; it’s all used to satisfy the hungry consumer, but how does this affect the authors, the people who are snapping all the action?
On a post for Fashionista, online editor Lauren Indvik spoke about her decision to ban herself from the social media world during fashion week. Her experience tells a tale of the importance of quick, high quality images being uploaded to your social media feeds. With so much distraction, people who sit on the front row are seeing the shows through their phone screens; hardly any different to those of us sat at home.
Designers, editors and critics have always stressed the importance of seeing a show live. But those who are lucky enough to be given this opportunity are seeing them through Instagram and snapchat filtered lenses. Lauren realised she noticed more details, remembered the collection better and her show experience was all the better for her ban.
If you’re sat writing up the perfect caption, picking the most appropriate filter, flicking between platforms for the newest couture look that caught your eye, the question really is- are you actually paying attention?
With the consumer so directly connected to the designer collections before editors are given the chance to review them, has the point of fashion weeks become a non-entity?
In a backlash agaonsy technologies invasion of Fashion Weeks, Massimo Giorgetti from the brand MSGM, asked show attendees not to post any images on social media.
“Put back your phone and enjoy the show,” his invite read.
His plea is a throwback to the origins of fashion weeks, were collections were restricted to the eyes of the fashion moguels who attended. Now the barrier between the public and the catwalk has been demolished, which shifts the focus of attendees to one of being a carrier between the two.
Still, maybe we should embrace this changing landscape and the fact that shows are still be enjoyed, just through a phone screen instead. This coverage is fuelling further fashion interest, engaging consumers with ready-to-wear collections and raising awareness of the scene.
Snapchat is no longer just a place for filtered selfies; connection with the most current fashion week is just a click away and allows us to be on the front line of Givenchy’s furs in Paris or catch a glimpse of the biggest fashion names including Anna Wintor and Karlie Kloss.
Immediacy and being inclusive has become a mainstay of fashion weeks. Even if members of the audience wanted to put their phone away and experience shows as they we are meant to be, the need to keep social platforms updated keeps the little device firmly in their grasp.
So as you witness the death of fashion shows as we knew them, be sure to hit that like button.
