What is the future of Fashion in 2020? Perhaps it’s the last season we experienced fashion weeks as we knew them. Before answering what’s the future of fashion, let’s look at the past. The lines, presentations, crowded front row and breathless cab drives to catch the next show…these things all seem abstract in the face of COVID-19 Pandemic. The cancelations began this past season for Winter/Fall 2020 back in Feb/March. For the most part, the season remained in tact but soon summer couture shows in Paris and Miami Fashion Week, etc. were canceled. I wanted to capture, as it’s still so fresh in my mind, what fashion week is like.
It’s really likely that soon September (one of the best attended seasons) will be canceled very soon. Already fashion houses like Saint Laurent has canceled for September 2020, and it will inevitably continue a trend for others.
What Fashion Week Was Like
Frank Rocco Photography
Fashion weeks are like a big party made up of short events that blur into one. It’s a great way to meet other people in the industry, including people you know on Instagram. From a self-expression standpoint, it was an awesome creative way to show your fashion chops and be inspired by everything around you. Fashion weeks consist primarily of two types of events.
The Class Runway Show
In these shows, the designer has been working for up to 9 months with the team to build the designs. They sourced the creative directors for hair and make-up and usually are working hand in hand with a PR company. These PR people will ensure that the show is well attended, and that there’s buzz! It was always a dream of mine to attend these types of shows since I lived on a steady diet of Vogue since middle school.
The way these go down is you show up about 30 minutes before and get in line and try to get photographed by street style photographers or maybe handpicked for press or even the PR company putting on the show. This is after getting lucky enough to be invited. It’s awesome if you have a friend to stand in line with because it’s intimidating! I was blessed to have my sister with me the first time. Phew. Then, you’re shuffled in and your digital ticket is scanned, if you’re lucky, a seat assignment. If not, you’re still so grateful to stand in the back for the eye candy!
The Show
Once seated, there’s more waiting and more people watching. Everyone is in a big hurry and you see people who you look up to on Instagram or just plain famous. A pro tip is to look for gaps in the front row so you can plop yourself down in the coveted spot. The reason being a “front row girl” is coveted; you have a great view, you get more photo opps and everyone thinks you’re special. Perhaps put there by the designer. I have a friend who was a master at that! She would ensure we got to the front! Sometimes, if you made a good impression on the PR company or the ushers think you’ve got the look, they’ll pull you down to the front row. Pro tip: wear something super flashy and over the top to get noticed.
About 20-30 minutes of that, the really famous people or people running from show to show (including sometimes yourself) get there and squeezed in. Much to everyone’s dismay. LOL Now the show starts and the ushers instruct you to uncross your legs if you’re in the front row. The lights go down, music starts and it’s showtime! Usually, 10-12 minutes later, it’s all over but in the meantime every single person and their fashion bestie is sitting breathless, with their phone up in their face or lap, capturing every second. Many people go LIVE or just recorded the whole thing. My favorite thing to do was to take pictures of some looks, slo motions of others and then capture the parade (last line-up walk of all looks). It felt like overkill to post every last item.
After the Show
Without fail, every show I went to, which I estimate to be 50(?) were a dream come true. Art, humanity and the beautiful energy of a live performance. There were models that tripped or snags or shoes that didn’t fit some girls but overall, the showmanship of each designer and show was absolute art. Watching made you dream and fantasize about future outfits, what it would be like to wear what’s on the runway and appreciate the work put in. Astounding. Sitting there for those 10 minutes of relentless cadence is at the heart of what fashion week was like.
After the show you wake up and everyone is suddenly in a big hurry to get out and on to the next amazing thing! Next show! Also, don’t think you can just head to the next show in what you’re wearing. You best change into something equally spectacular in the cab or run back to your hotel room. There was always a huge bottleneck of people trying leave the building it becomes a game of hurry up and wait. Pro tip: Instead of just being on your phone, this was usually a great time to spot people you wanted to meet and chat them up while you wait. If you dared. LOL
Fashion Presentations
Fashion presentations became increasingly popular and trending this year. The future of fashion will likely consist widely of smaller presentations. Presentations were a chance for the brand or designer to show their new peices in an intimate way. It’s kind of like hybrid of cocktail and viewing party. I went to a handful in 2019 and loved them. One of the presentations I went to was for Delvaux, a luxury handbag brand in Paris. The other was for Cecelia New York shoes in New York.
What was cool about this format was that it felt more casual without compromising the occasion. You can see, feel and experience the new collection much better than seeing it fly down the runway. The adrenaline rush and showmanship were not there to the same extent. However, more networking and perhaps deeper understanding of what the designer was about.
Parties, Meet-ups, Chance Encounters
Perhaps the most magical thing about Fashion Week was the chance meet-ups. You really never knew who you’d see or meet. Some of the people that I consider great friends in the industry, are people I met at shows. That’s perhaps the biggest loss that will come in the future; the loss of the chance encounter! For more on some of these, check this series out.
How Many Outifts Do You Need at Fashion Week?
Girl, you have no idea. It wasn’t just the outfits for each and every show, party, presentation and outing. You also had to plan for photo shoots. Those required different clothes! Obv. Over time, I learned how to pack and shop for the occasion. I shopped less and less each season as I learned how to repurpose key pieces and bring back old, I mean vintage, items. Many bloggers and influencers are lucky to be gifted a significant amount of clothes, including myself, so that helps. As we look to the future, it’s symbolic of how wasteful the industry has been in accounting for how many outfits one felt they needed to attend. It’s refreshing to look back into one’s closet and reflect on how much we have already!
Fashion Week Accessories Kit
I jokingly refer to these items as Fashion Week Emergency Accessories Kit because basicaly if you have sunnies, an “it bag”, comfortable shoes to change in and out of, statement coat/layer or chunky sneakers, you good!Here are some dupes.
Eating during Fashion Week
Meals during fashion week are scant. I will never forget my last day at Paris Fashion Week. I left feeling well dressed in tiny animal print shorts, Chloe bag (dupe here) and fringe boots. My dry shampoo ponytail firmly in place. I went down to catch a cab and the bell man told me that I should really drink some water. It was about 10 AM and I remember thinking that was peculiar.
Once I got to the Piazza that the show was at, I ran up the stairs found my FNL crew aka fashion family, and found my seat. Then I started to feel awful, like I might faint. I could not keep my vision straight, I got clammy and it hit me how thirsty I really was. The show was a blur and given that I was in a verifiable castle, there were no water fountains or bottled water (thanks to a green effort). My friend Rocco from FNL found me a water backstage and I believe that saved me from passing out! I think the bell man somehow saw how dehydrated I was from days of shows!
Dehydration is a real thing during Fashion Week. You’re literally skipping in heels from place to place, changing outfits, chatting, taking pictures, posting on Instagram, checking your make-up. Ironically, the more seasoned I got, the more dehydrated I got. Meals were protein bars, chocolate bars, basically any bar and coffee or hot chocolate. Until, champagne later. Hence, the dehydration. There was nothing more rewarding than heading back to the hotel for a great meal or meeting up with friends.
Where I stayed during Fashion Weeks
In New York, my go-to spot is the The Roxy Hotel. Central to almost all the show venues and with a killer restaurant and cozy staff. I loved it there so much! I highly recommend it even if you’re not going to Fashion Week. In Paris, we stayed at the Intercontinental Avenue Marceau. It was super close ot the Arc du Triomphe and lots more!
For behind the scenes at Fashion Weeks and actual runway footage, I recommend Fashon News Lifestyle Network! I’m sure they will be first when it comes to covering the future of fashion. It covers the shows in the big 3: Paris, New York and Milan. You can watch celebrity interviews and see all the excitement and hustle bustle I’m referencing here! Let me know if you have any questions about what fashion week was like! XO, Z