How new stars are changing the fashion industry.
The fashion world is growing by leaps and bounds each year. New names, new brands, new technology and new trends are ruling the industry nowadays. Leaving aside all mentioned above, let us speak about the trends set by new fashion designers and see how they are shaping the future of fashion right before our eyes.
When we speak about sustainability and attempts to make the fashion industry better, the name of Stella McCartney is the first to come to our mind. Of course now she has become a real star and her name is well-known around the globe but our list would not be complete without mentioning her name. She is a real pioneer in the world of high fashion having inspired the younger generation to follow in her footsteps and raise the problem of eco-awareness in their collections. She was the first one to show the world that organic cotton and recycled materials can look chic and cool while helping our planet to become a better place to live in.
The names of Marine Serre and Bethany Williams should be also mentioned among the brands which are leading the charge in rethinking fashion’s impact on the planet. They both raise ethical problems in their works, search for different ways to create things and prioritize quality over quantity.
The fashion world might seem to have headed down a very dark road in challenging gender norms. The traditional binary division of menswear and womenswear doesn’t coincide with modern ways of life anymore. In an attempt to simplify the world, the new generation has introduced so-called gender-neutral collections which are quite popular nowadays.
Designers like Telfar Clemens, the creative leader of Telfar, have brought the concept of “fashion for everyone” to the front. It means that Telfar’s collections are genderless: sometimes it is even impossible to define who is who in front of us. As the designer claims himself, gender-fluidity is more just a simple trend for him. It is about revealing people’s identities which are often hidden because of social prejudices.
One more example is Harris Reed who is known for his flamboyant and androgynous designs. He denies all accepted norms of masculinity and femininity making avant-garde tailoring to be the key of his collections. Reed’s approach resonates with a new generation of consumers who place self-expression and individuality higher than anything else.
The world of the XXI century is a digital one, so there’s no surprise that new technologies are merging into the fashion industry. You must have been really lazy if you didn’t hear anything about virtual fashion shows or augmented reality (AR) that have already changed our perception of fashion trends.
The first on the list to mention is The Fabricant, a fashion house specializing in creating 3D items which exist only virtually. You cannot just come to the brand’s store and try the garments on. Virtual reality is the place for The Fabricant’s clothes to live in. Thus the brand supports the idea of digitalising, a concept that has become extremely popular with the rise of social media and virtual events.
As for virtual fashion shows, they took over our minds during the coronavirus pandemic. Designers could not stop their creative minds and were searching for a good way of presenting their new collections. Finally, they did. Of course, online shows cannot be compared to a real-life event in terms of feelings and emotions. But as for the world kept in danger it was the best way out which helped to bring beauty to the public in turbulent times.
Perhaps blending of streetwear and high fashion should be placed at the top of our list as it has already become a global trend. Youngsters seem to break down the barriers between two worlds giving preferences to items that are functional, comfortable and stylish at the same time.
It all started with Virgil Abloh, the founder of Off-White brand. He was the first one to press the button of presenting streetwear along with high fashion, inspiring a new generation to try something new. Thus resulted in hoodies, and graphic tees hold just as much prestige as tailored suits and evening gowns.
The overlapping of streetwear and high fashion speaks to the democratization of fashion where one cannot imagine his life without Balenciaga’s ripped jeans or Heron Preston’s sweatshirt with the icon СТИЛЬ sign as well as Saint Laurent little black dress or a Chanel tweed jacket. The world of fashion is good for anyone and only you can choose what to wear or not.
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The trends set by young designers are not just fleeting movements; they represent a fundamental shift in the way fashion is approached and consumed. They are all redefining what fashion means in the modern world. What has fashion in store for us? We shall see.
