Catwalk Shows

If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change’

 – Tancredi Falconeri, The Leopard 

It is a paradox that an industry which promotes itself on the basis of its creativity depends so heavily on identifying and copying good ideas. Consequently, whenever a designer comes up with a new idea, the rest of the industry will not only jump on it but will keep flogging it until it’s long past its sell-by date.

This herd mentality applies not just to clothes, shoes, and handbags but to the shows themselves. Originally, it was a great idea to take the fashion shows on the road and stage shows in new and interesting locations. It was an opportunity to show the clothes against a new backdrop like the Hotel du Cap or the gardens of Versailles. But like all good ideas, it has been pushed to its limits as the main houses have become involved in an escalating arms race for ever more interesting and exotic locations. As a consequence, the houses not only have to fly the same few hundred editors, influencers, and clients around the world, they have to put them up in hotels and arrange other events to amuse them in order to excuse their flying 5,000 miles for a twenty-minute show. This is hugely expensive and climate unfriendly but hitherto the houses have tried to justify it on the basis of the publicity generated by the invited influencers.  

The arrival of the corona virus and the global shutdown has meant that Chanel, Prada, and Gucci have cancelled the ‘cruise’ shows they had scheduled for Capri, Tokyo and San Francisco with some commentators not expecting the industry to be able to hold any shows for the rest of the year. 

So, here is my idea for the industry. Go ahead with the shows. Stage them in Paris, Milan, London and New York in your normal venue or in your atelier – it really doesn’t matter – just ensure appropriate levels of social distancing backstage.

The problem with making events exclusive is that you exclude. This is not the time to be excluding people; it is the time to be including them. So, forget about the usual front row suspects and give everybody the chance for once in their lives to experience what it is like to sit in the front row of a major fashion show. Film it from front row and make it as close to virtual reality as you can. 

How do you decide who gets to participate? You ask everybody to pay a fixed amount which you agree to donate to one or more charities dedicated to helping people affected by the corona virus and the resulting lockdown. In return for their donation, which would need to be a reasonable amount, they not only get to see the show, they might also receive a small gift from the house as if they had physically attended a show. 

The benefits? Fashion keeps moving forward, customers feel needed, and the industry demonstrates its commitment to the community.