Fashion of the aftermath

This article was originally written by Demi Karanikolaou in Greek for Harper’s Bazaar Greece. You can find it here.

Fashion is oftentimes perceived as frivolous and superficial by many. In reality it is a main indicator of the culture and lifestyle of a particular era in human history. It is therefore only expected that modern fashion would be impacted by the current state of the world during and after the COVID19 pandemic and from all of the changes that have been brought into our way of living. When thinking of the way we are currently dressing, loungewear, athleisure, sneakers and delicate micro bags come to mind. Simple and minimal styles have dominated the industry in recent years, all necessary for our quick quarantine walks. People traded their 2017 Gucci maximalistic garments for a more utilitarian way of dressing, preferring styles that evoked ease and confort. However, with vaccination plans being underway in most countries and some places already having been opened up (eg: Russia,Miami), consumers are now looking forward to the future past Covid. Oppressed masses will finally be free to go out of quarantine and live life to it’s fullest. The question remains: how will the next day look like for the fashion industry?

In order to determine what people will be wearing in the future, one needs to look back to our past, especially since fashion is deemed as being notoriously cyclical. Oftentimes following periods of fiscal crisis in our past, the world sees the resurgence of minimalism in fashion. This happened after the 2008 Great Recession, with Phoebe Philo reining supreme at Céline. At the time, flashy logos were exchanged for classic monochromatic designs and luxurious staples, not too dissimilar from the designs that we are currently seeing in the runways. According to Google trends searches for lounge and activewear have hit a 14-year high since the start of the pandemic, with similar purchasing data. The economic devastation that has already occurred in much of the world would easily prompt us to assume that the post Covid world would be one for minimalism. However, unlike the pure fiscal crisis of the last decade, where humans were not subjected to lengthy periods of isolation, our current state of living is more closely resembling times of war and devastation, rather than simply times where money was short. 

Elsa Schiaparelli, the iconic 20th century designer famously stated that “In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous”.  This truly sums up the notion that fashion needs to evoke feelings of excitement and joy, after lengthy periods of devastation with maximalism and colourful fabrics being the new trend. The recent runways of Balmain, Versace and Fendi all showcased intricate patterns of labyrinth, whether in the form of a logo, or the scenery of the show. Additionally, there is a documented correlation between heel height and the state of the economy, with heels getting higher and higher following troubled times. Interestingly enough, designers like Valentino and Versace, also reintroduced multicoloured high heeled platforms for Fall Winter 2021. Everyone still remembers Jeffrey Cambells “Litas”, Isabel Marrant’s platform sneakers, or the famous Alexander McQueen daffodil heels which are a perfect example of this trend and gained massive popularity in the early 2010s, following the Great Recession.

A return to more feminine silhouettes can also be expected in the post covid era, since it has historically also been linked to periods of a sudden return to freedom. Utilitarian minimalistic styles are disregarded from women, who want finally be able to enjoy life, party and flirt with no restrictions. Dior’s delicate, waist cinching “New Look” famously made waves in the industry in 1947 following World War II and allowed women to feel desired again. However, even though the above trends are pointing towards maximalism, the economic downturn caused by covid19 will result in limited funds. We can thus expect consumers to turn to the more sustainable option of buying second hand and items online, or simply shopping their own closet and getting creative while picking interesting items and styles that they already own from previous years. For those still buying new, we can expect a focus on elevated luxurious fashion staples as investment pieces. Luxury fashion is becoming increasingly more expensive as times goes by, in order to maintain its brand image and exclusivity, however that also means that items hold their resale value and remain desirable. The oldest members of Gen Z, know that and being already in the post college years, their purchasing power is strongly supporting sustainable shopping, preferring fewer pieces over fast fashion. A McKinsey survey found that 31 percent of Gen Z and 26 percent of Millennials were willing to pay a premium for more environmentally friendly products that they loved. This also explains the disappearance of business models such as the once popular “see now, buy now” trend that is now being exchanged for “buy now and wear forever”.

The way we shop will also undoubtedly be subjected to change. E-commerce, which has been the pillar of shopping during the pandemic, has established itself as a very strong player. Taking that into consideration big brands will keep on utilizing technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and collection of data to micro tailor their whole business plan,marketing messaging, content and perhaps even products. Recent examples include Chanel launching an Artificial Intelligence facial recognition app that allows customers to virtually try on makeup products, or the introduction of  the YOOX mirror where customers can try on clothing on an avatar. Not only will those efforts further establish e-commerce but will also resonate with the sustainability focused younger consumers since they are reducing returns and lowering carbon monoxide emissions.

Much like the roaring 20s, with it’s exuberant styles and legendary parties that followed the first world war, once covid is over we will definitely strive to celebrate our health, well being, bodies and liberty. The down time that we had, has not only allowed us to get more familiar with incorporating aspects of digital to our lives, but also has given certain stage to major social and environmental issues. Once again, we will go out, flirt, dress up and invest in elevated classic items that make us feel good. This time however, we will do it with newly found knowledge about our planet and ourselves, digital skills and a will to shape our future into a better one.Our clothes will just follow and emphasize these ideas.