Fashion is Back! Exciting News That In-Person Shows Are Making a Reappearance This Fall

In September of 2020, Spring/Summer 2021 runway shows were forced to turn digital. As the hope for in-person shows became bleak, the question asked was: What is the future of fashion? During this new and difficult period of unknown, the fashion industry ground to a halt, with many questioning whether the fashion calendar and extravagant fashion weeks were the right way to proceed once the pandemic was behind us. Talk of more longevity in collections was being thrown around, as Gucci announced their plan to only show two seasonless collections a year in May of last year. Fashion weeks became non-existent as designers found new ways to display their collections; those which created a more intimate experience for the consumer. Now that the fashion world is planning for the return of in-person shows, what will this mean for the progress that was made during the pandemic?

With the newfound question marks surrounding the fashion calendar, longevity has been seen throughout multiple seasons, with winter combat boots paired with floral mini dresses for SS21 and trench coats commonly worn in spring being layered in Fall/Winter collections. Transitional and seasonless pieces also played a large role on the runway as turtlenecks flowed effortlessly from fall/winter into spring/summer. This seasonless approach to fashion not only changes the collections but also the way fashion shows work. With physical shows making a reappearance, they may be able to promote a more sustainable approach to fashion, minimizing the amount of travel as technology opens fashion weeks to an expansive group of industry professionals.

Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2021

Rodarte Spring/Summer 2021

These exciting changes coming for the industry, especially in the realm of runway shows and collections have sparked a lot of conversation. Designers obliged to move into the digital world to promote their new collections were able to connect with the consumer, as well as get inventive with their shows. Saint Laurent was just one of the many fashion houses to display their collections in a refreshing environment, particularly with their SS21 show shot in the Moroccan desert. With in-person shows reappearing for NYFW (New York Fashion Week) and FHCM (Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode), will the cinematics of the virtual shows be forgotten? For that matter, will the shows lack the intimacy of virtual shows for consumers? The answer appears to be no, as IMG, the owners of NYFW: The Shows, announced that physical shows will return this fall with virtual components to reach a broader audience of consumers and industry professionals. Just a few designers scheduled to present at NYFW include Rodarte, Pyer Moss, and Altuzarra. As for FHCM haute couture shows scheduled in July, they are said to be planning for in-person shows from Balenciaga and Pyer Moss, among others.

All of these advancements in the industry have led the future of fashion in an innovative direction. Although in-person shows are scheduled to return, the technology to reach a much larger audience in an intimate way will not be lost, instead, it will join forces with the physical shows to create an experience never seen before.