Milan, Paris and London, the fashion capitals change the regular fashion week format to digital interactive platforms
The fashion events across the world are getting postponed indefinitely and we are seeing a huge virtual experience infusion in the fashion industry. To start with, we have PARIS that remains FIRST to announce that the FHCM Paris (Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode) will hold Men’s Paris Fashion Week as a first digital fashion week, taking place from July 9th-13th.
For Fall/Winter 2020/2021 Haute Couture Collections, FHCM Paris is also organizing an Haute Couture online event which will take place from July 6th to July 8th 2020. This event is structured around a dedicated platform. which also helps in the principle of the official calendar dates being maintained. Each House will be represented in the form of a creative film/video. Additional content will be included in an editorialized section of the platform and all of this will be widely shared on the main international media networks.
Another very interesting Project being developed by FHCM Paris is INSTAGRAM FASHION WEEK 2020 PLAYBOOK. This is an initiative that the FHCM and the Instagram teams are working on. While brands are in the process of conceptualizing a digital project, Instagram is creating a playbook to help FHCM members think through some creative ways to use Instagram as a platform.
Next is MILAN: CNMI (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana) too announced the 1st digital Milan Fashion week ! From July 14 to 17, taking place in a new digital format, intended to unite Italian fashion designers.
Trying to maintain the principle of the official fashion calendar, both Bodies remain focused on the forthcoming season, Spring/Summer 2021. Respective fashion brands will be represented in the form of creative films/videos and dedicated Virtual Showrooms. The digital weeks will also allow to showcase unique content such as Webinars, interviews etc for a wider audience.
While due to COVID, some shows from the fashion calendar, such as RTW & Haute Couture weeks in June-July have been cancelled. Overall it seems to be a HARD RESET for Fashion & Luxury, and some of these changes could be permanent – moving towards – “Experiential luxury”.
**More than 40% of global luxury-goods production happens in Italy—and all the Italian factories, including small, family-based façonniers, temporarily shut down due to the Covid situation.
New York has postponed its men’s fashion week. British Fashion Council’s London Fashion Week that took place from 12 to 14 June and the digital platform hosted virtual showrooms, panel discussions and podcasts organised by the BFC, which are open to the public. BFC has revealed that LFW’s digital platform received 145,000 page views during the week, with it gaining over 50,000 unique visitors over the weekend. In total, there were 3.5 million impressions on all the LFW platforms – including Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and website.
These numbers do prove that the digital change can be a total transformation for fashion business online.
Image Credits: Paris Fashion Week, FHCM, Paris
Video Credits: Milan Fashion Week, CNMI, Italy