ecologically and economically!
Fashion is art, and Fashion is dedicated to more growth, life and connection between us, ourselves and the community. It’s also an industry that can get through all obstacles, in order to reach out for the people who want to express themselves through the diversified styles of trousers, shirts, skirts or the bags they wear, because at the end, it speaks for them and it's louder than words.
Fashion is crucial, Fashion is Culture!
Culture is the base link between us and the clothes we wear. Subsequently, Fashion is the basic commodity that's actually demanded by our communities and individuals, by varieties of ages, personalities and lifestyles. Everybody rely massively on Fashion in business world. So, everybody looks for clothes.
For instance; Some customers (normal) need to shop for new clothes just for the basic need of it, others like “fashionistas” make a living by inspiring people with new trends and styles on a constant basis, which is their way of expressing their artful vision too, or even employees who need to have many different outfits for their daily job at the office. Literally, every human needs Fashion!!
But, how about the people running the business?
The CEO’s Confusion is Global!However, the covid-19 crisis is slowly shifting the route that the world's businesses are heading onto, and Fashion is one of them too. The validity of financial plans of companies are being questioned right now, are they the right strategy due to the unexpected circumstances, or do they need an urgent update! Some businesses couldn’t handle this global storm, so they pulled their business into a permanent shutdown, while others are panicking over which decision to make while discharging many employees, trying to find a way out with the least damages possible!
So, the question here,
Is this industry going to be substantially shaken after the pandemic?
I think CEOs and factories will be heading into rational mass production this time, putting ideas into being more alerted to what might happen next, and maybe will lead a much more sustainable approach for producing the next collections and designs for the markets and fashion houses, which will balance between the call of nature and the respond to its deteriorating resources and between the costs, even though that eco-friendly clothes may cost more than the usual, but we are in a situation where we are obligated to manage this out, because the nature is agonizing, and in desperate need for us to reconsider our methods of using its resources! at the end it will only affect us in a negative way!
On the other hand, general buyers might be investing in items, maybe considering a new mentality of shopping with the way they purchase clothes, not looking at a skirt or shirt as a temporary item to wear and enjoy for the next few months; and simply dispose it in order to make room for new ones. This might be it, considering their sustenance being at risk after the pandemic, or they might become more ecologically aware and decide to have more of an eco-friendly lifestyle!
I mean, not everyone will do so, but I think people of Fashion and people in action will be striving this new lifestyle of shopping and the role they have in fashion in order to keep the wheel naturally spinning.
Role of Editors, Designers and influencers
Designers and editors are the main mentors of this sector! They always have the biggest influence on our orientation and go-to items. Those amazing artists should draw the globe’s attention into more sustainability and investment in clothings, this time more than ever, due to what is happening in the world around us, and so, we will have the awareness to align with the circumstances around us. Designers have a huge impact on the path we take into our relationship with Fashion in what is related to mother earth; by the eco-friendly methods of designing, strategies, materials used in manufacturing, rights given to labors, and the ways of bringing lines into the runways, along with the messages behind each design!
However, when we say influencers, we talk about social media figures, bloggers, fashionistas, owners of startups as well as big companies, and everyone who has a voice that is heard among huge numbers of viewers; they have a vital role in bringing people into taking an aware quick action with the issues of
climate changes and the economic crisis!
Also, CEO's, have to dedicate the production of fashion lines now to be more supportive of the environment, recycle plastics, less emissions, decrease the consumption of vital materials that we need as humans, while balancing this side with profits and costs.
How Fashion Houses are reacting!
Fashion shows are responding to the pandemic by putting their work off!
Many luxury Fashion houses have decided to postpone their Fashion shows, as well as many upcoming Fashion weeks due to the situation.
Fashion houses like Versace, Chanel, Hermes, Burberry and Prada have postponed their fashion shows, while Ralph Lauren and Max Mara have decided to cancel them totally!
How to support Fashion industry?protect Fashion as business and as a long lasting commodity;
This pandemic is an awakening call on many levels, but don’t we need more action?
#StandWithCreatives is an initiative, that has started recently by “Fashion Trust Arabia” NGO, which aims at uniting all artistic entities in the Middle East and supporting local entrepreneurs in order to face the current pandemic, by reviving their business and encouraging communities to shop at their stores, in order to not be hugely affected by the pandemic!
So,
How to make an action as Customers...!
1. Buy #Local
shifting our shopping habits into buying more from local stores, supporting them and popularizing them in order for them to recover from the bad consequences of lockdown is a national duty now!
2. conscious consumerism
try to be reasonable, buy thrifted items or simply invest while shopping, for example, buy clothes that have good quality and will last for long time instead of buying many clothes that lack quality and that will get ruined after wearing them few times.
3. Recycle your clothes
if you like designing or doing DIYs. bring your creativeness into old clothes and try to make changes in them, in order to be more trendy and cool to wear again. also, style them with new items
