Sewing Viral Moments
“I don’t need fireworks, just show me clothes that would sell." - Mary Kassner
Scrolling through social media, there are repetitive patterns of over-the-top viral moments during fashion week. More often than not, the quality of clothing has failed to impress me alongside others in the fashion industry.
Source: Unsplash
Compared to how runway shows used to work in the past, the access to information about them has become more accessible to the general public, allowing them to form and share their own opinions about the clothes—a job that used to fall on fashion industry names. The problem emerges when designers shift to please this public, creating buzz and chatter with viral moments to stay relevant.
It is easy to get stuck in these repetitive spectacles to the point where the brand's essence gets lost in between them, putting priority on having people talking instead of the garments walking down the runway.
A clear example of this is Balenciaga. From their BDSM Campaign to their runways involving beaten-up clothes, whether for good or bad, the fashion house and creative director Demna Gvasalia has been on everyone's mind and mouth. They are constantly putting on performances to keep people talking, but when analyzing the clothes they are selling, it is impossible to connect them to Cristobal Balenciaga's vision. The fashion house's essence has shifted into something completely different.
In a recent article by W Magazine, stylist Jamie-Maree Shipton shared, “It’s indeed somewhat gimmicky, but if it informs what the collection is about, then it’s acceptable. What I don’t like is if it’s all about the show, and once that’s taken away, you dissect the collection, and you’re left wanting.”
Fashion marketing specialist Mary Kassner has insight on how the industry has evolved over the years and the impact it has had on a brand's reputation and sales. When she first started in the industry, the only people invited to the shows were buyers and magazine workers—who would later on display the pieces they found worthy in editorials and stores. People were not allowed to take pictures, record, or even sketch the designs.
"You just watched, and it was strictly a matter of models walking down runways," Kassner says. "In fact, we used to call them human hangers, all they were were people that were wearing clothes."
We now live in a reality where it is not only accepted but encouraged to record and post everything about a runway show.
“Social media is currency these days; social media is almost an essence of the money you have," Kassner tells me. "You want to have that currency, you wanna have that chatter.”
It is getting to a point where the quality of the clothes is either decreasing or getting overlooked in media reviews. The Maison Margiela ready-to-wear S/S 24 collection was a prime example of the impact social media has had on fashion. "It was the little tricks and stunts" that influencers were talking about, "not what walked down the runway," Kassner noticed.
"What walked down that runway was probably the best collection I've ever seen, but no one was talking about [the clothes]."
Brands know the way to reach us is through technology and take it to their advantage. For marketing strategies, media platforms have become an effective method to expand their target reach. Craig Corbett shared with Forbes that, “When it comes to promoting actual products and services, it’s important to remember how much Gen-Z seeks connection and community online.”
Social media creates an outlet for luxury brands to bring a new consumer into the conversation. Creating online buzz allows people who aren't buying or attending high-fashion shows to build a different connection with brands. It gives anyone interested the opportunity to join the fashion community and share their personal opinions (even when uninformed).
However, this clout or show can get tiring for the people working in the fashion industry. “Most of us don’t care; it’s to bring in new people or customers. It’s the people on Instagram and TikTok we want to chatter up about our brand, and it doesn't matter what the industry people chatter; they don’t care about that. It is all about what the young guys are talking about.” Kassner shares
Unfortunately, when examining it from the fashion industry perspective, this new development has caused certain brands to downgrade the quality of their clothes. They are constantly looking to achieve that viral moment and don't put as much attention into what actually makes it down the runway. It can get to a point where these moments even cheapen the garments and reputation of high fashion houses.
“I don’t need fireworks, just show me clothes that would sell,” Kassner says.
The main focus for people in the fashion industry is the garments, and the elements around it help to show them off instead of taking all the attention.
“When I watch a show, I watch it for the clothes and ask: Do I understand the story they are trying to tell? I don’t want to see 10 pieces walk down the runway that have nothing to do with each other,” Kassner tells me.
There are definitely ways that performances can be done correctly, becoming a tool to elevate the clothes without overshadowing them. Thom Browne is a designer who understands this like no other. In his words, “If you are going to surround your collection with a story, make sure the quality of both are at the same level…and you tell a story that is worthy of telling…a story that makes your audience’s time slip away…a story that makes them laugh or cry.”
Kassner mentions a specific show about the little prince, complimenting it as “one of those viral moments that was done well."
"There are people who have done it very, very well, and there are other people who just do it.” At the end of the day, everything is a balance. We have to accept that in the reality we live in, technology and social media play a big part. But we cannot forget the place we came from or lose the roots of the fashion industry.
On the other hand, as Kassner reminds me, “The brands are also making money, you can’t argue with that."