Change and change about for fashion in the time of COVID 19 FBS C19 Issue 13 31.07.20

Change and change about for fashion in the
time of COVID 19
FBS C19 Issue 13
31.07.20

As we head towards the end of July and watch the world, it is obvious that changes
are developing, evolving and emerging with the fashion world. Some prompted by new
COVID 19 events, but also much as a response to the continuing effects of the virus.
Often by this time of year much has been done, finished, closed and over; not so this
year.

Logic Prigent Dior Cruise, Valentino Haute Couture have all only recently offered fresh
work and kept our attention instead of us only thinking only of a dream holiday
destination, and the wardrobe to accompany it.

As we approach the holiday season the idea cities will be deserted, beaches will be
crowded is diminishing in strength as an established concept. Articles on the holiday
wardrobe, essentials to pack, etc seem redundant for many. The allure of exotic
markets, and local boutiques is for many off the planning this year. Luxury shops may
be open but who are the shoppers, where indeed are the shoppers? There’s not much
point in buying show off pieces, if there’s place or people to show off too.

It’s not about being depressing, it’s not about gloom and doom, but it is about
adapting, about watching and learning. Most of all it’s about entering another month of
a global pandemic, and at the same time working in fashion. There isn’t going to be a

sudden shift or dramatic recovery but the world is continuing and optimism is the key
attitude. So now is the time to continue to watch, listen and think. Now is the time in
fact, to take time.

Chanel

Chanel have for many years focussed on their unique Arts et Metiers shows. See below
for the Wikipedia entry. Right now, for the luxury names the quality, the exclusivity and
the investment is key to sale. Elaborate influencer links when people are not going to
red carpet events, premieres, launches and galas is not happening. Oddly enough
educating the clients, taking them behind the scenes, and welcoming them is a clever
way of engaging them. Clients are able to explore why luxury is defined by quality, craft
and expertise, it’s less about the instant since the time taken to make these pieces is
incalculable. So, before and after the Chanel couture show Logic Prigent has delved

“Paraffection S.A. is a subsidiary of Chanel, established in 1997 to preserve and
promote the heritage, craft and manufacturing skills of fashion artisan workshops. The
specialist workshops continue to be independent and are therefore free to supply and
collaborate with other houses. Dominique Barbiery was appointed Director of
Paraffection in 2009.

In 1984 Chanel acquired the costume jewellery and button maker Desrues, and later
the ateliers of Michel and Lemarié. Paraffection (which translates as 'for the love of')
launched in 2002 with the acquisition of embroidery house Lesage and shoemaker
Massaro. The establishment of the Métiers d’Arts collections showcases the work of
the seven ateliers which made up Paraffection at that time and had collaborated with
Chanel for decades.

As of 2015, Paraffection has acquired twelve Ateliers d’Art or workshops:

Desrues – ornamentation and buttons (established 1887, acquired by Chanel in 1985)
Michel – milliner (established 1936, acquired by Paraffection in 1996)

Lemarié – feathers and camellias (established 1880, acquired 1996)
Lesage – embroidery (established 1868, acquired 2002)
Massaro – shoemaker (established 1947, acquired 2002)
Goossens – gold and silversmith (established in the 1950s, acquired 2005)[4]
Guillet – maker of fabric flowers (established 1869, acquired 2006)
Montex – embroidery (established 1939, acquired 2011)[5]
Causse – glovemaker (established 1892, acquired 2012)[6]
Barrie – a Scottish knitwear manufacturer (established in the 1870s, acquired 2012)[7]
Les Ateliers Lognon – pleater (established 1945, acquired 2013)
Lanel – embroidery (established 1949, acquired by Lesage 2013)”

WOW! CHANEL: JOURNAL OF A COLLECTION! By Loic Prigent

https://youtu.be/_waWz5gVa4s

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=&ved=2ahUK
Ewjz-
c7v_e_qAhVL5uAKHcrqCUYQtwIwAXoECAAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue.
com%2Ffashion-shows%2Ffall-2020-
couture%2Fchanel&usg=AOvVaw34SoxqXLWLJqxno_lCRmtP

https://www.savoirflair.com/fashion/504213/chanel-fall-2020-couture-review

Valentino Haute Couture

Filmed at the mythical Cinicitta Movie Studios in Rome, the Valentino collaboration with
Nick Knight offered a wonderful mix of elements. If it seemed unwilling to challenge
creatively, then perhaps his isn’t the moment. The use of all white with shimmering
silver recalled the Viktor & Rolf Immaculate Collection shown in July 2018, whilst the
elongated silhouettes recalled the Azzedine Alaïa exhibition at the Barbican conceived
Mark Wilson of the Groninger Museum. The presentation was haunted by Fellini and
Visconti with the trapeze so much beloved of Fellini perhaps recalling Sandro Milo in
Guilietta degli Spiriti and the vast Piero Tosi ballgowns from Il Gattopardo. Respecting
and referencing the deeply Italian heritage of the house is truly harmonious. Some years
ago, when I asked Mr Valentino about his favourite cinema, Visconti was the first name
to appear.

The pieces were fantasy wedding dresses or prototypes from a dream of dresses, and
will certainly appear in variations both for occasions and gala’s, whenever they may
return. However, it is very important today to think of intimate and private splendour, of
a touch of secrecy and the hidden as perhaps the newest and most luxurious of times.
Publicity and flaunting, ostentation and obviousness, these things may not be in fashion
for some time.

Valentino Haute Couture FW 20-21 | Live Performance

https://youtu.be/y3bVS4DLpuI

Menswear Extras

Although technically the menswear weeks are over, collections keep popping up that I
may have missed or are late entries.

Salvatore Ferragamo Pre-Spring 2021 | Milan Digital Fashion Week

https://youtu.be/hNbewRf9unM

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=&ved=2ahUK
EwiRpIf2hPDqAhUNnhQKHcoEBjUQtwIwAnoECAUQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
vogue.com%2Ffashion-shows%2Fspring-2021-menswear%2Fyohji-
yamamoto&usg=AOvVaw24loSXF-FQL65RbDPDBfGZ

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/fashion/from-wild-west-styling-to-sparse-
silhouettes-trends-from-milan-digital-men-s-fashion-week-1.1050934

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKE
witnb3KjfDqAhWJ0eAKHQdPDTw4FBAWMAZ6BAgIEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstefa
nkaelin.com%2F%3Ftreat%3Dfashion-shows%2Fresort-2021-menswear%2Ftod-
s&usg=AOvVaw15J0UccTrueZnI43wyLvLe

Haute Couture Extras

The wonderful thing about all the online films and new forms of show it the opportunity
for behind the scenes stories. Plus of course how it was made and now designers
talking about their work. It’s a window opened onto the intense passion which drives all
the people in these creative teams, it is how we see such amazing stuff and it’s why,
right now in the middle, still, on a global pandemic we need fashion.

Stephane Rolland interview

https://nowfashion.com/video-stephane-rolland-haute-couture-2020-exclusive-
interview-29871

https://www.hindustantimes.com/photos/fashion-and-trends/dior-cruise-collection-
2021-behind-the-scenes/photo-L1jVs8GcQDRPLRtOMr0BBO.html

Christian Dior Cruise

Dior - Savoir Faire and Cruise

Apparently postponed from May, the Dior Cruise collection produced a flurry of
rumours and stories. However, in the final analysis this was pretty much in the
footsteps of the North African and other culturally inspired stories from María Grazia
Chiuri, and the audience was pretty much invisible, as with Valentino. The key element
is the attention to detail and hand craft, offering the customers across the globe good
reasons to buy, good reasons for the high prices. It also offers good reasons why much
of this level of designer purchase will hold or even increase its value. Obviously at this
level few pieces are produced and even if not labelled “Limited Edition” that’s what this
becomes. This particularly applies, of course, to the more decorated and elaborate
pieces.

https://youtu.be/T5pBRKED0Bc

https://youtu.be/n6ukyWO2tFU

https://youtu.be/w3pK57hsAFM

https://youtu.be/Ko7BfsL66u8

https://youtu.be/P6D2JdusED0

https://youtu.be/PNH0GqOpWrI

https://youtu.be/WjBBD9oE1iY

https://youtu.be/kW0rlNuQxJA

Resort

Burberry and Bottega Veneta are certainly names and brands to reckon with. The
designers at the helm, Daniel Lee and Riccardo Tisci, are not going to skip a season or
go basic. The clear statement from many houses is, “life goes on in fashion” nothing
changes, we will work around it. Have a check out and see what you think about these
looks, and methods of shooting in lockdown. Like menswear and couture the
collections keep coming, the houses, keep producing clothes, and the designers and
their teams, however they are working and wherever are coming up with new things all
the time. Is this admirable or foolhardy? I leave you to decide, but I would also ask the
question; where are the customers and when and where will they wear these clothes?

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/g32960628/resort-fashion-
2021/

https://wwd.com/runway/resort-2021/

https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/g33334727/see-resort-
2021-collections-photos/

https://firstclasse.com.my/cruise-resort-2021-collections/

https://lofficielbaltics.com/en/fashion/a-journey-to-romantic-russia-with-maxmara

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKE
wjlrfbOhfDqAhUN_RQKHSaDD0QQFjAAegQIBhAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vogue
.com%2Ffashion-shows%2Fresort-2020%2Fburberry-
prorsum&usg=AOvVaw15LMzzMN-9w9L8qs3m5FQe

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKE
wir_IW7hvDqAhUNEBQKHYYADzMQFjAAegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vog

ue.com%2Ffashion-shows%2Fresort-2020%2Fbottega-
veneta&usg=AOvVaw2kw58db29_s3xS9TPmZo14

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKE
wisx9nThvDqAhUhA2MBHcbgCUAQFjABegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.caro
linaherrera.com%2Fus%2Fen%2Ffashion%2Fcarolina-herrera-new-york%2Fresort-
2020%2F&usg=AOvVaw0_xlBOyK6Q-BS9hgsQy1KY

https://www.carolinaherrera.com/us/en/fashion/carolina-herrera-new-york/resort-2020/

https://www.eliesaab.com/en/ready-to-wear/resort-2020

Kanzai Yamamoto

It’s always hard to understand fashions from the past, unless you have context.
Fashion revolutionaries work outside the accepted styles of the day, they jump start
other people’s fashions, they lead, and they are the first. When Kanzai Yamamoto
launched his graphic interpretation of Japans culture, American culture and European
culture was extraordinary. When Clive Arrowsmith shot Marie Helvin in his clothes it
was simply “Wow” when he teamed up with David Bowie it was the meeting of two
magicians and when he showed in Paris the world sat up and noticed. The period of
this was just around the turn of the decade into the 1970’s.
Much of it now doesn’t seem to revolutionary because so much came after which
directly or indirectly happened because of the daring of this man. Mr Freedom, Franco
Moschino, Stephen Sprouse and many others could not have had their viewpoints
respected unless Kanzai had done it first. It’s not about any of these designers
referencing him, it’s about the wit, the use of boldness, it’s about modernity.

What is wonderful has been the outpouring of respect and love for Mr Yamamoto’s
work, recognition of his place in fashion and music history. Even in 2020 much of
fashion is about a nice dress or a well-cut pair of trousers. The rebellious ones have
those things, but it’s not at the heart of their work or their collections. Read and learn
what daring fashion was in a world half a century away.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/07/27/national/japanese-fashion-designer-
kansai-yamamoto-dies/

https://japantoday.com/category/national/japanese-fashion-designer-kansai-
yamamoto-dead-at-76

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/07/27/world/asia/ap-as-japan-obit-kansai-
yamamoto.html

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/kansai-yamamoto-fashion-designer/index.html

https://clivearrowsmith.org/2015/01/02/kansai-yamamoto-debut-vogue-shoot-1971-
and-more/

Fashion Weeks

New York is the first of the big four cities to show. Right now, New York Fashion Week
is the 14th-16th September. In eight weeks, time London Fashion Week launches. Paris
claims its fashion week dates are from Monday, September 28 to Tuesday, October 6
2020 – really? Nine days as usual? Milan says Spring/Summer 2020 - 22th-28th
September 2020

Right now, no one can predict what will be happening globally as far as COVID 19 is
concerned. However right now, China, America and Australia have pretty much a veto
on international travel. Many editors didn’t stir during London men’s, Paris men’s, Paris

couture, Cruise, Milan mens and any other events since March. Will they all be rushing
to sit and watch new collections?

What stores will be selecting new products to stock on their rails? Where will
customers be wearing these new clothes?
These questions are not about predicting but about asking direct questions of the state
of the fashion industry for 2021. Since many stores have too much stock, since many
stores cancelled orders, since retail is at a low point, and since outbreaks of the virus
continue to pop up we must watch carefully what these collections will be like.
Presentations, catwalk, shows, showrooms, ateliers, PR team, models, hair and make-
up teams, stylists, venue, hospitality, etc are all the usual components of a fashion
week. Will they all be back in place exactly as before?

https://cfda.com/news/cfda-launches-runway360

https://www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk/BFC-Events/London-Fashion-Week

https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-donna/calendar/#

https://fhcm.paris/en/

Fashion Magazines News

Closing, failing, struggling and simply not a success, fashion magazines are having a
tough time. Below some of the pieces are from recent months, but as COVID 19
continues so the glossy issues diminish in their power, the advertising dwindles and we
wonder what we can fill the pages with? How relevant is a magazine without wonderful
stories, beautiful shoots, and the magic of shiny pages of the world’s top luxury
brands? As with TV, the stuff stored or ready is fine but it eventually runs out as month
succeeds month, lockdown to to’s up and down and we cut our budgets, where
magazines become a luxury. Oddly reading and real book shave grown in importance,
but a table full of this months Bazaar, Vogue, etc?

https://www.adnews.com.au/news/bauer-shuts-harper-s-bazaar-elle-ok-and-five-
other-titles

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/fashion/w-magazine-struggles.html

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-17-the-magazines-are-all-but-dead-
long-live-their-covers/

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/27/new-trends-fashion-covers-reflect-
the-era-of-coronavirus

https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/surviving-covid-19

Gossip

Chanel designer rumours. That’s all.