The Future of Runway Fashion Shows

Fashion shows have been around since the 1800s. Back then, they were known as ‘Fashion Parades’. Fashion shows now happen biannually. These runway fashion shows are a designers chance to showcase a particular aesthetic, a particular mood, a particular feel, or point of view. The objective is to get press to review their collection and for buyers to place orders. However recently, the fashion industry has been feeling and experiencing a major change in how the industry works as a whole. Runway fashion shows specifically can be very expensive and most of the time not worth the investment. I believe for years now, it has turned into a performance instead of the focus being on the clothing and the designers work. So, a question pops up into the minds of many. What does the future entail for traditional fashion shows?

With the rise of technology and the possibilities that social media has to offer, I believe that traditional fashion shows will go virtual. This would benefit brands for several reasons. Fashion shows are extremely costly. By designers going online, they wouldn’t have to invest in seating expenses, large venues, could cut down on production expenses, and much more. Another positive impact for fashion shows going online would be that it would be directed towards consumers. Anyone could access the show and take interest into the pieces. Because of the amount of content that is typically created around fashion week each year, there’s an opportunity to adapt and build on that to give consumers access. At the end of the day, all the businesses showing at fashion week are selling to a customer. Helping them develop those markets would be a great opportunity.