How do brands use digital tools during Woman Fashion Week fall Winter 2021/2022?
One year ago, we were wondering how the Fashion Industry was going to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. How the calendars would evolve? What would happen for the shows? The answer to these questions is that this year, most Fashion Shows are digital and this is a real revolution that far from making it suffer, it has energized the field. Let’s see how this works!
Paris is not spared from social distancing, therefore brands had to think differently about presenting their collections and to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Creativity takes courage and risk taking, and we are not disappointed by their efforts. Far from being a slow year, 2021 will likely be remembered as the pivot that spined the fashion industry into the future.
A new digital platform by the Fedération de la Haute Couture
On the occasion of Paris Fashion Week, the Fédération Française de la Haute Couture has set up a new system: a digital platform where each fashion house is invited to present and express its creative universe in complete freedom through live or pre-recorded fashion shows, video clips, short films, etc. This initiative facilitates not only the organization of this years’ Fashion Week but also the access to the shows viewing.
Fédération de la Haute Couture x Tik Tok
This season, the Paris Fashion Week takes over Tik Tok. An official account has been created @paris_fashion_week for the occasion.
Each day, short videos of less than a minute summarize on Tik Tok, a selection of the day’s fashion shows, presenting the richness and creative energy of the brands.
Not only content is published, the Paris Fashion Week has taken over the platform’s codes by offering fashionistas to take part in challenges and hashtags. Through #MesLooksPFW, tiktokers can present their 10 favorite looks and clothes by staging them on the platform during the 10 days of the Fashion Week.
The Hashtag #TikTokFashionWeek puts the spotlight on the whole fashion atmosphere and invites users to share their own fashion vision and style. Finally, #Fashion2048 is a hashtag dedicated to think about the future of fashion. Everyone is free to post his or her vision of futuristic looks.
This collaboration with Tik Tok as an official partner offers a great opportunity to promote the general creativity and becomes a source for inspiration that it is only possible because of the flexibility and inclusiveness that such a platform offers, and the reason why these approaches are here to stay.
One rule or no rule? Brands are free to present their collections through a creative movie or video
The originality of the collections is not the only thing being honored this year. Brands are free to choose the video format of their preference in order to present their collections. Marine Serre proposed a short movie in which explained how the brand regenerates materials to create their products inviting the viewer to learn about the culture of the company. A dedicated platform has been created for the occasion.
Loewe took another bet by presenting their collection on a newspaper sent to their usual invitees. Jonathan Anderson, the creative director, appears on the show’s video, explaining how the Fashion House is adapting to the consequences of the pandemic in addition to describing his creations. An original way to invite people to watch their show, don’t you think?
Slow motion, focus on details, videos effects… lots of digital tools are used to edit a video and allows for a much more effective way to draw attention to the genie of fashion creators at the same time that it can have a much broader reach than the traditional fashion shows. Cecilie Bahnsen even started her video show with drawing models! Others such as Mame Kurogouchi, Dawei, Beautiful People, Uma Wang, liked to play with perspectives and mirrors to dynamize their virtual showcase. These visual effects permit to bring their pieces to life, like on Nina Ricci’s video, in which models were sometimes stationary while their outfits were moving with the wind.
Playing with black & white effect and colors can be a great tool to energize a show and to highlight a collection. Chanel played this card with a little movie taking place in Paris’ streets, filming with black and white style. This year, models don’t meet themselves at the Grand Palais but have an appointment at the Castel club, a much more intimate place. We follow them entering the club, adjusting themselves and only when they get on the catwalk colors appear revealing us the collection.
This year, Balmain differentiate themselves from other shows by making us almost travel! This fashion-trip starts with the e-invitation “ Balmain: Above & Beyond” that looks like a flight ticket! The futuristic collection is presented on an airport: wings of Air France planes, hangars and parking are all becoming catwalks! Olivier Rousteing understands pretty well that we all want to travel again. In the absence of a great trip we can count on fashion brands to make us travel!
Parisian fashion Houses have no limits and do not have the same approach to this new Fashion Week format, and that is what we like! An explosion of creativity is offered to us and we can’t get bored as no show is like any other.
A marriage of different creative universes
Who said that physical distance was synonymous with the death of live performance? The French Fashion House, Hermès, proved the opposite with its show in three parts composed by two performances and one Fashion Show. The first live performance took place in New York, followed by the show in Paris and then another dance choreographed in Shanghai. Hermès successfully created a great marriage between cultures, dance and fashions universes while it could seem impossible because of the distancing.
Christian Dior also took the bet of including dance into its show. But, in contrast with Hermès’ show’s, C.D’s dancers were not wearing the House’s creations but nudes leotards.
Lanvin surprised us a lot this year too! If you missed it, you really should go watch their video clip in which they remastered the video clip of Rich Girls by Gwen Stefani and EVE of 2004. Almost a rap clip with Helmi as the producer, known for working with Drake or Cardi B. We could really feel the dynamic energy and the positive mood of the models. This mix of fashion, dance, musique and singers make us feel good with a birth of positive energy!
How to make clients vibrate through digital? Biggest challenge of today’s Fashion Week is to communicate emotion even through a screen.
This season, collaboration with news platforms and other creative areas has permitted us to feel and live the Fashion Week in another way we are used to.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how the brand will link in the future physical show with new digital opportunities!
Sources:
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