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Weekly Short
29 May, 2020
This week, Gucci announced that it’s going seasonless… That means only twice-yearly collections, no fashion week in Milan this year and no more leading the way on fad trends that go out of style multiple times a year.
Fast fashion, rather than high end, is probably more responsible for exacerbating our ‘throw away and buy new’ culture, but it is inspired by what designer brands show on the catwalk. Luxury designers are aspirational and have the influence and power to change norms and help redefine the status quo.
Post-WW2, for example, Dior led the way in making its brand luxurious by adorning its designs with an abundance of materials, as a symbol of the new freedoms and ending of government rationing on things like fabric. Gucci is going the other way by promoting less consumption with more timeless pieces. Its Creative Director described the typical season-led system as “stale” and said that clothes should have a longer lifespan that the current structure allows. Could Gucci encourage the entire fashion industry, and consumers along with it, to buy with durability (and, therefore, sustainability) in mind?
When it comes to sustainability, less is more. And, whilst fashion brands may arguably have no choice but to scrap events like fashion week right now and struggle through lower consumption, taking control of current consumer habits in this way could lead to industry-wide change and make seasonal (and fast) fashion go out of style.
By Cara McEvoy