Image Source; Manjima Anannya; as we celebrate our third birthday we ask if designers still need fashion week?
We are nearly 3 years old. Happy birthday to us! At our debut at a Paris Fashion Week showroom going to shows that season. However after I debuted I thought I was in for a lifetime of success and would be sold out. Instead not one buyer picked us up.
Firstly, the origins of fashion week started when publicist Eleanor Lambert decided New York should have a press week that champions American designers when fashion was overshadowed by French couture. Her original problem is now obsolete due to the internet and with some good SEO skills or a good publicist you can be seen in many different countries and designers are on an even keel wherever they debut.
Are designers who sell on platforms like Etsy and Depop usurping Fashion Week Designers?
Platforms like Etsy are becoming the launchpad for emerging designers, providing direct-to-consumer success. With the right mix of storytelling, product appeal, new brands can achieve instant visibility and sales without the overheads required by traditional fashion weeks.
Fashion Week Is Expensive and No Longer the Only Marker of Success
The cost of showing at a major fashion week, like Paris or New York, are not cost effective with expenses reaching up to £25k - £50k. For many independent designers, these costs no longer justify the potential benefits, especially when there are cheaper, more effective ways to reach clients. With the rise of digital fashion shows, influencer marketing, and direct-to-consumer brands on social platforms, the prestige associated with Fashion Week has diminished. Now, success is often measured by online reach, consumer engagement, and consistent sales not just by being on the official calendar.
There Are Far Fewer Grants for Emerging Designers
Former Conservative UK trade secretary Kemi Badenoch axed grants used by heavyweight British designers including Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood to launch brands at fashion shows. With a new British Government and the Autumn budget looking less promising with a reported 22 billion deficit, we don’t expect this will be restored.
Besides, making it in fashion was hard as it is, but with designers having fewer resources to fund collections, production, or marketing, costs need to be cut.
Magazines Have Become Increasingly Classist
Before the digital age, fashion magazines were a key validator of a designer’s success however now a feature in a photo spread is pay to play for established names or those with significant financial backing. For young, independent designers, breaking into the pages of these magazines can feel out of reach so we don’t even touch them.
Designers Are Even Charging for Show Tickets
Another shift in the fashion world is the trend of designers charging for tickets to their shows. What was once an exclusive, invitation-only event has turned into something more commercial. While this may generate revenue, it signals the growing financial pressures on designers to make their runway shows profitable. Charging for tickets also risks alienating key industry figures—buyers, press, and influencer.
Algorithms are key
In today’s digital age, follower count often dictates a brand’s perceived prestige more than an official spot on the Fashion Week calendar. Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have created new metrics for success, where a large, engaged following can elevate a brand’s visibility far beyond traditional channels. Some designers have found more success through their social media presence than through an actual runway debut, raising questions about whether being part of Fashion Week is still the pinnacle of prestige. The power has shifted toward online influence, where a viral post can open doors faster than a spot on the schedule.
The digital age with monopolies on social media algorithms a isn't the best solution however its a looking like a more promising opportunity for visibility and success compared to traditional, exclusive institutions.
