Things to Remember from the First Digital FW

Haute Couture collection has witnessed a revolution; for the first time, fashion week has goneentirelydigital, which was a major challenge for brands.

There are exceptional handmadedresses. And this is enough to remind us thatthere is aHaute Couture week that took place for three days on the screens. With travel ban as result of coronavirus and the social distancing, the classic format of runways has been temporarily stopped and replaced with a digital platform. Also, no cozy lounges, outstanding locations, handpicked public and front rows filled with celebrities. Today,Haute Couture dresses are admired from home and open to a much wider audience than before. The experience was unprecedented.

The Cinematographic Card

Imagined like a Netflixfashion show, the digital platform did not lose the rhythm of the traditional fashion week. Digital fashion shows were scheduled throughout the day, following the so-called “classic” pace planning of the fashion shows. The sole difference is that there is no runway, insteadhaute couture collections were revealed through short videos. Luxury fashion houses used to compete for expensive ideas to stage their collections, which is essentialwhen presenting a collection. What about the emotions transmitted through computer or smartphone screens? Are they palpable? Can the audience feel the magic of a dress through a simple video?

Without real-time fashion shows, some designers resorted to filmmakers to help them meet the challenge. Dior, provided with large financial budget, put its presentation between the hands of the Italian director Matteo Garrone, who won two Grand Prix in Cannes for Gomorra and Reality and who recently recreated the tale of Pinocchio with Roberto Benigni.

The fashion house took its audience into an enchanted world where the vast majority of couture dresses were transposed onto miniature dolls. Over 200,000 people watched the 10-minute film on YouTube, which is a high number of viewersexceeding the public invited to attendthe fashion show (between 100 and 300 people depending on the house) to discover the haute couture collections.

Azzaro also used the cinematographic card to present its first collection. The brand's new artistic director, Olivier Theyskens, has chosen to put his couture designs in motion on the energetic body of pop singer Sylvie Kreusch, in a hot clip directed by director Lukas Dhont, who is also a winner in Cannes in 2018 with his first film Girl.

For Chanel, the video presentation was entrusted to the Swedish photographer, Mikael Jansson, who delivered a film of one minute and 22 seconds. The short video revealed about 30 haute couture designs on punk princesses in a series of footages taken in a studio.

Fewer Designs

If the platform was launched to preserve an event which reaps economic benefits of 1.2 billion euros per year, many brands could not respond with a fullcollection. This is due to limited fabric supplies and tightdeadlines. This was the case of Schiaparelli who postponed its collection presentation to December. However, the brand presented a short 4-minute video in which we see the American designer Daniel Roseberry, at his home in New York, drawing sketches in a city park. Same thing goes for Maison Margiela, Valentino, Elie Saab who will reveal their collection later this year, once the fashion week is over.

As for Julie de Libran, she presented a video in whichshe reflects the hardships encountered while in lockdown. The designer has indeed chosen not to present new designs instead,unleash her creative methods.

Other designers focused on a single design, just like the Dutch designer Iris van Herpen who showed an ethereal white dress in silk organza, worn by actress Carice Van Houten. It reflects his commitment against the overproduction in the fashion industry. Also, Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz chose to present a unique dress, designed between Beirut and Paris. Finally, if the “big” houses, like Dior or Chanel, presented more extensive collections, ranging up to around 30 designs, however, these remain less than usual.

More Punctuality

The collections were revealed on time, without any delay that used to happen before fashion shows were digital, as there was always a 30-min of delay waiting for models to change their outfits, their makeup and style each time. While with digital platform, watching fashion shows from the comfort of our home, there are no final adjustments to be made, nor a backstage. Everything starts on time.