Fashion shows: more show, less fashion?

It’s September and the succession of Fashion Weeks is upon us. In all the major capitals, everyone is getting ready for the marathon of impossible journeys (who doesn’t love having to get to the other end of town in under 20 mins because a show started late), endless presentations and catchups, sleepless nights and incessant socialising. Oh yes, and the shows. Fashion Week used to be all about the designs, the clothes and the new collections but now the very event is a show in itself which can leave us wondering, are fashion shows now more about the OTT show and less about the fashion?

Wherever you are in the world, you don’t have to look far to see that brands and designers are constantly upping the stakes. Unexpectedly spectacular venues, mind-blowing staging... The bigger, the better. Before, the clothes were the show. They were considered showstopping enough in themselves so there was no need to turn each catwalk event into the Second Coming. But now, our tangible need and desire for a ‘wow’ factor, in whatever shape or form, can clearly be felt. It’s what we expect. The OTT Fashion Show is now almost a prerequisite for certain brands and we enjoy it. Because OTT is extreme and Fashion loves extreme.

It’s all a matter of choice. Not all brands choose to turn their runway shows into a far-flung odyssey but the clear divide in approaches shows that battle lines are increasingly being drawn within the industry; choose Fashion or choose the show. As a wise soul once said, “just go where the champagne’s better.”

The Chicutopian

: @barbedchic