formodernhumans Archives

Just Thank You

30 December, 2024 / Leave a Comment

Reflecting on a year of quiet revolution and shared gratitude

As we close the year, we want to pause, reflect, and simply say thank you. 2024 has been a challenging year for humanity and ecology—and for fashion. Yet, we are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey, a quiet revolution #formodernhumans.

Since 2006, we’ve championed an alternative vision of fashion—one that values quality over quantity, value over noise, and creativity over mindless trends. This year, our dedication to curating meaningful garments from independent designers has remained unwavering. A quiet revolution amid the devastating clamour of the fashion industry and its commercial noise.

In a world where business logic flattens creativity, your support has kept our vision alive. You are the heart of what we do, and for that, we extend our deepest gratitude:

To each person who purchased from us: we exist thanks to you. To every person who embraced our ethos and supported our boutique, your trust is our foundation. You make our existence possible.

To the designers—the creative minds behind every stitch, sketch, and idea—your work inspires us daily. Thank you for sharing your creativity and enriching our selection with your unique vision.

To our commercial partners—those who have treated us with care and humanity—thank you for being allies in our mission.

To our contributors, blog readers, and community—your engagement sparks meaningful conversations and keeps this journey vibrant.

Finally, thank you for the moments you’ve shared with us, for inspiring one another and for allowing us to shape a unique narrative.

As we step into a new year, we carry your trust in our vision as a beacon of hope—for fashion, humanity, and the planet.

Thank you for being an integral part of our story. Together, we move forward with purpose.

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Fashion Retailers: Part of an Industry Unwilling to Change

14 October, 2024 / Leave a Comment

Challenging the status quo for a sustainable future

Today, fashion retailers are part of an industry that continues to uphold a culture that fiercely defends the status quo. Specifically, fashion retailers contribute to this stagnation, showing little interest in exploring new, innovative ways of operating their businesses.

Profit remains the guiding principle of the fashion industry. This relentless focus blinds it to the true cost of doing business: the exploitation of labour and natural resources. Ethical practices take a backseat, as they don’t align with profit-driven motives. In fact, respectful work doesn’t generate massive returns; only extraction and exploitation do. But in this race for profit and growth, the system is falling apart.

The role of fashion retailers

In this unstable context, the role of retailers becomes particularly intriguing to examine. Despite ongoing conversations with industry peers, we see no signs of change. There’s no intent, no effort to try something different. Retailers, facing declining sales and increasing store closures, feel trapped in a vicious cycle. Believing they have no alternatives, they continue ordering excessive stock and relying on heavy discounts. But these actions only fuel the system that’s contributing to their downfall.

Following the system may seem like the path of least resistance for now, but it’s clear that the system is broken. Corporations, brands, retailers – they all know it. Yet by conforming to these failing norms, they accelerate the industry’s downward spiral.

Amidst this turmoil, brands, retailers, and all industry players must make a concerted effort to grasp the complex realities shaping today’s market. The luxury sector, for instance, finds itself in a state of stagnation. The niche clientele that supported independent brands in the ‘90s and early 2000s has dwindled to near extinction. Today, both affluent and less affluent consumers gravitate toward cheap, disposable fashion.
Is this a temporary shift? Or have people’s attitudes toward fashion fundamentally changed?

Fashion retailers vs change

If overproduction was already senseless, now in the face of the climate crisis, it’s even more absurd, as consumers are no longer willing to buy these products. So why are fashion retailers still unwilling to change their buying practices? Why do they ignore small independent brands focusing only on those who produce huge quantities?

The question is no longer if the system will collapse. It seems we’re already on the brink. The real question is how much longer we – fashion retailers, brands, the industry – will prop it up before embracing the change that’s urgently needed.

🖤 Dive into our latest post, and don’t hesitate to reach out. You can comment here below (just register first), or drop us an email or WhatsApp. We’d love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hello, we’re all ears.

Let’s start a conversation! #formodernhumans

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Designers Repeating Themselves vs Journalists’ Commentary

2 October, 2024 / Leave a Comment

Paris Fashion Week SS25 highlights the death of fashion criticism

At Paris Fashion Week SS25, we saw the emergence of constructed silhouettes and a renewed desire for more dressy styles; a longing to dress up once again. However, the most striking observation is designers repeating themselves. That coincides with the disappearance of what once was true fashion criticism.

In his critique of Milan Fashion Week, Tim Blanks of B.O.F. highlighted a lack of identity among Italian brands. So, what should we say about Paris Fashion Week? Aside from a few exceptions, like Chloé, Saint Laurent, Yohji Yamamoto, Chanel or Miu Miu — who delivered shows deeply rooted in their brand’s identity and heritage — most others could have been anyone.

Fashion criticism and designers repeating themselves

We’ve seen high praise for Alessandro Michele’s work at Valentino, which is surprising given that his approach seems merely centred on his own aesthetic. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘I love flea market style, and that’s what I bring wherever I go.’ Hasn’t he replicated what he did at Gucci? The only difference is the brand name. But just as one swallow doesn’t make a summer, a bow or a frill doesn’t make Valentino. So, it’s puzzling to read such glowing reviews from journalists when social media reactions have been far less favourable. Many users have called it a Gucci replica, with comments like ‘he destroyed one brand, now he’s doing the same to Valentino,’ and ‘he doesn’t realise people are tired of this.’ Others suggest, ‘he should launch his own brand.’ We’ve explained why he won’t in a previous discussion. Here’s an excerpt:

But why don’t these creative directors launch their namesake brands? They avoid it because out of that box, they lose their relevance. Their skills rely on immense archives and huge investments. They excel at styling and marketing, but the creativity of a fashion designer is a different matter. Their ego overpowers.

Indeed, the journalists’ comments couldn’t be more disconnected from those on social media.

The death of fashion criticism

So yes, we agree with Tim Blanks that brands lack identity. But someone must inform him that this issue isn’t exclusive to Milan. Top brands that have lost their original designers have completely lost their identity as well. They’re now focused solely on making money, and it’s hard to tell one from the other. Boundaries have blurred, and this is one of the reasons why fashion has lost its appeal.

However, we disagree with Tim Blanks and other journalists who praise designers who keep repeating themselves wherever they go. It seems they’re doing it just to secure their front-row invitations.

Fashion hasn’t just lost its identity. Also, it has lost its sense of critique. One style, one pattern, one mindset. No room for dissent.

Let’s start a conversation!

#formodernhumans

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Milano Fashion Week SS25 Celebrates Ignoring the Storm

25 September, 2024 / Leave a Comment

Exploring fashion’s refusal to acknowledge reality

Milano Fashion Week SS25 has just closed, and while the event was celebrated with high-energy words, it has done so by ignoring the storm brewing around the industry. The message seemed to be: No worries, better times will come. But, the contrast between the stakeholders’ storytelling and the fashion industry’s current struggles is hard to overlook. Despite the glamour, both the Chamber of Fashion and most brands continue to ignore the undeniable realities – financial instability, unsustainable practices, and a larger economic and planetary crisis.

This disconnect is unsettling, as the focus remains on maintaining an illusion of success while the foundation crumbles.

About Milano Fashion Week SS25

Magazines, TV news, and interviews painted an energising picture of the MFW SS25. “Many international buyers, most from Asia,” boasted Mr. Capasa. Yet behind the scenes, a different story unfolded. Some fairs experienced entire days without any attendance. It’s clear: selling something in a controlled environment means highlighting only the positives. But business as usual, amid economic, social, and planetary crises, feels deeply misguided.

We quote Cristiana Schieppati from “Chi è Chi News” as her words resonate with us:
“But let’s talk about this week, which has been a bit like my dog when I scold him, and he gives me that guilty look. Everything felt a bit subdued, with few people around (very few foreigners), lots of marketing, few newspapers handed out outside the shows, and many phrases like ‘hang in there, better times are coming, we’re doing fine despite everything.'”

This season’s runways saw more creativity, blending playful elements with good tailoring. Perhaps this was fashion’s attempt to deflect from the harsh reality. A desire to offer a bit of joy amidst an endless “permacrisis.” Archive pieces were given new life in chaotic, contemporary ways, encouraging individuality through personal style. The message seemed to be: wear clothes however you want, and bring statement pieces into everyday life with a casual twist.

And yes, we could mention some shows we found interesting. In fact, some designers did great work capturing the essence of their vision. For instance, Antonio Marras, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Moschino. But at this point, does that really matter? And what’s the sense in celebrating sustainability when the same names that dominate Fashion Week are rewarded year after year? How can the industry claim to be embracing change when it continues to spotlight the very players whose practices remain questionable?

Conclusion

Despite the brilliance of some collections, Milano Fashion Week SS25 has ultimately chosen to celebrate while ignoring the storm, showcasing the industry’s startling refusal to confront reality. Who needs to make a change if not the Italian Chamber of Fashion?

By the way, we have little reason to believe Paris Fashion Week will be any different.

Let’s start a conversation!

#formodernhumans

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Fashion Industry: Is it Business as Usual?

18 September, 2024 / Leave a Comment

Can the fashion business continue with the same old strategies?

If there were an award for stubbornly clinging to a “business as usual” model, the fashion industry would win without contest. In fact, during a time of deep crisis, there is no sign of change.

We have to admit that working in the fashion industry this month feels stranger than ever for us. Starting a new FW retail season while researching SS25 collections seems particularly surreal. Like living in a fashion bubble disconnected from reality. Indeed, we stay well-informed about current events through our virtual window. Despite the glaring flaws, brands, retailers, and insiders seem trapped in an exploitative and broken system they can neither dismantle nor escape.

Some data points from the fashion system

Just take a look at the fashion magazine headlines or tune into the news – the fashion industry is crumbling:

In Turkey, 15,000 textile companies filed for bankruptcy in the first seven months of 2024.
By the end of June, 107 shoe manufacturers in Italy had shut down.
China’s luxury market is stagnating.
At London Fashion Week, amid the market slowdown, designers pressed on. “Keep calm and carry on,” as Business of Fashion put it.
Italy’s footwear and leather goods sectors are in decline.
Warehouses across the industry are overflowing with unsold goods.

Milano Fashion Week started yesterday, with expectations of economic recovery in the second half of 2025. “The crisis is here, there’s no denying it, but it’s a period of 12-18 months during which the market has slowed down, only to be ready to pick up again afterwards,” says Carlo Capasa. Ok, but how do they actually plan to move forward?

The slowdown, climate emergency & business as usual

The slowdown in the fashion industry is undeniable. Yet, most continue to operate with business as usual. But does it really make sense to approach the fashion business as we always have? What are we trying to achieve by continuing with outdated strategies? Adding more overproduction to an already saturated market, and waiting for the economy to magically recover? Or, are we simply ignoring the problem, living in denial?

This seems to be neither a plan nor a recognition of the urgency of the crisis we’re facing. Climate change and overproduction in the fashion industry with their devastating effects – exploitation of people and the planet, carbon emissions, and massive waste – are part of the same problem.

Amid an existential climate and environmental emergency, it’s glaringly obvious that the fashion industry needs a complete systemic change. But how likely is that when all we see is business as usual?

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