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Fashion week frontier

Which medium will survive

General Fashion Week Playbook
Over several decades, the fashion industry has evolved in so many ways.
The female silhouette has transformed from lung crushing corsets and 19th-century victorian buns to genderless streetstyle and avant-garde designs.

Brands have progressed in their method of garment innovation. Yet since the first catwalk show by Lady Duff Gordon in 1901, runway innovations have only advanced in the context of event design. Designers and brands had decided to keep the mediums of runway shows and video promotions completely separate.

Runway shows are so 2019

If we normalize sustainability, why is the mass waste of a fashion show not considered as a drastic factor taking part in unnecessary waste?

After seeing most daily activities turn to the remote medium, why is a runway show one of the only things left behind for deep discussion and debate?

Just because something from the past was so universally enjoyed, doesn’t mean it’s required to remain the same and be the exception to a painfully corrupted system.

The new Fashion Week medium

Fashion premiered through short films

As a matter of fact, we are in a society where creative innovation is crucial. And not only for progressing as a population but for general survival.
Aside from the world of technology, the fashion industry hosts some of the most innovative and open-minded thinkers of our lifetime.
There is no satisfaction in sedimentary and placid thinking. Consistent change is expected and embraced.
So why have we suddenly decided to halt our experiments here? At a time when it is most vital for the progression of an industry.

We are now entering a new industry era of fashion trailers. Short films, produced to showcase a designer’s newest collection in a way that emphasizes the brand image and what future they’d like the consumer to expect.

Of course, many are hesitant about this idea.
This era will be the test that determines who are the true lovers of design and creativity. And who participate just to gain social media followers and views.

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A piece written by Gavriel Ewart. An American girl studying fashion and communication at Cattolica university in Milan and interning for suite123

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Milano Fashion Week 22

The return of physical events

Milano Fashion Week 22, with the return of physical events, was supposed to represent the relaunch for the economy and creativity.

Was it so? And what were the main topics?

Fall/Winter 22 trends

90’s
The nineties were the common thread seen almost everywhere.
As an expression of society, fashion – like history – repeats itself.

“Balenciagitis”
While the pandemic seems under control, another highly infectious virus spread among designers.
This virus is called “Balenciagitis.” When designers are affected, they create tons of exaggerated shoulders and extremized silhouettes. Of which you do not understand the point.

Raf Simons has been strongly infected, indeed you could see it in the Prada fashion show. Since the co-designing collaboration has started, Prada stopped dictating trends, as always did, and now follows the others.

Even Dolce and Gabbana were infected, we hope someone will soon find a cure for it.

Co-branding
Collab with sports brands. Or flea market outfits with the plus of co-branding, that’s what Gucci did with Adidas. Right, nothing new in the end. Just branding.

Milano Fashion Week 22


Genderless
In January 2020, Stefano Pilati presented at Pitti his independent brand, Random Identities. The collection showed a few tailored pieces in a genderless key. About two years later, the creatives who create when something is already created, discovered the trend. Hey, all brands went genderless!

Sustainability
Round tables, talks, shows. Every single brand is sustainable! And the more they talk about it, the less they offer value. Moreover, “sustainable designers” and those who have hands in that industry offer something unattainable. Just smoke in the eye, generating a big misleading business.

Inclusion
What is the line between inclusivity and bad taste? This point is not clear to us. In fact, in many shows which focused on this topic, bad taste stood out.

Milano Fashion Week 22 most-liked

Our favourites
Jil Sander was one of the few fashion shows we enjoyed. We didn’t see much of Jil Sander in that, but, at least, we saw beautiful, well-made clothes developed in a coherent collection.

Bottega Veneta: iconic accessories, clean lines clothing with a high-end impact. Beautiful design, but no logo shown, no sensationalism. The essence of modern elegance and luxury. Bravo, Matthieu Blazy!

This is not a good time for creativity nor the economy. And so, a cultured audience has to dig a lot to find value. Because worthwhile designers, rather than being part of that inconsistent game, avoid communicating at all.

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It’s war! The world we don’t want

Can fashion stay relevant during a war next to our door?

It’s war! Yesterday we awoke with a clear feeling of insanity and disgust as the first news we heard in the morning told us that Russia declared war on Ukraine.

From the end of the Cold War to a real war

The fact sent us back to the past. Indeed, the terrible news was like a flashback that took us to the year Sting released the song Russians. It was 1985 – we were teenagers, music was the centre of our universe, and that song impacted us. By the way, the world was almost at the end of the Cold War.

Russians lyrics came to our mind evoking sad thoughts:
“In Europe and America, there’s a growing feeling of hysteria
Conditioned to respond to all the threats
In the rhetorical speeches of the Soviets.”

Nothing has changed over time, nor can we say humanity has ever learned something from past events. The majority of which were man-made disgraces. In fact, we keep on repeating the same mistakes over and over again, and perhaps we like it too.

war


The background of Milano Fashion Week

Against this background of horrible facts, we should talk about Milano Fashion Week. And to be honest, it doesn’t come so easy.

The first impression we have is that the language has become cloying. All the wording, from sustainability to diversity, from inclusion to genderless, flooded the industry and flattened the proposals. These empty claims seem to depict a fake universe detached from reality. In the end, brands follow one another without having a real character that makes them unique.

“Balenciagitis” is a kind of contagious phenomenon which has affected many brands, depriving them of their core identity.

The mood so far seemed very 90’s: tank tops, layering, see-through dresses.

However, Putin’s scary words and actions today resonate with more than fashion. So we quote Sting’s song again:

“There’s no such thing as a winnable war
It’s a lie we don’t believe anymore!”

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The Military Bag

A cool timeless accessory

Among the new arrivals, today we recommend – The Military Bag.
Big size. (Yes, it means there is also a smaller version which we will show you later).

Although it is part of the Spring / Summer 22 ZUCCa collection, this is undoubtedly a seasonless item. Indeed you can use it to complete your style throughout the year.

About the design
The design point of this cool military bag is a large three-dimensional pocket with a vertical zip fastening. Also, cotton fabric is sandwiched by nylon fabric and double stitched. And the puckering stitching highlights the military image.
The typical ZUCCa item specification tag is stitched on the outer maxi pocket.

The Military Bag - ZUCCa
The Military Bag – ZUCCa

With a top zip fastening, this shoulder bag has two top handles too, meaning you can carry it by hand or crossbody. In fact, the shoulder strap is adjustable and removable. In addition to the pocket on the outside, there are two more pockets on the inside.

A4 size can be stored inside, making it ideal for daily use such as commuting to work or school. However, it is perfect when you travel.

About the colour
Black – or, the goes with everything colour. This accessory is easy to match, indeed doesn’t require any particular style advice.

Bag size: W31 cm X H30 cm X D5 cm
Material: 100% nylon

Timeless – seasonless – genderless #formodernhumans
These are the fashion values embodied in this day bag.
Practical and functional, it’s a cool bag you will never get tired of carrying with you.

We’ll be happy to assist you and reply to your questions or requests. So, if you may need any further information, feel free to drop us an email, DM or WhatsApp!

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Mass production or “mess” production?

Quality VS Quantity

Mass production is an ongoing global phenomenon. Fast-Fashion, is no doubt, all about mass-production as you think.

Yet, even in the luxury world, high brands nowadays are attempting to produce more than ever to reach a broader range of consumers. Why? Because this is how they maximize profit. Speed and cost are everything they now prioritize. Indeed it’s a matter of speed and greed.

Where do we find artisanal values?

Charles Frederic Worth, an English fashion designer in the early 20th century, is today known as the father of Haute Couture.
His dresses required some fifteen yards of fabric and could take three to four hundred hours to embroider. For one client, the dress even needed a team of thirty seamstresses working full time because everything was entirely made by hand.

Yes, the handmade takes time, but do we still find or do the luxury brands still even care about such craftsman values?

Where are the values which we used to appreciate in the past?

Mass or “mess” production?

Luxury brands are now mass-producing their products to market mass consumers. Targeting a larger audience means bigger profits, they believe. However, their mass production has undervalued the noble past of fashion and diminished the true aesthetic.

They care only about profit, no longer the values.
It is such a “mess production” – in fact.

Resizing and reducing, not maximising

By having in mind the idea of Couture as a meaningful business model, brands should produce less and target a smaller audience. Therefore, selecting the right individuals who are capable of appreciating these values.

A rigid selection is what the brands need to do. They need to select whom to create rather than create for everyone.

“Less” is such a big keyword for luxury brands today, but there is something that should be “more”.
Time. More time for quality.
Because quality takes a lot of effort, patience and creativity. And so more time is a must.
Yet, that is the only way the true values of fashion can be revived.

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A piece written by Kotono Sakai, a Japanese girl studying history and fashion at Cattolica University in Milan and interning for suite123

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