Picks of the fashion parade, tricked up for the digital age
From live-streaming shows to releasing collections on Instagram and via music videos, Divia Harilela and Jing Zhang look at how fashion weeks in Paris, New York, Milan and London have adapted to the digital era.
As Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton brought to an end the shows in Paris, along with another colourful month-long fashion parade through the world’s style capitals, audiences were still reeling from the bewitching beauty of Valentino’s tribal themed show, where leather-pleated armour, Masai jewellery details, Zulu warrior garb and feathered flourishes had people on their feet and grinning in amazement.
Some of us in the French capital had winced at first, as a stream of white models came out, hair plaited in cornrows, wearing exquisite garb inspired by “the imperfect beauty … of wild tribal Africa” – cultural appropriation in fashion has, after all, become controversial. But soon it became clear that this was not about ham-fisted imitation but rather epic artistry – seamless, inspired and emotive. It was one of the season’s finest moments.
There was an effort to shake things up for the spring-summer 2016 shows, most obviously with the use of new venues – New York Fashion Week moved Downtown from the Lincoln Centre and the London events took place in the centre of Soho.
See also: The four biggest trends to take from Paris Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week scored something of a coup when Givenchy decided to relocate this season’s show away from Paris. It was a significant statement, even more so given the show was held on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The French brand’s guest list was more impressive than that of many awards show, with Julia Roberts, Steven Tyler and daughter Liv, Nicki Minaj, Debbie Harry, Emma Roberts, Kimye and designers Tory Burch and Michael Kors in attendance. Performance art came courtesy of Marina Abramovic, a friend of Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, but who was even paying attention with all those celebrities around?