/ Is glamour dead? Never – post-pandemic power dressing is inevitable, and luxury brands need to make us dream again

Oct 16 , 2020

Accessorise, dress up and be your best self post-pandemic – it’s what we all want to do. Photo: @louisvuitton/ Instagram

Did Covid-19 kill fashion as we know it? Not really: from Rolex watches to Dior dresses and Fenty heels, luxury is what everyone wants after long months spent at home in sweatpants, whether on Zoom or IRL – here’s why

This article is part of STYLE’s Inside Luxury column.

Since I published my research results on what motivates people to buy luxury and what creates the perception of value, about a decade ago, I have heard numerous times that the end of luxury is near. In 2008, at the peak of the last recession, many so-called experts were convinced that from that point on, luxury would be stealth, anything flashy would not sell, and logos would disappear.

The opposite happened: The last decade has seen an unprecedented growth in luxury and a boost of creative expression, from the resurgence of logomania and increasingly extreme sports cars, to fashion and accessories beyond anything the market might have imagined.

Newer brands such as Fenty, Supreme and Off-White – and the disruptive creative expression of heritage brands including Dior, Gucci, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton and Moncler – had taken the luxury industry to an all-time high before the pandemic hit the sector hard in Europe and the USA.

Even brands like Hermès and Chanel, often seen as the ultimate in elegance, became disrupters, reinventing themselves and seeing an unprecedented level of success as a result. The ever-increasing prices these brands’ used items fetch just serve to underline the level of demand. It also shows that the best luxury brands manage to provide their customers with assets that increase in value over time.

Nevertheless, many observers are still convinced that fashion will change forever as a result of the pandemic. Aren’t we all spending countless hours on Zoom, often barefoot, exchanging the office suit for more comfortable clothing? Is our virtual work life the end of power dressing for women and men as we know it? Aren’t we all just going to wear comfy T-shirts, polos and sweatpants instead of dressing up? Not so fast!

We are merely living in a time of disruption, change, and the transition to new habits. What would normally have taken a decade – integrating more digital tools into our lives – happened during weeks and months. While everyone was busy adjusting to lockdowns and to working, schooling, shopping and exercising from home, all supported by screens and apps, many of us did not spend too much effort on how we could best dress for success.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x