Is Instagram Killing Fashion Week or Forcing it to Evolve?

The Washington Post

Fashion week is coming to an end for another year and with the increased social media coverage, even on Men's fashion week, a clear change in direction has been made. Many people are considering this change a bad thing, they feel that it's adding too much pressure on the designers as people see the clothes straight away and want them then or that the attendees aren't truly enjoying the show or remembering the details because they're viewing them through their phone cameras. And how is all this becoming a problem? Because all these clothes are being shot and shared on Instagram before the designers are even ready to think about sending them to the shops.

Instagram is pretty much a phenomenon and there isn't any better service for sharing all the delights of fashion week. Instagram is very much a visual service as well as a social one. A well shot picture from a popular photographer can spread across the internet quicker than anything you've seen. What this can do when it comes to runway shows is that it allows shoppers to see what is coming out straight away, six months before the designs would usually be available to buy and they want them then and there. If they have to wait then they're likely to be less interested in that outfit and they'll want something newer instead. This does mean that a lot of shops and designers have to lower their prices early on because no one is interested in buying them by the time they're released. This is a problem for the shops, for the designers and even for the shoppers themselves.

The problem is that fashion is always changing. In the past this has been good because it means when changes within media have been made, they've been able to alter their structures to fit them. And that is what the fashion industry has been doing. More brands are loading their designs to their own Instagram accounts and have been posting buy buttons so customers can buy the clothes without leaving the social network. It's a smart idea but it does mean that designers have to start selling the clothing sooner. Some designers are showing capsule collections along with their main collections which they will put on sale straight away. This is where social media will come in handy because as soon as the pictures are up from the show is the moment people will start buying them. This will allow the designers to make more money in the run up to the main collection's release.

Other people are tackling this issue by banning social media at their shows. This seems kind of pointless to me, people who have tried attending the events without using social media have regretted it because it isn't just sharing pictures. It is the social aspect of it too. Designers need to harness this social aspect and could actually use it to get more people to attend their shows. A few cleverly shot preview pictures on Instagram, following and messaging the right critics and journalists to make sure they know you want to interact with them and so on. Social media can be a positive thing that enhances fashion week and allows people who can't attend to at least feel a part of it. Maybe services like Twitter and Facebook aren't necessary for the events, though they may provide bonus fun, but Instagram should certainly be a staple.

This should be a tipping point for designers and Instagram users alike. We've seen the changes that need to be made and if fashion week doesn't evolve then it will die out. I look forward to the next fashion week season and seeing how designers employ their new techniques on Instagram.

Rosina Brooker

Rosina is a Songbird rookie with a degree in Creative Writing. She's trying to focus on her novel on the side but is hoping that Content Writing will turn out to be a good career choice in the mean time! Follow her @Songbird_Rosina

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