Pitti Uomo 97: Streetwear, sustainability and traditional menswear

Trendstop gives FashionUnited readers a first glimpse at the future of the fashion industry in challenging and changing times.

The Trendstop team bring you the latest developments happening across the fashion industry as designers, brands and retailers seek to respond to the changes brought about by the COVID19 pandemic. Across the international fashion week scene, major organisational shifts are underway to keep the industry moving, and ultimately make it safer, greener and more accessible. Our comprehensive catwalk coverage, dedicated galleries and reports, evaluate each trend’s commercial value and longevity, giving you the best possible basis for you decision making.

This week FashionUnited readers get an exclusive look at the emerging innovations that will also be influential in shaping the industry beyond the current crisis.

Distance Designing

As the pandemic has developed, designers have had to apply their creativity not just to a collection but to how and where it will be produced and showcased. Following the cancellation of her Milan show and the imposition of lockdown conditions in her home city of Shanghai, Angel Chen stitched garments at home and strategized a presentation shown over five different online platforms. Directing models and styling was done by Chen herself via video calling from isolation or while following strict social distancing guidelines. The final collection was set against a backdrop of digitized environments. In the initial phase of the outbreak, Tokyo Fashion Week rethought the runway concept, streaming presentations online without a live audience present, and this quick adaptation underlined the possibilities for alternative formats.

Fashion Weeks Go Digital

Inspired by the efforts of Tokyo and Shanghai, other cities are turning to technology to communicate with their now ‘stay-at-home’ audience. Whilst traditional runway shows are currently not possible, organisers are harnessing new platforms with a greater global reach. The London Fashion Council have announced a new iteration of the Men’s events scheduled for June, creating a digital-only model for designers to share their ideas and a stage for those able to finalise their collections. Helsinki Fashion Week will also adopt a purely digital format. Initially developed as a response to the climate emergency, this has proved to be a timely move and will incorporate exciting innovations such as 3D fashion shows.

Creating A New Community

A host of other events surrounding the international fashion weeks are also restructuring around the evolving crisis. Trade shows such as specialist denim showcase Kingpins have re-established themselves as a live online event and the supporting LFW Designer showrooms will also be digitised. In a time where focussing on community has never been more important, this new breed of events are seeking to enhance the interconnectivity between brands, designers, industry insiders and the wider public, promoting increased interactivity and accessibility via podcasts, interviews and webinars as well as support for business networking opportunities within the digital realm.

Exclusive Offer

FashionUnited readers can get free access to Trendstop’s Women’s Pre Fall Key Apparel Directions, a curated overview of the essential apparel directions from the Pre Fall presentations. Simply click here to receive your free report.

Trendstop.com is one of the world's leading trend forecasting agencies for fashion and creative professionals, renowned for its insightful trend analysis and forecasts. Clients include H&M, Primark, Forever 21, Zalando, Geox, Evisu, Hugo Boss, L'Oreal and MTV.