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New Fashion Aesthetics

The lifestyle circuit has designated Covid-19 a driving force behind the future of fashion.

By Sophiya Qadeer | July 2020

The world is surely transforming at a breakneck speed as Covid-19 malignantly continues to transform the way we greet, function, plan our activities, and - most imperatively — the way we think.

The fashion industry has always been burgeoned by cashing in on the uniqueness that each individual finds enticing. However, amidst the pandemic crisis, as the world leaders put their heads together in formulating strategies to grapple with the situation, the fashion industry has also suffered at a large scale. The industry is undergoing a nudging uncertainty that has put obtuse question marks on the future of fashion weeks and the fashion calendar in general. With uncertain economic times plaguing the industry, the designers are not taking pains to launch new collections; instead what they are interested in is the notion of translating their fashion aesthetics into adding embellishments to Personal Protective Equipment, face masks and full-body suits. This is calling out on the individual designer companies to upgrade and revamp their factories, wherein they develop and improve their tools in tandem with the new changes.

It is due to this, that the people in the fashion circuit are calling this pandemic a driving force behind the future of fashion. According to Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a well-known French designer, “The key to reinvention is proximity and authenticity. With this pandemic, I see the idea of dystopia becoming more real than ever.” What he insinuates is the notion of Covid19 putting an end to the egotistical arrogance that is attached to the fashion industry. New trends that allow for the idea of taking delight in each humble moment of life, is what seems to be growing as the future fashion.

Upscale malls around the world remain deserted. However, a peek inside the windows of brand stores like Louis Vuitton, shows manikins draped in a new sense of luxury: glamorous masks. Fashion maestros around the world seem to be treating the global pandemic as a challenge, which has not just jolted them out of their comfort cocoons, but also coaxed them into carrying out a deep soul-searching that has resulted predominantly in pragmatic designs and inventions for the future lot. With the economic meltdown and the uncertainty that has hit employees and businessmen worldwide, making high purchases on handbags and designer shoes is no more a priority for the consumer class. This is what has goaded designers to take the interplay of “fashion and function” emphatically.

Face masks are this year’s wardrobe staple, as well as the idea of fully-covered clothing that is now part of a complete summer ensemble. There is an articulate sense of expression, reinvented in creativity, by designers who have perceived to add style and individuality to these items. In these dark times, designers around the world are making endeavours to lift people’s collective spirits by introducing stretchable, glamorous and vibrant face masks and bodysuits that do not let this global health crisis put a dampener on people’s morale.

Designers are also looking into the possibilities of creating these essential items out of paper and water-resistant material. Brooklyn-based designer Grisel Lopez, believes that “in the world of fast fashion, sustainability may be the new trend,” which is why she realised her speciality in PVC that could be incorporated as a protective layer under PPE. For kids with compromised immunities, Disney has joined in the campaign to add creative touches to its masks and protective gear designs.

Covid has pushed fashion shows to the digital space for the foreseeable future. Online streaming of catwalks and the no-guest policy at fashion couture weeks has become the new normal in fashion capitals and for the front-row influencers. The online fashion-based content writing industry has grown measurelessly in the past couple of months, which is now offering DIYs, tutorials and crash courses on how to excel in homemade creativity with regard to clothes and protective equipment. This has opened a window of opportunity for budding artists to exhibit their talent online. Visual literacy and creative arts have suddenly become people’s pivotal interest, as these discourses are enticing enough to offer a dynamic and expansive scope in the upcoming world.

The year 2020, by far, has been a dangerous rollercoaster ride, jostling people into a herculean economic struggle and survivalist strategies. However, it is also a year of challenge and competition. It is a year of rebirth, reinvention and reflection, which is why it breeds optimism in the face of harsh difficulties. Amidst all this, it is but inevitable how fashion is making its way into the lives of people by imbibing the need to adapt and remodel to the new parameters, which seem to define the world of tomorrow.

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