The recent international Fashion Week season was a spectacular display of creativity and innovation, despite only being shown online.

The world of fashion is being affected by the current situation in the same way as other industries, and designers had to reach new levels of ingenuity and flair, whilst at the same time enjoying the opportunity to explore topical themes and highlight issues which are important to them.

In fact, having to operate remotely and therefore not needing to put together major logistical plans for travel and organisation, seems to have given them the freedom to focus on ideas and initiatives that could have a permanent effect on how we see fashion and dressing in the future.

Being able to view the collections online, together with the fact that digital communication is so important now, showed consumers how our wardrobes, as well as other aspects of life, can be adapted to the social media universe.

With so many people having a life which is primarily focused on their online presence, a whole new area of possibilities for showcasing our style and personality opens up.

Online collections shown on digital models reducing waste

Hi- tech fashion companies such as The Fabricant and DressX, have a revolutionary way of producing and marketing fashion. Their collections exist online only and are shown on digital models. By uploading their own photographs, consumers are given the opportunity to buy and ‘wear’ the clothes ‘virtually’, thus causing no mass production, no waste, and no impact on the environment.

This digital-only concept has its origins in the gaming industry, but could be adapted to dovetail with physical fashion. The natural progression would appear to be producing the garments for customers only once they have had the opportunity to wear them virtually and are therefore very sure about their suitability. No returns being necessary and therefore not so much likelihood of vast amounts of clothing going into landfill, would make this a good method of promoting sustainability in fashion.

However, these innovations are currently occupying a small, niche market which will inevitably grow in the future. Despite this year’s changes to fashion’s calendar, we are still looking to the physical collections for what we might choose to wear next Autumn and Winter, a season which will hopefully offer us more opportunities to be out and about than we had in 2020.

Designers at London Fashion Week, as well as those in Europe and the U.S. all referenced the changing world in their own way.

Earthy colours and references to English country traditions

A show of strength with military influences and bold, shoulder-emphasising physiques was apparent at J W Anderson and Tod’s, whilst Burberry concentrated on our renewed relationship with the countryside, with earthy colours and references to English country traditions and sports fields.

At up-and-coming designer Molly Goddard’s show, the theme was beautiful, frothy fairy-tale dresses. Tulle fabrics which were used here, were also in evidence at Simone Rocha and Roksanda Ilincic, with the former juxtaposing tutu-style frills with hard-edged leather biker jackets.

The arts and crafts, which have been seeing a resurgence during lockdown, were big influences at Etro and, with the news that sales of sewing machines are on the rise, making our own clothes seems to be a growing trend, and that can only be good news for sustainability!

After all, if you spend your precious time and energy making a garment yourself, you are hardly likely to casually throw it away on a whim! And, even if you can’t make a whole shirt or dress, why not just take tips from the catwalk and update or customise your existing wardrobe with some Autumn/Winter 2021 influences? That’s the way to be stylish and maintain your own unique image!