Before the Internet and camera phones, fashion was once considered just a hobby or a job only by those who had the right skills and talent. It was an industry that was once reserved only for the select few who were chosen. In 2009, the fashion documentary \u201cThe September Issue\u201d was released where Vogue Editor In Chief Anna Wintour famously said that the only way or a designer to be known around the world or make a name for themselves was if you were featured in the iconic magazine (The September Issue, 2009). Ten years later and that\u2019s simply not the case anymore. With the rise of fashion bloggers and Instagram influencers, fashion has been democratised in more ways than one. The landscape of the fashion industry has become more inclusive and more accessible to the general public. Suddenly, everybody can be a fashion critic, a designer, photographer, model and it becomes this open conversation where everybody can participate. However, although it has dramatically changed the way we look at fashion, it also creates oversaturation. Because we are now constantly bombarded with expensive clothes and beautiful people on our phone screens, it creates an unhealthy beauty standard in our society especially with younger people. This essay will focus on the photo sharing app Instagram and its relationship with the fashion industry.<\/p>\n
In an article by The Independent, they mention that \u201cIn a difficult economic context, the fashion industry, even the long-reluctant luxury goods sector, has turned towards digital technology. Image and social networks have become key elements of fashion and luxury companies\u2019 strategies\u201d (Moatti, 2018). Luxury houses like Gucci do a very good job at this. When the brand hired new Creative Director Alessandro Michele, every single photo from the old Gucci Instagram page was deleted which caused major outrage in the fashion community. Some even saw it an an insult to the previous designer before him. What the brand started posting were a series of artworks by Instagram artist \u2018Coco Capitan\u2019 famous for sketching random words on an empty white canvas. This new form of branding does not necessarily have to feature the clothes (although in the end, that\u2019s the goal) but instead it\u2019s designed to evoke a certain \u201cfeeling\u201d or a \u201cvibe\u201d. It was a controversial move but very successful, according to Forbes, Gucci\u2019s sale went up to 44.5% in eight months after that campaign and that 50% of Gucci\u2019s sales now are coming from millenials, aka the Instagram generation (Danziger, 2017). The instagram page becomes fashions new look-book. It gives you a feeling that you want to be a part of, even though you don\u2019t always know what you’re buying into.<\/p>\n
Before Instagram, people would go to the newsstands and buy the latest issue of Vogue or Elle magazine.This authority has now shifted thanks to fashion bloggers and influencers. They have democratized the fashion industry with their own editorials, street style shots and everyday style photos uploaded on Instagram. The fashion magazines does not have the same authority as they used to. In an article on The Guardian, they mention that Vogue no longer has the power it once did due to the fact that \u201cthe evolution of technology and social media has allowed all consumers to have a voice\u201d. The article also mentions that people choose to follow Instagrammers and Bloggers instead because they appeal to a personal aesthetic as opposed to Vogue\u2019s mass appeal (Kay, 2017). More and more, big fashion brands are now aligning themselves with fashion influencers more evidently than the magazines. An article by Highsnobiety defines the influencer as someone who has \u201cbecome the go-to vessel for brands to pin their latest marketing campaign on,\u201d and that \u201cpeople are far more likely to buy a product if it\u2019s suggested to them buy someone that they know, trust, admire or generally have some sort of rapport with\u201d (Eror, 2017). Another article by Glamour magazine, mention that the fashion influencer Aimee Song from @songofstyle who now has 5.2 million followers can get paid up to $15,000 USD per post. The article also mentions other notable fashion bloggers like Chiara Ferragni who made $9 million USD in a year just off partnerships with other brands (Leach, 2018). This is not to say that Vogue has lost its credibility, it\u2019s just that now, there are other sources to go to which makes Vogue no longer just the authority when it comes to fashion.<\/p>\n
One of the great things about Instagram is also the rise of fashion watch dogs. These are accounts that are not sponsored by brands, not owned by big companies but instead an independent voice that is able to speak out to a huge audience. Accounts like \u2018Diet Prada\u2019 are able to call-out fashion brands copying the designs of other brands, racism in the fashion industry and discussing many other controversies that happen in the fashion industry. This discussion happens in real time and the account now has a following of 1.1 million followers. One example that shows the power of Diet Prada was when the account posted screenshots of racist remarks that Stefano Gabbana (from \u2018Dolce & Gabbana\u2019) made towards Asian models during a private message. According to an article by Jezebel, after the news broke out via Instagram \u201cChinese models pulled out of the show, celebrities expressed disdain for the brand and the show was ultimately cancelled as a result of Diet Prada\u2019s effort\u201d. The conversations are also open among the comment section which means it becomes a community instead of just a conventional source. The article goes on to say that the success of Diet Prada and many other fashion watchdog accounts prove that \u201cthere\u2019s a hunger among fashion and beauty fans for legitimate industry reporting and criticism in unconventional spaces. And as traditional fashion media becomes more beholden to access journalism and other revenue streams, indie voices working outside these institutions are more important than ever\u201d (Cills, 2019). This David and Goliath-like relationship in the fashion industry goes back to the Henry Jenkins book \u2018The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence\u2019 when he mentions that \u201cconsumers are learning how to use these different media technologies to bring the flow of media more fully under their control and to interact with other users. They are fighting for the right to participate more fully in their culture, to control the flow of media in their lives and to talk back to mass market content\u201d (Jenkins, 2004, p. 37).<\/p>\n
Important conversations like diversity in the fashion industry is also something that has greatly improved since Instagram has launched. In a Vogue interview, Eva Chen, the Director of Fashion Partnerships at Instagram said that the app has created a \u201cnew level of transparency and expectation\u201d and that it has allowed everyday people to raise awareness on certain issues (Jiang, 2017). In another Vogue article, they mentioned an incident where James Scully – a model casting director, created an Instagram post naming and shaming fashion brands for model mistreatment and discrimination during castings\/fashion shows specifically Balenciaga where it was said that they asked modelling agencies they \u201cdid not want black models\u201d. Big name models like Helena Christensen, Joan Smalls, Elsa Hosk were then quick to back up Scully on social media about the bad working conditions which ultimately led to the firings of two casting teams responsible for Balenciaga (Milligan, 2017).<\/p>\n
In 2016, Instagram also launched a campaign with the hashtag #runwayforall which is aimed to make the fashion industry more inclusive specifically shining the spotlight on models of colour and plus size models that we may usually not see in typical fashion campaigns. In an interview with Time magazine, Kristen Joy Watts – Instagram\u2019s Fashion & Arts Lead told the magazine that the campaign was \u201ccreated to showcase unconventional models who were fearlessly telling their own narratives in an industry that\u2019s long been critiqued for its narrow ideals of beauty\u201d she then goes on to say that \u201cOur goal is to highlight some of the bravest and most creative models on Instagram who are building their own audiences and telling their own stories\u201d. She also says in the article that the biggest breakout stars on Instagram are the ones that are building their own audiences and telling their own stories (Lang, 2016). The campaign was a big success and brands were quick to follow through with the promise of more diversity and more sizes. Brands like \u2018Universal Standard\u2019 who started off as an indie fashion label on Instagram that offers sizes 00 to 44, is now doing a collaboration with high end Los Angeles brand \u2018Rodarte\u2019. It\u2019s revolutionary that major high end fashion brands are wanting to associate themselves with bigger size fashion and this is thanks to the power of Instagram (Huber, 2019).<\/p>\n
Fashion was once used as an escape but now, everytime we open our phone screens it\u2019s right there. Much like an overplayed news coverage, fashion becomes extremely repetitive when its on your Instagram screen all the time. Twenty years ago, there would only be two forms of fashion shows held every year for a brand. There is the Spring\/Summer collection and the Fall\/Winter. Nowadays, there are 8 different seasons (like the Resort Collection and the Pre-Fall Collection) every year for every brand designed to please an visual-hungry Instagram generation. This then causes major fashion fatigue and designed to make us want to move on to the next it-bag even before they released the previous one. One interesting case study is the Dior \u2018Saddle Bag\u2019. A cult-bag originally from the early 2000\u2019s (seen on Sex & The City) that the brand tried to bring back for 2018. To create hype for its release, Dior sent the bags to 100 different fashion influencers on Instagram all they all posted about the bag at the same time. \u2018Diet Prada\u2019 (Instagram\u2019s fashion watch-dog) was quick to call out on the influencers posting about it simultaneously by saying \u201c Love the @Dior saddle, but is this a low-key ad campaign or what? No #ad #sponsored or gift indications. Sketchy?\u201d. According to a Refinery29 article, influencers must make a clear notice that a post is an advert or sponsored if they are getting paid by the brand which none of the influencers did. Instead of promoting the bag, the posts from the influencers did the exact opposite. Fashion writer and influencer expert Taylor Lorenz said in the article that \u201cWhat they’ve [Dior] done is completely saturated the market and the bag is going to have a shorter shelf life because of it,” he then goes on to say that \u201cThere’s always some fashion item, jewelry item or ‘look’ on Instagram that every influencer gets, it’s really hot and then you’re kind of like, ‘Okay, I’m bored, I’ve seen this one million times’\u201d (Gush, 2018). This goes to show you that when fashion becomes too accessible, it tends to create oversaturation. Our attention spans as an audience become shorter, the trends will only last a couple of months and the \u2019allure\u2019 and the \u2018elusiveness\u2019 of luxury fashion vanishes. Whether this is good thing or a bad thing depends on whether you’re talking to a fashion fanatic or the average consumer.<\/p>\n
There are many good things that can be said about the democratisation of the fashion industry. Instagram has helped brands be readily consumable with the touch of a button and has greatly broken down that barrier that separates the creators and the audience. Some brands also use Instagram to generate controversy or publicity. We are also seeing more inclusivity in the fashion industry and no longer is it reserved for the behemoths like Vogue. What was once a one way conversation becomes an open dialogue that happens in real time and this greatly benefits both the consumer and the producer and the brand. We\u2019re seeing diversity in race, colour, gender thanks to this dialogue. Although at times, it can feel oversaturated and repetitive. Being constantly bombarded with glamourous fashion shots, expensive clothes and beautiful models 24\/7 can have a negative impact for the brand also. However, it\u2019s more important to note the cultural impact that social media has made for the fashion industry.<\/p>\n
References:<\/p>\n
Cills, H. (2019). We Need Fashion Industry Watchdogs Now More Than Ever. [online] Jezebel. Available at: https:\/\/jezebel.com\/we-need-fashion-industry-watchdogs-now-more-than-ever-1832123940 [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Danzinger, P. (2019). Gucci’s Cracked The Luxury Code With Millennials, Thanks To Its Dream Team Of Bizzarri And Michele. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/pamdanziger\/2017\/11\/16\/guccis-cracked-the-luxury-code-with-millennials-thanks-to-its-dream-team-of-bizzarri-and-michele\/#e3bfe1015239 [Accessed 8 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Eror, A. (2019). Are Instagram Influencers Bad for Fashion?. [online] Highsnobiety. Available at: https:\/\/www.highsnobiety.com\/2017\/04\/13\/fashion-influencers-instagram-social-media\/ [Accessed 3 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Gush, C. (2018). Dior’s Iconic Saddle Bag Is Back \u2013 Along With A Controversial Influencer Campaign. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-gb\/dior-saddle-bag-influencer-disclosure [Accessed 11 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Huber, E. (2019). Universal Standard & Rodarte Teamed Up On A Game-Changing Size-Inclusive Collection. [online] Refinery29.com. Available at: https:\/\/www.refinery29.com\/en-us\/2019\/04\/229325\/rodarte-universal-standard-plus-size-collection-2019 [Accessed 5 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Jenkins, H. (2004). The Cultural Logic of Media Convergence. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 7(1), 33 -43. doi:10.1177\/1367877904040603 [Available via Reading List] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019]<\/p>\n
Jiang, E. (2017). Eva Chen On How Instagram Is Changing Fashion. [online] Vogue.co.uk. Available at: https:\/\/www.vogue.co.uk\/article\/how-instagram-is-changing-fashion-eva-chen-interview [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Kay, K. (2019). Does the fashion industry still need Vogue in the age of social media?. [online] The Guardian. [Available at: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/fashion\/2017\/jul\/08\/does-fashion-industry-need-vogue-in-instagram-age] [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Lang, C. (2016). Instagram Tackles Diversity. [online] Time. Available at: http:\/\/time.com\/4354259\/instagram-diversity-fashion-runwayforall\/ [Accessed 8 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Leach, S. (2019). After Almost a Decade, Aimee Song’s Influence Is More Bankable Than Ever. [online] Glamour. Available at: https:\/\/www.glamour.com\/story\/after-almost-a-decade-aimee-song-influence-is-more-bankable-than-ever [Accessed 4 Apr. 2019]<\/p>\n
Milligan, L. (2017). Supermodels Back Model Mistreatment Revelation. [online] Vogue.co.uk. Available at: https:\/\/www.vogue.co.uk\/article\/james-scully-model-mistreatment-post [Accessed 7 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
Moatti, V. (2018). How Instagram became the natural showcase for the fashion world. [online] The Independent. Available at: https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/life-style\/fashion\/features\/instagram-fashion-industry-digital-technology-a8412156.html [Accessed 6 Apr. 2019].<\/p>\n
The September Issue. (2009). [film] Directed by R.J Cutler. United States: Roadside Attractions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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