FASHION WEEK HYPE
Written by: Marina Townsend
The final fashion week of the year is just around the corner, and for many, it’s an exciting time to see our favourite celebrities donning the latest trends. For years, fashion week has been a showcase of emerging designers and their ready-to-wear collections, allowing onlookers to imagine these pieces in their own wardrobes. And while it remains largely that, it’s also become an exclusive event where access often depends on who you know, the number of followers you boast, or whether you’re willing to pay an agency cashing in on a 20-minute catwalk.
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I had planned to attend Milan Fashion Week this year and was ready to shell out the £5,000 required to get into the shows I wanted, but then I paused and asked myself: why? Don’t get me wrong—I love fashion week, and I adore the artistry and creativity it sparks in so many. But let’s be honest: you’re not paying for the art, you’re paying to sit among people society has deemed worthy—those who will casually drop £4,000 on a shirt or £20,000 on a handbag without blinking.
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Interestingly, there are many shows featuring extraordinary designers that you can attend for free simply by RSVPing on time. Yet, if you’ve never heard of the designer, chances are, you’re not interested. But every major label once started as an idea, unknown until the so-called gods of fashion took notice and the media machinery determined who’s hot and who’s not.
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Take Loewe, for instance. It’s having a moment, and deservedly so. But what truly makes you love Loewe? For me, showcasing at fashion week should be rooted in craftsmanship. The simplest design can be just as beautiful—if not more so—than a complex one, provided the craftsmanship is impeccable. Loewe masterfully combines simplicity and intricacy, delicately balancing the two. And let’s not forget Vivienne Westwood, the GOAT of complex designs (in my opinion) every thread, gem, twist, and bow meticulously placed, making each piece a masterpiece.
Social media has certainly given us glimpses into the process, but I long for a new segment of fashion week that offers an up-close view of these garments, allowing us to appreciate the design for more than just five fleeting seconds. I want to see a beautiful blouse paired with perfectly fitted trousers, rather than being styled with a flamboyant, impractical bubble skirt. But, of course, that kind of access is reserved for the select few—stylists, editors, or those fortunate enough to get a sneak peek before pieces hit the stores.
Fashion week, like many global spectacles, fuels the economy and serves as a sort of fashion dictatorship, dictating trends while leaving many feeling on the outside looking in, desperate to be part of something they can’t quite reach.
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If fashion week were open to all, would you still want to go? Would the celebrities we follow still attend? Is it truly about the designs, or is it the allure of exclusivity that draws us in?
I love design. I love the passion that goes into crafting an outfit. I love the spectacle of the catwalks and the boundless creativity that fills the air. But lately, the hype seems to overshadow the art. Is it that mainstream media only feeds us the top tier, rarely capturing the essence of what fashion week once was? Or have we, as a society, become complacent, only paying attention to what’s easily accessible and mistaking that for the best of fashion?
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There’s no denying that fashion week is a thrilling experience if you’re lucky enough to be in the audience, witnessing the final masterpieces grace the runway. But behind the scenes, it’s not always so glamorous—that, however, is a story for another day.
