Once upon a time luxury fashion and fast fashion were rivals. Luxury fashion was timeless, exclusive, tailored to fit and had a minimal environmental impact. Fast fashion, on the other side, was synonymous with ephemeral, cheap, generic and mainstream, this is, a low blow to the environment.
Today a new order has emerged and, although this rivalry is still true to some extent, the line between luxury and fast fashion has become, to say the least, blurred. So, is luxury fashion becoming its worst nightmare?
The Luxury Fashion Metamorphosis
The end of the First World War meant the beginning of many luxury fashion houses. In their early days’ brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton were tantamount to small production (specially made to order), highly skilled and well-paid labor, quality and exclusivity. However, at some point along the way, luxury began to mutate into a strange hybrid between itself and its nemesis. Here are some hallmarks that will make more sense of this Kafkaesque metamorphosis.
1. Luxury Fashion, a Contradiction
A curious fact about the term ‘luxury fashion’ is that it is, indeed, a contradiction. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, ‘fashion’ refers to “a style that is popular at a particular time, especially in clothes, hair, makeup, etc.”[1] Hence, ‘fashion’ is synonym for trend, fad and rage, while ‘luxury’ refers to permanence, timelessness and heritage. Confusing, isn’t it?
2. A Shift in Style Leadership and Worship of The Masses
Luxury labels used to be the backbone of the fashion industry, they were the ones dictating taste and innovation. Fast and mass fashion, meanwhile, was seen as a cheap imitation of the ‘real thing.’ However, in the last decades, the massive force of fast fashion has grown so much that it became the elephant in the room and could no longer be ignored.
This, coupled with the fact that fast fashion designs have become quite stylish (influencers are constantly showing us they can be perfectly and easily mixed with luxury items), has led to the unthinkable: both teams working together. But not only this, the very essence of luxury has shifted from being aimed at a select and small audience to being aimed at the masses. With Karl Lagerfeld’s collaboration with H&M in 2004, the paradoxical ambition of luxury to become massive became apparent.
3. Hello Micro Seasons
The new millennium has brought with it hundreds of ‘high-low’ collaborations where the ‘high’ inevitably became more similar to the ‘low’. One example is micro-seasonality.
Fast fashion is well known for its micro-seasons, which have been exacerbated by the new generation of hyper-connected consumers who are constantly thriving for change. Naturally, for luxury brands having only two seasons simply stopped making sense (from a commercial perspective, of course). In the beginning, it was just the ‘pre-collections,’ now, most designer houses rely on monthly product drops, reminiscent of fast fashion (and streetwear) brands, backed up with social media campaigns, which allow them to be much more flexible and tune with consumer demand.[2]
Micro-seasonality also goes hand in hand with what was mentioned before about how stylish fast fashion has become. You may wonder when you’re shopping why to bother overpaying when the two items are so similar, especially when they’ll be out of style in no time anyway! The reality is that fast fashion brands rapidly imitate the catwalk looks which, in turn, quickly bore consumers, diminishing the uniqueness of what was initially presented.
Unfortunately, this ‘need’ to keep up meant the sacrifice of quality in favor of cheaper materials that can be manufactured quickly, and a boost of overconsumption, waste and pollution. What was once specially made to order is now transformed into excess stock incineration to ensure the sensation of scarcity that ‘protects’ brands from excessive discounting. Burberry is a good example of this new luxury-waste model because in 2018 it was revealed that it destroyed millions of dollars of unsold merchandise each year to preserve its reputation for ‘exclusivity.’[3]
4. Lack of Originality
If you think of luxury, you automatically think of originality and innovation. Yet today, even in the luxury sector, originality is endangered, bringing us to the “Stan Smith syndrome.”
In case you didn’t know, the Sam Smith sneakers were born as tennis shoes in the 1960s, but have since evolved into a fashion statement. The ‘syndrome’ refers to the fact that many designers and luxury brands, such as Dior, Prada and Valentino, have flooded their collections with almost identical versions of these sneakers.[4] Surely this has not been an isolated occurrence and has widely spread to other types of apparel such as Palladium look-a-likes and many other styles that have been carried over from ‘regular’ brands for the luxury sector to exploit.
Final Thoughts: A New Less Sustainable Business Model
From haute couture to ready-to-wear to… luxury fast fashion. The path of luxury has led to mass production, overproduction and disrespect for its workers and the environment. Exclusivity has been somewhat set aside to give way to mass production and the days of ‘highly skilled and well-paid labor’ are long gone. Indeed, many luxury houses resort to offshoring to reduce sales costs and improve profitability, many also have poverty wages as well as unsafe working conditions for their international garment workers.
Sales channels have also changed. Many high-end fashion brands have traditionally relied on wholesaling their products to luxury boutiques, but as with fast fashion, are now going direct to the consumer. This gives them higher margins and greater control over the customer experience, as well as greater flexibility to respond quickly to market demand (just as fast fashion leaders do). After all, there is no middleman to whom the collection has to be presented in advance.[5]
In a nutshell: luxury has changed its business model. And you may say, “with fast fashion right on the luxury sector’s heels, this paradigm shift is the only way it can survive.” Fortunately, that’s not true. Take Gucci for example, who has opted for two seasonless shows a year because, among other things, the concept of seasonal clothes has become obsolete. By doing so, the brand has captured the very essence of luxury: sustainability.
Could we please make that the norm?
What do you think about this? Have you ever thought about luxury fast fashion? Let us know in the comments below!
