THE FIRST London Fashion Week Digital is well underway with its mix of collection showcases, podcasts, interviews and more, already generating buzz through Instagram on its first day. It feels weird attending the usually high-brow event for free, without invitation and from the comfort of our own homes. A weekend which would normally be spent schmoozing past bouncers to watch collections from afar, usually stood up and squished with others alike.
Yet this year – as long as you have a stable internet connection – the experience is free, albeit somewhat different. The idea is still the same with it being a place to showcase design talent and brands, only it is now exhibited to a wider, less tailored audience.
We all know that digital-life has already played a significant part when it comes to fashion shows and, although accelerated due to Covid-19, the advent of online Fashion Week was somewhat inevitable. Hussein Chalayan, during his Instagram Live conversation with Norweigan publisher Elise By Olsen yesterday, said “the digital age has created a democracy in the way the things are now seen, people see your collection before you’ve even left the venue,” which summed it up quite nicely.
Around 250 Instagram users tuned in to watch the 40-minute long discussion which homed in on topics like digital dynamics within fashion, the importance of archives, his previous collection that studied the Post-Colonial body and what will be for the future of the House.
Act to Institution, Chalayan Menswear SS05
This summer, in a moment so significant for fashion, Chalayan has decided to temporarily pause production of his fall collection (which would’ve probably been previewed in his long-term performance space, Sadler’s Wells Theatre) and instead, has reflected on what direction he wants the House to follow post-pandemic. Promoting his archives, the Cypriot designer says he wants to focus on the connection with his consumer over creating novelties and submerging himself and his brand in press coverage.
Voicing that “the speed of fashion is disgusting,” Chalayan aims to cut-back on the over-saturated fashion schedule and alternatively re-merchandise previous collections in a pan-seasonal way.“There is too much product [and] too much stuff around,” he said, “I want to do less, but more deeply,” and return to his stake in the ’90s when he was excited.
The Post-Colonial Body, Chalayan Fall 2020 Ready-To-Wear
He then goes on to mention the importance of his Mayfair store, which opened in 2015, and the sense of community it has bought him. “The store is not just a store, it is also a hub. It is somewhere I would eventually like to invite other creatives to share their work,” he said.
To Chalayan, communication is key and whether it be physical or digital, it is the interaction that he enjoys most, he mentions that “ultimately, when you are a creative person, what you want to do is communicate and I realise the best part of my work is when the communication is there.”
During the conversation, Elise by Olsen addresses the theme of the responsibility of fashion towards the Black Lives Matter movement. Chalayan’s collection ‘The Post-Colonial body’ focuses on “how the settlers influenced the life of the locals, impacting their background and even there posture.” He then continues to express his firsthand issues with diversity: “growing up with a Muslim name in London was not easy. Today it is bad to realise how much these issues are still current because it means they are rooted in our culture on a deeper level.”
The pair conclude the live stream with Chalayan reflecting on the changes he would like to see in the fashion system, starting from the concept of justice based on merit and true-talent at the expense of nepotism.
The Post-Colonial Body, Chalayan Fall 2020 Ready-To-Wear
On Chalayan’s LFW Digital 2020 designer profile, there is a video where the conceptual designer talks through his previous SS20 collection ‘The Post-Colonial Body’ which you can view below:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBStIa_gg7X/
by Molly Denton