The Effects of Covid on the Fashion Industry
Covid-19 affected all including the most powerful fashion industry, however different brands reacted differently to lockdown and the consequent effects of not having access to shops. For example some brands went online Chanel, Prada and tried to expand their global shipping polices. For nearly 2 years we where essentially trapped inside, forced to live behind glass and wear masks this is reflected in fashion we saw with the development of designer masks and online fashion shows. I wanted to look into the effects of Covid on the fashion industry.
However, some brands where far smarter in my opinion with their marketing tactics. Brands like Gucci expanded their markets doing something called product development. They reacted to the pet boom which Covid provided and started to create a line of pet items including dog collars, beds, leads and many more. These products aimed the at the 1% who were bored in Covid worked incredibly well. And it was not long before other brands wanted to jump of the trends as well. Prada's pet down jacket, Louis Vuitton's pet collar, Hermès' pet leash, and Tiffany's pet plates. These are just some of the examples to the pet fashion boom which covid inspired, they range from £600 too £5,000 plus in some cases. This highlights the extent to which brands will go to however I think this is very cleaver product development and marketing put into practice.
Pet collections
Another slightly comical product development which was undertaken by luxury brands was designer sweats. I am sure we have all seen the Prada track suit bottoms and other luxury brand comfy wear. This was a big thing during Covid as no one had a need for fancy gowns or couture outfits as nothing was open and everyone was forced to stay home. And while it is funny to imagen the millionaires swanning round their houses in there £5,000 gowns it seems unlikely and therefore there was a gap in the market for a select group of people. It is fascinating to see how Covid 19 effect the fashion trends of 2020, and to uncover how much there was going on the background. The pandemic gave rise to the sales of comfortable leisurewear, as people worked, lived and played from their homes. "Work-from-home" is an apparel category that came into existence only in this pandemic and is still a large part of the industry as many people still work from home today.
For example, in 2020 there was a supply chain crisis. As most people know China is the biggest distributer of materials and at the start of lockdown it stopped it's distribution and closed its boarders. This meant that hundreds of companies suddenly needed to find new suppliers. As there was no demand in the market, the retailers were cancelling their orders. Each and every country had imposed restrictions on exports and imports to prevent the pandemic. The inventory that could not reach the retailers were stored for short period of time in warehouses. This inventory was not sold due to lockdowns, and it was uncertain what demand would be there in the next season. This sounds very technical, but it highlights how fragile the fashion industry truly is because while it is easy to see it as a dominating force it was truly tackled by Covid -19. I also think it is fare to say that Covid-19 exposed a lot of damaging elements about the world including police brutality and the damaging effects of climate change. These are reflected in the declining trends of 2020 the world was in a state of apocalypse and fear was reflected in the fashion we saw.
I wanted to emphasise how Covid-19 effect the fashion industry on a whole, how product development boosted and how the supply chain was affected so detrimentally. Understandably this is piece is more business focused than light hearted, but I think it is important to keep update with what is happing in the fashion world. As well as how real life issues can effect the fashion industry and by extension those who chose to be involved in the industry.
By Madison Barton