Fashion Meets Digital
Anifa produced a virtual catwalk, London fashion week was fully transformed to a digital platform and now black-owned resort brand elise x elisia is showcasing their new collection with 3D models. The New York-based brand is raising the bar in the fashion industry, truly proving how far technology could take us.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, many fashion companies have taken to digital platforms to highlight their new launches. Anifa had a virtual catwalk, London fashion week was completely transformed to a digital platform and now black-owned resort brand elise x elisia are introducing their new collection with 3D models.
The New York-based brand founded by Janel Livingston is centered on high-end beach and resort wear. With the adoption of 3D models and 3D backdrops based on the French Riviera, Livingston launched her Summer 2020 swimwear line. What makes this brand unique is the silhouettes of the bath suits that deviate from the standard style of bathing suits. Giving customers an edgier, more modern look. This brand is excellent for women who aspire to take their swimwear game to the next level with unique cuts and styles.
The Tidal Wave collection features a string bikini and cut off one piece. The name of the collection is a well-fitting the green-blue wave-like design on both pieces of the collection. This approach to premiering her swimsuit collection in the middle of the pandemic has raised the bar in the fashion industry, truly showing how far technology could take us. The collections are available now on the elise x elisia website.
Photo Credits: elisexelisia.com
Report: Lauren Tucker
The Paris Haute Couture Shows Will Go Digital This July
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, different precautions have to be taken everyday. Some of the biggest weeks in fashion like Milan and and London fashion week have announced that they will be transitioning to online fashion shows.
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, different precautions have to be taken everyday. Some of the biggest weeks in fashion like Milan and and London fashion week have announced that they will be transitioning to online fashion shows. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body, has announced its plan for the menswear spring 2021 season. They will host videos from accredited couture maisons on a dedicated platform. The videos will be accompanied by additional content and roll out on a schedule, mimicking the flow of a physical Fashion Week.
The Chambre Syndicale has 16 French brand members that are legally allowed to participate in the couture week, including Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maison Margiela, Schiaparelli, and Givenchy. A separate designation, correspondent member, is given to seven international labels that produce garments on a couture scale: Armani Privé, Azzedine Alaïa, Elie Saab, Fendi Couture, Valentino, Versace, and Viktor & Rolf. Although many designers are preparing for these digital fashion weeks, some have already opted out. Giorgio Armani announced that his Armani Privé collection will be shown in January. Jean Paul Gaultier, who handed over the reins of his couture business to Sacai’s Chitose Abe for the first in a series of guest-designer collections, announced that his show would also be put on hold until January. Givenchy is currently without a creative director, meaning its couture production is likely on hold, and Balenciaga, which was set to debut a couture collection under Demna Gvasalia, has also postponed its collection.
The COVID-19 pandemic keeps all of us on our toes and always thinks of creative ways to improvise. Paris’ menswear Fashion week which is July 9th-13th and Milan’s menswear Fashion week July 14th-17th will officially be digital for the first time ever.
Report: Alycia Williams
The Power of The Digital Space
The digital space is slowly, but surely changing our societal traditions.
The digital space is slowly, but surely changing our societal traditions. Now that COVID-19 is in the picture, some of these changes might be for the better. For people who are not familiar with the term “brick and mortar”, it is the presence of physical buildings, such as stores, factories, offices, etc. Prior to the pandemic, some brick and mortar stores were struggling financially due to the rise of online shopping. With some malls being closed due to social distancing, many stores will struggle to stay open because they are not generating the necessary revenue to survive this economic crisis. For instance, “J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy after years of decline and debt”, tweeted @business. Brick and mortar stores depend on traffic and without that it is almost impossible for them to survive.
Surprisingly, in today’s society everyone does not prefer to shop online. There is a nuance to physically shopping in stores, like the ability to try on clothes to make sure that they fit, which online shopping does not offer. Despite that, most people still prefer to shop online. This generation is what some people would consider a “microwave generation” because we prefer to have everything instantly. Online shopping falls in line with this theory because you can make purchases immediately and you do not have to worry about large crowds or long lines.
There are more perks shopping online than in the stores. In many cases, retailers offer broader selections and more deals online. A big part of shopping is finding the best deals, which comparatively brick and mortar stores do not have. Brick and mortar stores have fallen behind because they are unable to offer anything that will set them apart from online shopping.
While brick and mortar is dying, live streaming has become more popular than it already was. Usually, concerts and festivals would be right around the corner. Since those things can not happen, artists have turned to Instagram and Facebook live to hold virtual concerts, the most popular being the battles. These live battles have caused artists’ streams to increase at a rate no concert would be able to do. With so much free time, people are more open to listening to artists they never heard of or cared for, which artists have taken advantage of.
Platforms like Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video have also seen another spike since the beginning of the pandemic. With movie theaters being closed, many people have turned to these streaming platforms. While most movies and tv shows on these platforms are not new, they do have some original films that have competed with movie theaters and cable in streams. For example, Netflix has produced films like Tiger King, Money Heist, When They See Us, and Orange Is The New Black. The digital space is in the process of redefining the social world. Change is inevitable and now that we’re in the middle of a pandemic, change might come quicker than expected.
Report: Brionna Thompson
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.