Is this the beginning of the end of fashion week?
When a designer like Sabyasachi Mukherjee decides to forgo presenting his collection at a prestigious fashion week - an art that he has hitherto perfected so beautifully - you know that the ball game is about to change very soon.
For the uninitiated, the Bengali couturier did not participate at the recent couture week that was held in the capital this month, and instead showcased his entire Couture 2016 range for men and women titled "Firdaus", on his Instagram handle @sabyasachiofficial.
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| One of the Sabyasachi pieces the couturier showcased on his Instagram account. |
Image after image was uploaded on July 18 onto the social media site, with top models like Archana Akil Kumar decked resplendently in embroidered anarkalis, velvet kameezes and draped saris.
The men stood tall in their royal finery, poetry flew on typed square frames, and the designer's Bengal tiger motif stood proud as traditional music played to match the lavish interiors of the shoot.
In one fell swoop, Mukherjee subverted the institution of fashion shows and FROWs and opened up the elite institution of fashion - the coveted art of couture - to the masses sitting in remote corners of the world.
Not that the concept of an "Insta-show" is entirely new. In March last year, Masaba Gupta debuted the idea in India as she showcased her ready-to-wear collection "Sugar Plum" on Instagram.
It took everyone by surprise, but it was considered a smart way to draw attention through a young and novel concept.
However, when one of the most established designers approaches fashion presentation in the same way, it compels fashion followers to reconsider the tradition that runway presentations have been based on.
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| Fashion designer Masaba Gupta. |
Internationally too, there have been shifts in the industry as Toronto Fashion Week - the second largest fashion event in North America - was abruptly cancelled in the first week of July.
"The week had not evolved over the last four years, while fashion consumption and consumer demand has changed greatly," Kay told HuffPost Canada Style in an email.
A new fashion week called the "Digital Fashion Week Montreal" will take place in March 2017 where the shows will be streamed live globally.
How does the new "fashion week business model" bode for industry insiders? Well for once, the stage has been thrown open for a whole new generation of designers, with level playing field irrespective of experience and recognition.
Veterans have already begun working on their social media presence, and those who are ahead of the curve are set for success.
Upcoming designers will now have a fresh chance to showcase their creativity without having to curry up organisers for permissions or investors for help in sponsoring a runway show.
Currently, it costs anywhere between Rs 3-15 lakh to pull off a show, and many a struggling designer has had to compromise with space, time allotted for their show, and roping in attention-grabbing showstoppers due to funds.
Traditional forms of reporting may experience a change as well, as there will be no longer be front rows to sit on and scrutinise the cut, fabric and detailing of a garment from.
This merits consideration, since an online picture can speak a thousand words - and sometimes it deserves not more than a fleeting mention.
Will models and ensembles be Photoshopped, corrected and treated with filters to look better than reality? Will enthusiasts be able to understand the use of fabric and embroidery by staring at their phone screen?
What the future is beginning to take shape quicker than one imagined. Designers will have to be careful in how they present their collections and stay true to the ethics of fashion.
Buyers will have to take note of the garments, their fit and flow on the actual body.
As for those who enjoy the buzz of attending a fashion week, they may need to retire their high heels for bedroom slippers and the FROW for watching a show from their dull and dreary office cabins.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)