Fashion must change to survive: an interview with Drip Dossier The insider account of the fashion industry tells us about the luxury world after the covid and its need for change
In the huge cauldron of Instagram accounts dedicated to fashion, including suggestions on the right outfit and photos to flex the latest cop, Drip Dossier represents a wave of news for anyone who wants to appreciate the idea hidden behind a brand or garment. From the posts dedicated to Kanye West to the recent collaboration with Grailed, the Drip Dossier Instagram account has become a small encyclopedia of the fashion world, ranging between brands and creators in an investigation of a world in constant change.
For this reason, we decided to exchange some emails with Drip Dossier to understand the present and future of the industry after the covid, between Phygital and the need to reinvent a system.
How was Drip Dossier born?
Drip Dossier is a proposition to take a closer look at designs that often get digested too fast to appreciate the intention behind them. We are exposed to an overwhelming amount of beautiful work across fashion, architecture, industrial design and so on... As someone without a design-related background, I found it rewarding to slow down and research the context behind things.
With sales down and brands still behind with renewal strategies, do you think there is a real risk of having to downsize or worse to stop?
Any retailer heavily relying on brick and mortar is going through unprecedented difficulties. The effect has been particularly heavy in the US, where we’ve seen closures from high-profile bankruptcies like J Crew or Nordstrom, to smaller local shops that brought valuable curated goods to their communities.
Strategy-wise, it’s important to plan around the fact that social distancing measures and general rise in precaution are here to stay. That means less event capacity and more cancellations, so approach has to adapt. I think this shift will actually benefit the average consumer… After all, it’s up to brands to figure out how to deliver their message now that we can’t go to their stores and events to be exposed to it. We’re all equal in having to experience it remotely, regardless of where we live.
Ultimately, to get up from this situation will brands have to rethink their idea of fashion? Do you have to slow down to survive?
The collection calendar, long overdue for a change, might finally be forced to evolve due to the pandemic. While smaller brands were more dynamic to create their own schedules, industry leaders are now also opening up to change. We’ve seen Gucci present their last traditional show adhering to the calendar, changing to just two shows per year versus five that’s been the norm. More recently, British Fashion Council issued a join manifesto with CFDA to urge designers to rethink their business models. Specifics include limiting the collections to two per year, but still showing on the calendar in one of the global fashion capitals “to avoid the strain on buyers and journalists traveling constantly”. I’m personally all for any change that involves the industry slowing down. Don’t we all want less clothes that feel stale after one season and more clothes that take time, but last longer?
