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敬请期待中文版  Picture credit: Indigital I HAVE WRITTEN not one word about the results of theenquiry by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) intothe future of fashion shows. And I have not yet reviewed the Hermèsshow, which took place on Tuesday, 8th March. There is a reason why I feel that these two stories areintertwined. The Boston Consulting Group, commissioned by the CFDA to study the timing of shows vis-à-vis the delivery of thecollections and their exposure to the public, came to theunsurprising conclusion that time was ripe for change, yet thateach brand had to make a particular decision.  Picture credit: Indigital The study perceived the key challenges in the current system tobe "early" deliveries and mark-downs hitting full-price sales; adecreasing perception of "newness"; and the danger that designersmay have creative burn-out. Now does all this sound like Hermès, for whom the very word"newness" must be anathema, since its vision is to build a futurefrom its past? Has anyone, anytime, even back in the days when thecompany was primarily a saddle maker, ever thought that this workof exceptional craftsmanship should be speeded up, marked down, ortrending online because someone famous was sitting in thesaddle?  Picture credit: Indigital It is important to divide the different characteristics of thecompanies with on-stage razzmatazz and speedy onlinepositioning, while other brands are showing quietly, almostbehind closed doors. Both H&M and Hermès were on the Pariscalendar, but they have zero in common, except the firstletter of their names. The problem for any luxury company that offers more thanmarketing skills is that the Internet is such a poor way to conveythe depth of quality of their products, or the emotional responseto a tactile piece of clothing.  Picture credit: Indigital I smiled when I saw the Boston Consulting coverage of "in-seasonrelevancy". Yes, I appreciate that people might want to buy awinter coat in November and summer clothes in May. But they mightalso live in an area where there is no cold winter; or be inAustralia, where the climate is directly opposed to the traditionalWestern calendar. Globalisation has raised issues that areparticular to fashion. Where Hermès could be relevant to the discussion is in theconcept that new clothes might be bought each season - but to usealongside an existing wardrobe, not to replace it. This was, afterall, the way people dressed for centuries, and the concept soundsmore appealing than the Boston Consulting description of"bi-annual, in-season, consumer-relevant activations".  Picture credit: Indigital It is important to divide the different characteristics of thecompanies with on-stage razzmatazz and speedy onlinepositioning, while other brands are showing quietly, almostbehind closed doors. Both H&M and Hermès were on the Pariscalendar, but they have zero in common, except the firstletter of their names. The problem for any luxury company that offers more thanmarketing skills is that the Internet is such a poor way to conveythe depth of quality of their products, or the emotional responseto a tactile piece of clothing.  Picture credit: Indigital Modernising shape and cut is imperative for fashion relevance,but at the same time it is essential for the audience to understandthe quality of the materials, especially the leather, suede andcashmere. Hermès provides a book giving fabric details and theseentries explain so much about quality and craftsmanship. To lookat, it's a burgundy-coloured top worn loosely over a mid-calfskirt. The Hermès description is "silk jockey-style sweatshirt,inlaid with lamb skin leather on double-faced cashmere".  Picture credit: Indigital After the show, Nadège spoke about "introducing new shades ofcolours" and being "very obsessive with length for this elongatedsilhouette". She was referring to making the traditional Hermèsorange more golden for mid-calf dresses, with matching ankle socksfilling in the flesh gap; and also of mixing pastel shades thatmoved from dawn pink to the palest aquamarine. It has always been difficult for Hermès designers to handlethose famous scarf prints, but after a parade of quiet glamour withelongated knits, she jumped the print hurdle with an abstraction ofthe Palme Royale Hermès pattern inserted into knit.  Picture credit: Indigital "I really wanted to change the perception of riding and bring afresh eye to it - so you have some jockey jackets, but everythinghas been sent out mixed together," said Nadège. "I wanted to give anew translation of 'now'." And there you have it: relevant classics. Nadège achieved hergoal for Hermès. And let's hope that her approach will be acounter-balance to fast fashion and its relentless marketing.  Picture credit: Indigital (责任编辑：admin) |