The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council (BFC) have signed a joint letter in which they claim a reset of the traditional way of working and showing the collections.
„We are united in our steadfast belief that the fashion system must change, and it must happen at every level. We are listening to many conversations taking place. These changes have been overdue for a while, and the fallout from coronavirus has forced us all to prioritise the process of rethinking how our industry should function,” the letter says.
The CFDA and BFC encourage brands, designers and retailers, who are used to fashion’s fast, unforgiving pace, to slow down. „For a long time, there have been too many deliveries and too much merchandise generated. With existing inventory stacking up, designers and retailers must also look at the collections cycle and be very strategic about their products and how and when they intend to sell them.”
The two fashion organisations say there is a clear disconnect from when things arrive in-store to when the customer actually needs them. The delivery cadence should shift closer to the season for which it is intended.
Also, they recommend designers focus on no more than two main collections a year. „A slower pace also offers an opportunity to reduce the stress levels of designers and their teams, which in turn will have a positive effect on the overall wellbeing of the industry,” it says.
As for the fashion calendar, once this crisis is over and non-virtual events can resume, they recommend that brands show their collections in „one of the global fashion capitals in order to avoid the strain on buyers and journalists travelling constantly.”
Photo: British Fashion Council
