Fashion: When Musical Chairs Give Way To Emptiness

For the past month, fashion (and the trade press) has been living to the rhythm of the seismic shocks that are making the temple of luxury tremble a little more daily. Changes in the artistic designers at the helm of the biggest names, from Gucci to Celine , from Missoni to Fendi , animate the catwalks of Fashion Weeks and discussions behind the scenes. This waltz, which has become inaudible to the public and consumers, is of interest only to those who revel in these announcement effects.

The slowdown in sales in the usually buoyant markets of the luxury goods industry is hitting designers hard, some even before they have had a chance to showcase their talent. The result is an inconsistency that damages the luxury industry, which is still (historically) based on the long run, heritage, and innovation (rather than novelty). For some, the transfer to fast-fashion demonstrates one thing: the shift of the creative centre of gravity away from luxury, and the danger of instilling a lack of consumer interest in a luxury that has been gradually stripped of its foundations.

Cristina D'Agostino, Editor in Chief of Luxury Tribune

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