{"id":2498,"date":"2020-07-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-08T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/?p=2498"},"modified":"2023-06-26T09:30:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T01:30:53","slug":"impact-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-the-fashion-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mdis.edu.sg\/blog\/impact-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-the-fashion-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Fashion Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has swept through the globe since November 2019. Almost seven months in, countries are changing the way things are being done and traditions are put aside temporarily for the implementation of safe distancing measures. Workplaces have turned to telecommuting and schools have introduced wide-scale home-based learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from these, the\nfashion industry is also undergoing many changes in view of the pandemic. In\nthis post, we will discuss the impact the pandemic has on the fashion industry\nin these areas: fashion education, retail fashion and fashion shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion Education<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Photo credit: Business of Fashion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With many countries\ngoing into lockdown and quarantine, and schools turning to online lessons, academic\nfields that require more practical and hands-on learning are the hardest hit. Fashion\nis one such field.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion students<\/a> require facilities and materials such as textiles and print-making machines, as well as sewing machines to produce garments for their assignments. Studying fashion has therefore been disrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion students\nworldwide are hard-pressed to find stores that are open to purchase materials\nand fabrics required for their projects. Instead, they have turned to using\ntheir own old garments and recycling them for their assignments. This is probably\none of the positive effects that a pandemic lockdown has on fashion students. Students\nare forced to push their boundaries even further and think out of the box. This\ngives them the chance to use objects around the house that they otherwise may\nnot have considered, as part of their projects. Amidst their difficulty in\nsecuring new materials, fashion students are encouraged to recycle materials, and\nproduce products that are sustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retail Fashion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With the lockdowns in\nplace, one of the biggest hit industries is the retail fashion industry,\nespecially for brick-and-mortar shops, for the following reasons: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Physical\nstores are forced to shut and are not able to welcome walk-in customers.<\/li>
  2. There is a\nreduced need for the purchasing of new garments with most people in lockdown.<\/li>
  3. Even for those\nwho continue to shop amidst the lockdown, they are turning to e-commerce or\nonline shopping for the convenience that it brings.<\/li>
  4. Production of\nclothing has come to a standstill as factories are forced to shut too.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Photo credit: WWD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    WWD reported that\nAmerican retailers have closed their stores in\nresponse to the COVID-19, and this includes brands\nlike Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy\u2019s, H&M, Chanel, Ralph\nLauren, Sephora, Nike, Apple, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Madewell,\nEverlane, Lululemon, Glossier, Reformation and Anthropologie and many\nothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also, in a recent report by Bloomberg, they have reported that European\nand U.S. retail houses including Primark, cancelled about $1.5 billion of Bangladesh garment orders as the\ncoronavirus outbreak has disrupted the demand of their goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As\nmany as 1,089 Bangladeshi garment factories have seen orders getting scrapped,\nimpacting the lives of 1.2 million factory workers. This pandemic not only\naffects the retail fashion industry, but it also trickles down to affect\nfactory workers in third world countries. They have lost their jobs as garment\nmakers as larger companies who are also making losses, are no longer able to\npay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fashion\nShows<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    With\nthe lockdown and the restrictions placed on large crowd and social gatherings,\nphysical fashion shows across the globe have been cancelled. Fashion shows have\nalways been an integral part of the fashion industry as it helps to create buzz\nand allows the designers\u2019 work to be seen by millions around the world, thanks to\nsocial media and advertorials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\nis also an important aspect of a brand\u2019s image and prestige. For example, every\nChanel fashion show has taken place at the Grand Palais in Paris since 2006,\nand it has been ingrained in the Chanel culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With\nthe pandemic forcing brands to cancel their fashion shows, there has been a new\nwave of designers conducting virtual fashion shows, keeping the tradition of a\nyearly runway show alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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