Is anyone else getting the sense that the current global economy hiccup is changing the world of fashion? As an example I've noticed a general reliance on sales from a lot of fashion stores - the department stores in particular seem to have been in perpetual sale since February this year. As if further proof the mid-year sales have already started in Melbourne, something normally reserved till the dawn of the new financial year!

Anyone agree? Disagree? What effect do you think it'll have on fashion?

i have noticed an alarming rate of sales as well... i'm not sure if its the global economy, or retailers answer to declining public spending (due to increased interest rates, fuel prices, inflation, etc- not all of which is global at all), but at least it means you can buy most things at less than full price...

meanwhile, the increased AUD, or messed up USD is making me itch to head to the states and go shopping!

Post by ruru

(due to increased interest rates, fuel prices, inflation, etc- not all of which is global at all)

Very true, the instability is largely in the Western world which has heavily invested in the US.

Recently had a similar discussion with a client who's been in the industry for well over 15 years. Through his experience, he's noted that people nowadays have less disposable income for fashion, notably high end fashion. Before people were forking out for mobile phones, internet access and all the stuff that we're spending heaps on nowadays, people had more money to spend on the pieces that would make them happy.

While I'm not a fan of retail therapy as it's only a temporary solution to one's issues, I agreed on the logic and from what I've started observing as well. This is probably why the fashion industry itself is decreasing in quality in a sense across the entire board as everyone is trying to reduce costs.

the decrease in quality is gettin pretty damn annoying!

That's the biggest thing to annoy me - "Made In China" on luxury products. Even LV does it :S

Or Made in India

Yeah, the quality is also rubbish, but on the upside it's easier to move as a retailer.

lately it seems it doesnt matter where you buy it, or how much you pay for it, clothes dont last and they look and feel similar. I dont think much of the stuff you have now would last the way the vintage of the past has...

With the Spring 2009 catwalks hitting off soon it'll be really interesting to see what sort of fabrications we get - the cuts and colours won't be the trends alone, but also where individual designers actually think the money can be made (if people have less of it will they be looking to invest in one piece of high quality, or will the extravagance of entire collections just be downgraded?)

Stahl thinks that Fall/Autumn-Winter 2008-2009 will see a downgrade:

After several seasons of over-abundance, eccentricity and the triumph of artificial over the natural, there is a strong desire to return to a state of equilibrium. Is this a reflection of the current world economic climate? Has this resulted in a wish for fashion to take things steady rather than go overboard? Or is it simply a question of pausing for thought while we mix technical and traditional once more?