Times are hard in the fashion industry, consumers are overwhelmed with choice, manufacturing costs continue to rise, china continues to dominate fast fashion and data, algorithms and AI are snapping at the heels of anyone who loves a pencil and paper as a way to make design decisions.
Chinese TikTokers expose designer brands
It’s not just the high street that’s feeling the squeeze. Even luxury brands are facing opposition from consumers who are pushing back against eye-watering price tags and questioning authenticity. The recent TikTok-fueled backlash against Chinese factories has raised uncomfortable questions about quality, value, and what it really costs to own a “designer” bag.
Designer guess who??
There is no doubt designer brands are important to consumers, but generally the product rather than the person who designs is what matters. It’s only us industry insiders who find the revolving doors at Kering and LVMH interesting. Ask the average person on the street who Olivier Rousteing or Demna Gvasalia is and I guarantee blank stares, and most probably wouldn’t recognise Pierpaolo Piccioli if he offered them a Balenciaga bag on Regent Street. No shade there, why should they care, for them fashion means clothing or accessories, not creative directors or show venues.
Fashion media love to dissect the inspiration behind runway collections, and we designers pay attention, searching for direction for the new season. But does the average Guardian reader really connect with a Louis Vuitton show at the Palais des Papes in Provence. Are concepts like “Medieval Times meets Janis Joplin“ relevant in a cost-of-living crisis?
Of course there’s always a place for conceptual high fashion – but maybe not slotted between headlines about Gaza and the rise of Reform UK.
Adanola, @laurencandy3
Which brings me to the point of this post. In hard times, real style and relatable design matter more than ever. Real people need real clothes – something to wear to work, the pub, or even the airport. Everyone loves a new tracksuit, a crisp pair of trainers, or a new maxi dress for the queue at Gatwick. Understanding what people wear, why they wear it, and what they want next isn’t shallow – it’s skilled, important work. I know – I’ve earned my stripes on the front line of high street fashion.
CSM BA work – Daisy Knight, Phoebe Bor
Choosing fashion as a career usually begins with a personal love of clothes and a desire to stand out. Walk into any arts university and you’ll find the fashion students are the boldest dressers and the most daring in their choices. College is the time to experiment, both in ones work and personal style, and the best tutors encourage that. A few lucky graduates go on to work for high-end labels – and they’re the ones colleges love to shout about. But most of us? We struggle to start our own small brands, or join big high street names and learn that design isn’t about our own personal style or taste.
High street designers can be invisible. There is no a bow at the end of a catwalk show, no Vogue feature on their amazing style or their incredible home(s) and no beautiful woven labels featuring their name. While high end designers sit in elaborate studios in Paris with ateliers in white coats handing them pins, mainstream designers are sweating in a factory in Bangalore, arguing with a buyer about a detail that’s adding 50p to the selling price of a garment.
IRL shoppers
But here’s the thing – we’re the ones who matter. We design the dress that makes Auntie Pat feel amazing at Cousin Ella’s wedding. We create the sharp suit that lands someone their dream job. We find the soft fabric that comforts a new mum in the first foggy weeks after giving birth. Real clothes, for real people. And they’re not easy to make.
Good high street design is about more than trends. It’s about understanding your customer – their lifestyle, budget, style preferences, and aspirations. It’s about making something feel new but still familiar, wearable but exciting. And always – always – it’s about the right product, at the right time, for the right price. (Who in this business hasn’t heard that mantra?)
Fashion is a business, yes – but it’s also a reflection of real life. And in tough times, good design – accessible, thoughtful & human – is more important than ever.
Keep up the good work people. You’ve got this.
