{"id":63647,"date":"2018-04-11T11:53:37","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T09:53:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/?p=63647"},"modified":"2018-04-11T11:53:37","modified_gmt":"2018-04-11T09:53:37","slug":"fashion-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/fashion-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"The Non-Conformist Designers Fighting Fashion Fatigue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" Image Courtesy of Annakiki<\/p>\n

The term \u2018burnout\u2019 has been bandied around in fashion conversations for some time. But recently the problem has worsened, with every facet of the industry struggling to keep up with burgeoning demands. Designers are producing hundreds, if not thousands, of products a year to keep up with flitting millennial minds, and leaving their posts <\/span>after just two seasons<\/span><\/a>. Hype-fuelled retailers are increasing their stock volumes like sustainability isn\u2019t even a thing. And editors? Well, they can barely keep track of what season they\u2019re on (Pre-Fall? Spring\/Summer? Cruise? Resort? Pre-Pre-Fall?), let alone who is heading up where, who they need to watch out for, and which unlikely brands are collaborating next. <\/span>
\nWhen big names refuse to take holidays and fail to hit sales targets, despite the support of wealthy backers, it seems that emerging talents stand no chance of making it \u2014 at least not without major investment and\/or a willingness to give their entire life to the fashion cause. \u00a0<\/span>
\nIn the last few years alone, London has witnessed the shuttering of several critically acclaimed brands. 2015 saw the 2014 LVMH Prize winner, Thomas Tait, quit the catwalk, announcing a move to one-on-one appointments instead. No one has heard a peep from him since.<\/span>
\nThat same year, British design duo Meadham Kirchhoff were forced to kill their haute couture dreams when their fantastical designs failed to generate revenue.\u00a0<\/span>The pair told<\/span> i-D<\/i><\/a>,<\/i><\/i>\u00a0\u201cMeadham Kirchhoff wasn\u2019t killed by the fashion industry, it was killed largely by itself.\u201d But blaming it on \u201ca quagmire of debt\u201d, it\u2019s easy to argue otherwise.<\/p>\n

\"\" Images Courtesy of Eckhaus Latta\/ Mode PR<\/p>\n

Exuberant knitwear label Sibling suffered the same fate in early 2017. Rather than <\/span>fall prey<\/span><\/a> to \u201can unmanageable level of debt,\u201d the founders decided to go into voluntary liquidation after nine years in business. <\/span>
\nAll of these brands had one thing in common: they were hyped up by the press season after season. Equally, they all were forced to learn the hard way that tons of coverage doesn\u2019t translate to healthy sales. Whether it took months or years, each of the protagonists of these cautionary tales burned to the ground, unable to rise from the sartorial ashes. <\/span>
\nFortunately, 2018\u2019s up-and-comers have learnt from the past. They are refusing to suffer from mental or media-related burnout, instead testing alternative business models \u2013 as per Gosha Rubchinskiy’s recent decision to go seasonless \u2013 to avoid constant stress and toppling debt, and to banish the risk of peaking too early. They’re rebuking the tenuous \u201csee now, buy now\u201d marketing concept of heritage brands and finding their own paths, opting out of fashion week schedules and bypassing traditional retailers.<\/span>
\nHere, we take a look at a few of the methods emerging designers are using to give their brands real staying power.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\" Image Courtesy of Annakiki<\/p>\n

Radically reduce what you show<\/h3>\n

Chinese designer Anna Yang has shown her label <\/span>Annakiki<\/span><\/a> in Milan for the past three seasons. Her latest collection blended sci-fi themes with a more down-to-earth issue: that of sustainability. In her show notes, she observed that we\u2019re all suffering from \u201caesthetic fatigue\u201d and \u201cfashion excess\u201d, referencing this on slogan designs that read \u201cover supply\u201d and \u201cconsumed by fashion\u201d. With a view to reducing waste and pollution, she even went so far as to produce fewer pieces overall.<\/span>
\n\u201cWe all need to slow down in order to give more value to what we create,\u201d the designer tells <\/span>Schlank<\/span>. She plans to get rid of seasons all together, hoping this will work to improve both the planet and her business. \u201cFrom now on, my idea is to make clothes that will last the test of time. Over-consumption is harmful for the planet and creates confusion in the consumer. There are too many messages in so little time; we all need time to digest.\u201d <\/span>
\nThis focus on non-seasonal longevity is something that has been adopted by a number of other designers. London-based Matty Bovan believes we simply need less stuff. His handcrafted work is made to order, reducing the chance of leftover stock and therefore wasted time. The LVMH Prize-nominated Kwaidan Editions have also professed a desire to take things at their own pace. In a recent interview with\u00a0Business of Fashion<\/em><\/a> they expressed their desire to grow the brand slowly in order to forge lasting relationships with retailers, and retain their independence.<\/span>
\n <\/p>\n

\"\" Images Courtesy of Bethany Williams<\/p>\n

Reject the show-cycle system<\/h3>\n

British designer<\/span> Bethany Williams<\/span><\/a> has never put on a show; she doesn\u2019t even produce collections, preferring to refer to her annual charitable exploits as \u201cprojects\u201d. 20% of the profits from William’s sustainable and socially conscious brand goes towards the charities she works with, meaning that her business model has to focus on sales, rather than pure creativity. \u201cI work with different rehabilitation programmes for the production of my pieces,\u201d she explains,\u201cso the more orders I can give them, the more cash will be made for their programme.\u201d<\/span>
\nNevertheless, she has managed to hold strong on her decision not to put her designs on the runway.\u00a0\u201c<\/span>If you don\u2019t show two collections a year, people think you don\u2019t have the money to fulfil your orders. But personally, I want to consider what I\u2019m actually making rather than having just six months to think about it and produce it, alongside taking orders.\u201d<\/span>
\nYang, on the other hand, says she has considered alternative ways of showcasing her work but came to the conclusion that traditional shows are still the best way to establish a small brand on the international market.\u00a0As such, she is planning to stick<\/span>\u00a0two shows a year, while rejecting a strictly seasonal approach.<\/span>
\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXN9DniFwPg\/?hl=en&taken-by=edwardmeadham<\/p>\n

Go directly to your fans<\/h3>\n

Today, increasing numbers of young designers are reducing their reliance on press coverage by going directly to their consumers. Social media is a perfect means of achieving this as it negates the need for expensive and demanding PR companies. Edward Meadham launched his Blue Roses label in 2016, using Instagram to promote an array of graphic tees and hoodies, whimsical dresses and twinset cardigans, to the cult following he garnered through Meadham Kirchhoff.<\/span>
\nEckhaus Latta\u2019s Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, meanwhile, have opted to combine their LA store with their design studio to ensure direct contact with their clients and a better understanding of their needs. They also refuse to dress celebrities or enter competitions for funding. Instead they are currently looking for an investment partner of their own choosing.<\/span>
\n 
\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BclPuFmnExv\/?hl=en&taken-by=hoodbyair<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t rely on design income<\/b><\/h3>\n

As many young designers will attest, putting on shows and fulfilling store orders can be incredibly expensive. Even if your sales are healthy, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll cover the cost of hiring venues, enlisting models and hair and make-up artists, producing samples and paying the rest of your staff. So how is one supposed to earn enough to live? Williams believes that having extra sources of income, while allowing your brand to grow naturally, is a good way forward; she currently consults for bigger brands and teaches at the London College of Fashion (LCF), as well as working on her own label.<\/span>
\nShayne Oliver and Leilah Weinraub, the pair responsible for Hood By Air’s winning transformation from independent label to shared collective, have taken this a step further. Last year they announced that the New York brand would be going on hiatus with Oliver taking on guest designer roles at Helmut Lang and Diesel, and Weinraub taking time out for filmmaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\" Image Courtesy of Annakiki<\/p>\n

Find your own path<\/b><\/h3>\n

The good news for young designers is that today’s seemingly unstable climate is in fact an optimum time to carve out your own niche in the fashion industry. \u201cThe industry continues to shift and although it\u2019s still a tough marketplace, setting one\u2019s own agenda is possible in a way that it wasn\u2019t a few years ago,\u201d explains Judith Tolley, Head of the Centre for Fashion Enterprise at LCF. \u201cShowing at fashion week isn\u2019t necessarily relevant for every business and it\u2019s not easy to evaluate the return on what is often significant financial investment for a 20-minute show.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cSuccess these days need not be dependent on selling in high-profile boutiques and department stores \u2014 which can often take up to 90 days to pay invoices while demanding discounts,\u201d Tolley continues. \u201cDirect-to-consumer models can generate better margins and bring money into the business on a daily basis rather than a seasonal one.\u201d She advises new talent to put their consumer first, whether by inviting them to pop-up stores and exclusive events or learning more about them via social media. \u201cUnfortunately, there is no panacea for running a successful fashion business,\u201d she concludes. \u201cMost designers start out in business without money behind them, but what the success stories have at the outset is creative talent combined with entrepreneurial skills, tenacity, resilience, dedication and extreme endurance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the never-ending fashion week cycle to excessive stock, a “more is more” philosophy governs fashion now. We examine the spearheaders skirting the trend.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":63905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[10451,7985,6953,2945,1346,4847,10452,4098,7034,1693,10453,1111,3347,1699,2483],"class_list":["post-63647","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fashion","tag-anna-yang","tag-annakiki","tag-bethany-williams","tag-eckhaus-latta","tag-hood-by-air","tag-i-d","tag-kwaidan-editions","tag-lvmh","tag-matty-bovan","tag-meadham-kirchhoff","tag-mother-of-pearl","tag-sibling","tag-sustainability","tag-thomas-tait","tag-vogue"],"acf":{"main_category":null,"legacy":"1","exclude_from_ads":null,"hero_title":null,"subtitle":null,"hero":null,"teasers":null,"facebook_image":null,"related_articles":null,"next_article":null,"sleek_card_focus":null,"content":null},"yoast_head":"\nThe Non-Conformist Designers Fighting Fashion Fatigue The Non-Conformist Designers Fighting Fashion Fatigue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the never-ending fashion week cycle to excessive stock, a "more is more" philosophy governs fashion. 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