When it was ordered from the powers above to "stay at home" many of us were completely taken aback and although expected, couldn't believe or adjust easily to the news. Our new "status" was updated without knowing what the future held.
Trades, services and the fashion industry all received the same message "stay closed" and fell into an astonishing situation. Without forgetting the ritual of shopping around magnificent luxury places or even simple window shopping which could satisfy our senses.
We have seen our world enclosed within four walls and while the real world has taken let's say a pause, with all the big names that had to close for a while - the virtual world took good revenge, as fashion e-commerce sales increased and a further increase is still expected.
It is exciting that the virtual world has found a way to emerge and recognise its validity and contribution at an economic level since the increase has also meant an increase in jobs. “Working remotely” is no longer something allocated to a few fortunate humans, but it seems to be the new way to stay at home and stay safe whilst the world is fighting to get back to normal.
Now we need to think about restarting the real world of fashion, that physical world we were all used to. Even fashion is in a moment of resilience, becoming aware of a terrible trauma that it is trying to face. It is proceeding at a slower pace than the times it was used to and trying to share the same spaces and not override them; it is almost looking for a mutual coexistence to which it has had to return in this last period.
A trauma marks but also teaches. This is what fashion has learned at its expense and that running until you lose your breath as far as it can lead to expected results after a while leaves you without strength and with emptiness. It is time to look around in search of allies, in search of new energies, of new ideas. It is time to work together involving sectors and spheres that have never been thought of so far.
Running alone, let's face it, is no longer in “fashion”.