I highly agree with the fact that there are far too many runway shows/seasons, a lot of collections just feel rushed and sloppy as you mentioned. Loved the vid!!
As a 20 year old clothing lover, the steps i take with clothing has nothing to do with my ego and the idea of what “fashion” can be. I’m going to tailoring school and I’m studying fashion in every way. I have hope for the future of people and the lives of clothes. You and you’re videos bring light on fashion and give a sense of community. Thank you always.
Great video, thank you! I would be really interested in you doing a sort of a "layman" guide on how to actually recognize poor quality pieces from famous brands. I don't have any of your pattern-making or sewing knowledge and I often have a hard time judging the actual quality of the pieces I see in stores or online
Some gatekeeping isn’t that bad either! Sometimes gatekeepers aren’t trying to keep people out, but simply are in some circles and know a lot about those places
The way that Demna has played with the original Balenciaga silhouettes, forms, shapes, especially at the beginning and in the couture, I think is spectacular and totally valid. It’s just all the tshirts, sneakers, tone-deaf and flat out bad marketing decisions that have put the house in full on hot take zone. But just like with perfumes (still), gloves, lingerie whatever in the 50’s, Balenciaga needs the Tshirt money to do the couture, or even many RTW garments. Maybe the hot take is the fashion business model and it’s overproduction that spawns too much crap to support the moments of brilliance.
Most definitely! I really enjoy Demna’s couture at Balenciaga. I think it’s quite sad how much they over promote the super commercial hoodies and t shirts, even on the runway. Unfortunately it won’t change anytime soon because the goals of the houses under big conglomerates these days are completely different to when they started.
I agree, love the early collections and couture! I find it very irritating reading comments especially on his couture saying he's disrespecting the heritage because there's a denim jacket or a Hoodie. If that's enough to insult the label of a couturier then it was about time to be disrespected. How else can you be innovative, always following tradition?
The conglomeration of fashion brands are so bad man, the overall declining of fashion quality is basically starting from them. With those hypermerchandising of high fashion for profit has started the fast fashioning of high fashion. From the bad look, the cheap logomania, the offensive marketing/influencer which include the hegemony in fashion publication, the insane markup, etc. They are just sickening tbh. We should really consider to only support independent designer/brand.
OK so I absolutely adore your channel. Thanks a lot for saying out loud what I have been thinking for so long. I thought I was alone, even though I keep on reading about the actuality of fashion etc etc. And that's because now journalist are afraid to say something negative because there is a risk to be deleted from the shows. This is a realm of hypocrisy, where everyone is so bored but nobody is talking about it because it became a habit to follow the race of fashion weeks. No time to brieve, no time to think, no time to criticisms, no time for nothing, just time for playing on the glamorous part of it, making empty the whole purpose of fashion. Which is a work of art just as much as a commercial business. But it's 40% 50%, and today it's 10% 90%. I really think we need a brand new proposition, something radically different, never done before. (you have a new subscriber from France, hence my mistakes ;)
Pro: "People have more access to fashion" Con: "THEY ARE LITTERALLY GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER! HOW DO I KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR BRAND THAN YOU DO?!?!" I choked on my tea! But yeah, the audience just isn't there. There are a lot of consumers that don't look for quality and just want to buy the next "cool" thing. That's what makes money. That head of marketing knows nothing about the brand, but do they need to if they make the brand more money? Or if they are just going to leave the brand in a couple of years to another brand? That's a pretty big problem. It feels like there is no desire for longevity a this point. It's not all doom and gloom though. I believe there will be brands that will fill in what's missing. Brands that focus on quality, creativity, and longevity will kind of be the new punk. Some examples like Acronym or Chrome Hearts. I don't think we will see another peak Gucci, Balenciaga, or Mcqueen level of creative brands, that just cost too much money, but there will be some interesting stuff. Just rather than it being gatekept, you have to sift through the myriad of brands to find the nuggets of gold. We are just in the transitionary phase.
100% like knowledge doesn't even matter now and that's so sad...like it will be the "old way" soon to know the history sigh. Even tailoring/couture background is old fashioned atp.
You sure Chrome Hearts cares about quality and longevity? With their jewellery, yes. The clothes, probably not. But maybe I´m wrong, I´ve never had any Chromes Hearts pieces in my hands lol
@@R_G0104 Not just their jewelry, they do furniture, bags, even their clothing can be top notch. Don't be fooled by the stuff you see on grailed and hypebeasts. They are extremely hush hush with what they are capable of. And last time I checked, they still have their team of artisans that can make anything their client wishes. I would compare them to an old school atelier; making things by request of clients, rather than producing goods in hopes to sell.
@@geminisykii Thanks for your answer! I forgot about the furniture and bags. And they probably make good leather jackets too. Glad I could learn something new
@@R_G0104 image is everything, and CH has theirs tarnished. Many other brands also do MTO furniture as well etc. They don’t offer anything that unique.
Some designers set up their own label because they really love fashion, as you said, but some of them also do it because they love money. For example, Chanel had sewing skills because the nuns taught her, and fashion was her ticket to financial independence. Other designers who did it for money too include Tom Ford and even Christian Dior, who’s father went bankrupt and he was thus forced to get a job in fashion. So not all of them dreamt of being a designer as a kid, and there’s nothing wrong with that - money is a good motivator in fashion too.
On trash quality clothes, I think a big part of the switch in quality (why people buy it) is because we don't often times know how to sew in Western societies anymore. It used to be a widespread skill. But now people just trust the price to speak to the quality.
Since the holidays came around and I've actually been out in the stores I'm realizing how true it is that quality is going down. One part is the average person not being able to recognize when things are decently made, but another part is that online shopping just means people aren't experiencing things until they buy it which makes it that much harder to build a frame of reference (and people to buy and keep things they otherwise wouldn't.) I enjoy fashion a lot and I don't really mess with designer but the few times I've been really moved or interested it's usually smaller designers good at communicating their vision or individuals really passionate about the history- I think democratization has just done the job of getting the participation of people who don't genuinely care about it, which makes so more things shallow. There are a lot of crappy reasons to gate keep, but if you throw out any and all context, things will inevitably fall apart.
We should start a petition to have you, Bliss, and Casual host the MET carpet. That would be quite interesting. Regarding people buying badly sewn clothes: folks need to look into understanding bad clothes and what constitutes badly made clothes. To be fair, a lot of us don't know. They need learning opportunities, so that they can gain that knowledge, if they are looking for it. Maybe it's not a bad series that you , #thecasual & #blissfoster could make and share?
Generally speaking (not just in high fashion) I'd say, it's not that people don't care about quality, but a lot of people just don't know what quality clothes is. People are so used to low quality, that £1000 piece of crap probably seems high quality to them.
PS: yes Prada is a very good example in the shoe department. Nowadays very poor quality. But I have to correct you in one thing : shoes can be very well glued together and not for all models works a Goodyear welted or inside stitched sole. To get a good glued sole it depends on the glue & the materials you built up the sole .
While I definitely agree with you I was specifically talking about Prada footwear which is notorious for the soles detaching from the base (I have so many friends who have ranted to me about this haha 😂). I just find it crazy that they charge what they do for such bad quality footwear.
@@FashionRoadman absolutely agree, a very fine example of bad quality. The downwards spiral began around 12-10 years (ago there; at the same time the ridiculous price increases started. A very good example is a pair I have from the 90’s , it has such a beautiful quality impossible to find @prada nowadays. Even the Spazzolato penny loafers of this season ( never been a big fan, as it is never an excellent leather;how can it be when you only take the loose underside of a cow or calf skin and let it keep together with colour some poly’s?! ) today like a very cheap version of of a high street shoe….for almost 900,- Euros, if I am correct. 😢🙀
Hi Ayo! Would you ever make a video giving us a better understanding of what to look for in a well constructed garment versus poorly made one and pricing? Or maybe even a video going through brands you love at the moment who are really championing great garment construction & use quality materials? (Without getting yourself into trouble or blacklisted😂.)
For me what is really perplexing is how brands have contracts with these celebrities, mostly actors and the actual actors don't really embody the brand's values or aesthetic. For example Chanel with Margot robbie, Kirsten stewart, penelope cruz and Marion Cotillard. In this case I believe only Marion is the encapsullation of Chanel out of all of them. And they don't seem to even know anything about the history of the brand, let alone talk about it or elaborate more on their outfits or even the slightest sign that they had any choice in choosing the outfit instead of their paid stylists. It's just such a shallowness with endorsements that kind of reduces the brand to less credibility. Or LV with Emma chamberlain and Elizabeth Connelly, Elizabeth really matches the aesthetic of LV whereas Emma leaves me with a bitter taste. And all of these celebrities with the new pink PP collection from Valentino. Ugh!
I’m sure someone else has commented this, but I’d love a video highlighting some designers and brands that are making quality items that are worth following.
Love this video! I am not a fashion designer, but I am a 3D designer and I feel like there’s just not as much of a design culture. Like… there’s a lot of disingenuousness now when people speak to process, it feels like it’s about being able to make yourself sound high end and not actually caring about the craft of it and how your decisions actually create the final product
I agree so much! The fact that there are people for example like you said at head of marketing or that have access to all of these things and don’t know anything about the brand honestly takes away value from the company itself! So many people now a days are tied to a company because of how many followers they have, but if they took social media away how many people can truly say that they have the skills to back up their word?
honestly Bernard Arnault with LVMH and Kering have f*cked over artistry and quality in most brands that fall under these conglomerates... Louis Vuitton IMO has kinda been ruined for the customer and actual fashion enthusiasts as they do not even sell what Nicolas Ghuesquiere is creating for the runway shoes. I also believe that the democratisation of fashion has for sure made a massive impact on accelerating the trend cycle and increasing the amount of seasons we see every year, as the more people talk about things in fashion without caring about the background of it, the quicker they will get tired of it, thus kinda demanding and adhering to notion of 'NEW, NOW'.
Vogue allowing any other opinions than theirs in a comment section😂😂😂 never going to happen! Maybe if there’s ever a post-Anna Vogue… Democratization definitely has pluses and minuses though fs.
As a new designer, do you (or anyone who wants to comment) think it’s best to launch a brand out of nowhere or to launch when you have a larger following?
“Why, I wouldn’t dream of wearing shoes with unshined soles. I mean, you go out to dinner and suddenly you lift your foot and the soles aren’t impeccable…what could be more ordinary?”- Diana Vreeland
Agree absolutely what you said about the quality 💯 %. Especially in the last 10 years it has gone downwards. I enjoy all my stuff I bought from the big names long way before. When I looked this year in some stores for shoes from the big brands, with a ridiculous price point, I couldn’t understand that anyone would buy this crap(quality wise). On the other , maybe the consumer who knows (let’s please educate about materials & fabrication) is going more to smaller brands who really look after better quality & in best case scenario also about sustainability 🙏🏼. Yes it is a ripp off .
I know right! It’s so weird that most luxury brands have higher quality vintage pieces compared to what they currently make. You’d think with technological advancements there would be ways to improve the quality and reduce the cost at the same time but I guess these brands just don’t care because they know most consumers won’t care.
@@FashionRoadman as long as the consumer buys … Our very simple weapon is not to buy. But why weighs a Hermès scarf almost the half than the ones from 30/40 years ago . Pucci had the same problem already 20 years ago. And why would I pay almost the amount of a small car for a handbag that has loose threads aT poor quilted leather bag, Chanel? Let’s not start on the working conditions for these ” luxurious “ objects… Seems no one has seen or read Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano and knows of the very easy to find sweatshops in Italy, to name one country. But the biggest problem is: there is not a lot conscience left in fashiun, thanks to the trailblazers Bertelli, Arnaud, Pinault etc. . Maybe I am painting it a little too rosy but once there were investor groups who built up a designer ( Onward Kashiyama with Gaultier for example) but not immediately swallowed a new brand. Obviously there are the opposite examples as Romeo Gigli were it all went wrong…. Fact is: better possibilities for manufacturing but worst outcome aka un proportional rising greed.
@@madamerei7378 Gormorrah is á terrifying if very educational read, isn’t it?! So glad you mentioned it. It kinda changed the whole “made in Italy “ mystique for me. I love the bit about weighing the scarves! The newest ones are like tissue paper. No hand at all. Good thing for eBay, TRR, and other resale sites. It’s possible to still get a real luxury scarf.
The business drive of big brands coupled with social media/visual access and democratisation was environmentally disastrous. Before people would be making and repairing their own clothes for longevity, but having visual access to high fashion would have accelerated desire and therefore fast fashion.
So when you see a fashion show and a influencer is looking at the phone instead of clothing that's the new guard that your proclaiming is the bees knees of the new fashion wheel because the Old Guards of Fashion is loving breathing eating it up but not for views and likes but the love of it
In terms of influencers, it’s sad that some of the luxury ones do not know the basics about materials and the designers and cannot describe the clothes they haul well.
Great point on how ‘fame/celebrity’ is more important than ‘skill/mastery/knowledge’ these days you can see it other fields too! (i.e. americas election of Donald trump)
back to form , back to real essence of fashion. I wish social media can serve us from the other side of the coin that instead of forming barriers, it will open floodgates of possibilities of people creating viable communities that allow participation and engagement not only on the digital realm but in real life eg being able to watch a show etc
i haven't checked all your videos yet, so apologies in advance if you already made videos on this (i'll watch them in a bit in that case) BUT: i know for me it's extremely helpful that my mom and grannies taught me about materials, stitching types, basic cutting and sewing, fixing clothes, whatnot... so i'm wondering if videos like "hey, these are 5 crappily made pieces, and these are 5 well-made pieces" could help some others? "what to expect from this and this and that material", "how to read labels on garments" also something odd i notices is that luxury brands' most expensive clothes are always the ones without logos.... so i'm so curious if those are actually better-made items, and that's why they don't put branding on them and make them more expensive? or what is the deal with that? :D it's a lot of words to say: inspiring video, thanks.
The 'influencers at shows' take is on point. I'm pleasantly surprised every time an influencer is taking an interview and actually mentions past collections or something about the history of the brand. Most times they just say some basic words and that's it. We need less of this and more knowledgeable people being invited to shows.
The Hot Take on "Balenciaga would hate..." is a complicated one, because there are so many factors at play. It's first on the creative direction (do we include streetwear in our collections, do we go for colour or not, etc.), but then also on the expression of that creative direction, the talent (for tailoring, patterns, etc.) of the current designer, and that's without even counting the current values of the brand, the commercial/non commercial direction of the brand, the old designer's own perspective on destruction and renewal (whether it's a good idea to continue exactly what has been done before, or if the OG designer is a big proponent of breaking rules and creating new ones - including on himself and his work), just the quality of the garments themselves... and also the very question of whether it's appropriate for this specific brand (like I'm sure Schiaparelli would love what McQueen was doing, but perhaps not if he was doing that at Schiaparelli). It would be like "I love everything that the brand is doing, but..." and then it could be just one thing "the clothes aren't of good quality", "I don't like how he/she threats his/her employees", "it's not catholic enough" (that's for Balenciaga XD), "I just don't think he/she had got what it takes to realise his/her vision", etc.
I understand the point of the “hottake” at the end, I personally do not think it’s an issue with democratization of fashion but the influence capitalism has on democratization of fashion. Fashion is seen to outsiders as being about either status symbols (celebrity, looking wealthy or like you have taste) or making money (luxury is large industry in Europe). It’s not rare for people working at a corporation to only know what they need to do their job. As long as fashion is a commodity this will be an issue. But I’m happy that fashion has been democratized it’s allowed learning and enjoying way more accessible. I feel like the types of ppl that can enter the industries without being gatekept and left out has changed because of social media. More diverse voices and takes that aren’t just controlled by specific entities. Not that everyone’s opinion is worth listening to, but the ones that are and weren’t going to be present at a magazine or working for a major fashion house get to use other spaces to be visible and have a say. I think this outweighs the negatives.
Do you think that the current state of fashion is why people are buying knockoffs from DH gate since there's no difference in how they are made these days?
Aw, I wish I could have taken part in this since I have my own: Cadwallader is insanely boring. He brings down the Mugler brand with his lack of creativity. All he's doing now is rehashing his cutout suits and that's it. Every single time. It is all he can come up with now and I wish he would step down sooner than later. Him and Alessandro Michelle.
I’d like to believe a lot of amazing art can rise from this current stage of chaos in fashion production. While big named brands will most likely continue to get away with as much as they can until they’re held accountable to the point of their money flow being affected, people are making their values and what they want to see in fashion known more than ever. I prophesy smaller independent brands will rise as supreme influences and foster the new understanding and expectations of modern luxury.✨
The growing trend might be that more people will make their own clothes. There are so many new sewing books and courses now. There are also thrift flippers, sewing UA-camrs and sewing competitions like the British sewing bee and Project runway. There's more pride in saying you made a dress than in saying you bought a dress.
but even (many, not all of) the sewers and flippers are infected with the fast-fashion mindset and driven by ephemeral online trends. I see lots of creators on YT and TT who make eye-catching outfits that get lots of engagement, and they get to boast that they made it themselves-but how often is it a poorly constructed, essentially unwearable outfit that’s only meant to look good in a digital context for a few seconds?
About the brands closing topic: Many brands also provide younger designers with huge opportunities!! John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, etc. Many small designers can’t necessarily afford to have a brand but can be great at being a creative director
tbh i dont connect with most of demna's work. but, in terms of the founder of the brand not liking the direction its been taken in, i mean its probably not an untrue statement but as you said idk if its an automatic slight. i think of YSL taking over dior and revolutionizing womenswear with the suits and the safari jackets etc, like christian dior wouldve hated that! but, we all recognize him doing that as incredibly powerful and some of the most iconic moments in fashion so i dont know if a brand being taken in a direction different from that of its founder is always a bad thing. however i will say that i think YSL still maintained the spirit of the brand in the ways that i feel rly matter, and idk if i'd be able to say the same for demna w balenciaga (again tho, i don't automatically connect with a lot of it so i might just be reflecting a confirmation bias when i say that) but idk i think its a convo that's worth having but will def continue to change and is very context dependent
I was in Dubai & Istanbul a few months back. Every guy there was wearing Balenciaga logo t-shirts or t-shirts with the logo of another brand! They were probably thinking they’re the epitome of cool in their logoed t-shirts 😂 I didn’t know that the Prada loafers are glued 😮 I’d like you to suggest a few brands for good quality loafers 🙂 Love your channel 💗
Anrealage, Uma Wang, Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi, SS Daley, Tokyo James, Paria Farzaneh, Priya Ahluwalia, Peter Do, Isabel Benenato … the list of brands could go on
Upcoming compagnies can “afford” more creative and boldly design than already established companies. Plus they need this creativity to make a name and sell, established companies don’t, their name is now sufficient to sell, why take risks with unusual designs
I'm not sure when you found out about the channel but I will say I have made a lot of videos focusing on emerging designers. I have seperate videos on Paria Farzaneh, Priya Ahluwalia, Isabel Benenato, Barbara Sanchez Kane, Peter Do + more. Hope this helps
Examine the current state of the world. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 states "You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" Jesus is coming back. Are you ready?
There's a clear reason why fashion had / has "gatekeepers" and gradually operate differently ‼️ You're VERY misled, it seems because you're well studied in fashion.. If you're so focused on their teachings and their teachings are tainted and propagated, you miss obvious, basics.. ‼️ You're view of the original owner of Balenciaga, because he was a "fashion purist" as you put it, seems very wrong or you're ignoring truth. What does the actual name Balenciaga mean? Did Balenciaga change? It seems like they just gradually became bolder in public view. Actually, ITS A FACT‼️ We have work to do people. Love to all. Bless.
Would a caveman love the creative direction of an iPhone? Would Henry Ford like the Tesla cyber truck? Of course the answer to both is no. The world changes, and with it culture and understanding of art changes. No one respected folk art when it reached some mainstream audiences. Cristobal balenciaga was a genius, had he been born in this generation im sure he’d have a nuanced appreciation for balenciaga, not just “this isn’t tailoring it sucks.”
I definitely get the crux of your point and it’s true. However I’m not willing to concede to the fact that the over commercialisation of fashion due to the race of big conglomerates accumulating billion dollar fashion businesses is some form of innovation. If anything it’s gradually led to the reduction of garment quality amongst other issues.
@@FashionRoadman is that what you think demna is doing? Id say his design practice is quite anti consumerism / satirically aiming at consumerism and that balenciaga has simply gotten lucky with a good marketing team and strong celebrity backing
@@levicohen7333 I’m not saying that represents Demna’s design philosophy. I have over 7 videos on my channel breaking down my thoughts on so many of his collections. However, the fact that he has to put super commercial items like oversized t shirts on the runway every season and over promote the permanent collection stuff that people associate with his work (which is really just what the people on the board force him into making for profit margin) is a by-product of the over commercialisation of fashion.
I love the reset idea!! Back to artisans, back away from the conglomerates!!
Yes!!!
100% the arnault family especially needs to stop taking over these fashion brands
You can be the change you want to see by buying from the artisans that exist today
I highly agree with the fact that there are far too many runway shows/seasons, a lot of collections just feel rushed and sloppy as you mentioned.
Loved the vid!!
As a 20 year old clothing lover, the steps i take with clothing has nothing to do with my ego and the idea of what “fashion” can be. I’m going to tailoring school and I’m studying fashion in every way. I have hope for the future of people and the lives of clothes. You and you’re videos bring light on fashion and give a sense of community. Thank you always.
Great video, thank you! I would be really interested in you doing a sort of a "layman" guide on how to actually recognize poor quality pieces from famous brands. I don't have any of your pattern-making or sewing knowledge and I often have a hard time judging the actual quality of the pieces I see in stores or online
Definitely a video i'm going to make soon, a lot of people have commented something similar so it's clear that the video is needed.
Some gatekeeping isn’t that bad either! Sometimes gatekeepers aren’t trying to keep people out, but simply are in some circles and know a lot about those places
The way that Demna has played with the original Balenciaga silhouettes, forms, shapes, especially at the beginning and in the couture, I think is spectacular and totally valid. It’s just all the tshirts, sneakers, tone-deaf and flat out bad marketing decisions that have put the house in full on hot take zone. But just like with perfumes (still), gloves, lingerie whatever in the 50’s, Balenciaga needs the Tshirt money to do the couture, or even many RTW garments. Maybe the hot take is the fashion business model and it’s overproduction that spawns too much crap to support the moments of brilliance.
Most definitely! I really enjoy Demna’s couture at Balenciaga. I think it’s quite sad how much they over promote the super commercial hoodies and t shirts, even on the runway.
Unfortunately it won’t change anytime soon because the goals of the houses under big conglomerates these days are completely different to when they started.
I agree, love the early collections and couture! I find it very irritating reading comments especially on his couture saying he's disrespecting the heritage because there's a denim jacket or a Hoodie. If that's enough to insult the label of a couturier then it was about time to be disrespected. How else can you be innovative, always following tradition?
No I 100% agree you took the words out of my mouth!
The conglomeration of fashion brands are so bad man, the overall declining of fashion quality is basically starting from them. With those hypermerchandising of high fashion for profit has started the fast fashioning of high fashion. From the bad look, the cheap logomania, the offensive marketing/influencer which include the hegemony in fashion publication, the insane markup, etc. They are just sickening tbh. We should really consider to only support independent designer/brand.
OK so I absolutely adore your channel. Thanks a lot for saying out loud what I have been thinking for so long. I thought I was alone, even though I keep on reading about the actuality of fashion etc etc. And that's because now journalist are afraid to say something negative because there is a risk to be deleted from the shows. This is a realm of hypocrisy, where everyone is so bored but nobody is talking about it because it became a habit to follow the race of fashion weeks. No time to brieve, no time to think, no time to criticisms, no time for nothing, just time for playing on the glamorous part of it, making empty the whole purpose of fashion. Which is a work of art just as much as a commercial business. But it's 40% 50%, and today it's 10% 90%. I really think we need a brand new proposition, something radically different, never done before. (you have a new subscriber from France, hence my mistakes ;)
Pro: "People have more access to fashion"
Con: "THEY ARE LITTERALLY GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER! HOW DO I KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR BRAND THAN YOU DO?!?!"
I choked on my tea! But yeah, the audience just isn't there. There are a lot of consumers that don't look for quality and just want to buy the next "cool" thing. That's what makes money. That head of marketing knows nothing about the brand, but do they need to if they make the brand more money? Or if they are just going to leave the brand in a couple of years to another brand? That's a pretty big problem. It feels like there is no desire for longevity a this point.
It's not all doom and gloom though. I believe there will be brands that will fill in what's missing. Brands that focus on quality, creativity, and longevity will kind of be the new punk. Some examples like Acronym or Chrome Hearts. I don't think we will see another peak Gucci, Balenciaga, or Mcqueen level of creative brands, that just cost too much money, but there will be some interesting stuff. Just rather than it being gatekept, you have to sift through the myriad of brands to find the nuggets of gold. We are just in the transitionary phase.
100% like knowledge doesn't even matter now and that's so sad...like it will be the "old way" soon to know the history sigh. Even tailoring/couture background is old fashioned atp.
You sure Chrome Hearts cares about quality and longevity? With their jewellery, yes. The clothes, probably not. But maybe I´m wrong, I´ve never had any Chromes Hearts pieces in my hands lol
@@R_G0104 Not just their jewelry, they do furniture, bags, even their clothing can be top notch. Don't be fooled by the stuff you see on grailed and hypebeasts. They are extremely hush hush with what they are capable of. And last time I checked, they still have their team of artisans that can make anything their client wishes. I would compare them to an old school atelier; making things by request of clients, rather than producing goods in hopes to sell.
@@geminisykii Thanks for your answer! I forgot about the furniture and bags. And they probably make good leather jackets too. Glad I could learn something new
@@R_G0104 image is everything, and CH has theirs tarnished. Many other brands also do MTO furniture as well etc. They don’t offer anything that unique.
Some designers set up their own label because they really love fashion, as you said, but some of them also do it because they love money. For example, Chanel had sewing skills because the nuns taught her, and fashion was her ticket to financial independence. Other designers who did it for money too include Tom Ford and even Christian Dior, who’s father went bankrupt and he was thus forced to get a job in fashion. So not all of them dreamt of being a designer as a kid, and there’s nothing wrong with that - money is a good motivator in fashion too.
On trash quality clothes, I think a big part of the switch in quality (why people buy it) is because we don't often times know how to sew in Western societies anymore. It used to be a widespread skill. But now people just trust the price to speak to the quality.
Since the holidays came around and I've actually been out in the stores I'm realizing how true it is that quality is going down. One part is the average person not being able to recognize when things are decently made, but another part is that online shopping just means people aren't experiencing things until they buy it which makes it that much harder to build a frame of reference (and people to buy and keep things they otherwise wouldn't.) I enjoy fashion a lot and I don't really mess with designer but the few times I've been really moved or interested it's usually smaller designers good at communicating their vision or individuals really passionate about the history- I think democratization has just done the job of getting the participation of people who don't genuinely care about it, which makes so more things shallow. There are a lot of crappy reasons to gate keep, but if you throw out any and all context, things will inevitably fall apart.
We should start a petition to have you, Bliss, and Casual host the MET carpet. That would be quite interesting.
Regarding people buying badly sewn clothes: folks need to look into understanding bad clothes and what constitutes badly made clothes. To be fair, a lot of us don't know. They need learning opportunities, so that they can gain that knowledge, if they are looking for it.
Maybe it's not a bad series that you , #thecasual & #blissfoster could make and share?
Loved this video, you articulated my own thoughts on the democratisation of fashion way better than I ever could! Chapeau
Generally speaking (not just in high fashion) I'd say, it's not that people don't care about quality, but a lot of people just don't know what quality clothes is. People are so used to low quality, that £1000 piece of crap probably seems high quality to them.
PS: yes Prada is a very good example in the shoe department. Nowadays very poor quality. But I have to correct you in one thing : shoes can be very well glued together and not for all models works a Goodyear welted or inside stitched sole. To get a good glued sole it depends on the glue & the materials you built up the sole .
While I definitely agree with you I was specifically talking about Prada footwear which is notorious for the soles detaching from the base (I have so many friends who have ranted to me about this haha 😂). I just find it crazy that they charge what they do for such bad quality footwear.
@@FashionRoadman absolutely agree, a very fine example of bad quality. The downwards spiral began around 12-10 years (ago there; at the same time the ridiculous price increases started. A very good example is a pair I have from the 90’s , it has such a beautiful quality impossible to find @prada nowadays. Even the Spazzolato penny loafers of this season ( never been a big fan, as it is never an excellent leather;how can it be when you only take the loose underside of a cow or calf skin and let it keep together with colour some poly’s?! ) today like a very cheap version of of a high street shoe….for almost 900,- Euros, if I am correct. 😢🙀
Hi Ayo! Would you ever make a video giving us a better understanding of what to look for in a well constructed garment versus poorly made one and pricing? Or maybe even a video going through brands you love at the moment who are really championing great garment construction & use quality materials? (Without getting yourself into trouble or blacklisted😂.)
Definitely a video i'm going to make soon, a lot of people have commented something similar so it's clear that the video is needed.
I love your focus on quality garments in this video! Great rant!!!
We should expect more from brands for the prices they’re charging
For me what is really perplexing is how brands have contracts with these celebrities, mostly actors and the actual actors don't really embody the brand's values or aesthetic. For example Chanel with Margot robbie, Kirsten stewart, penelope cruz and Marion Cotillard. In this case I believe only Marion is the encapsullation of Chanel out of all of them. And they don't seem to even know anything about the history of the brand, let alone talk about it or elaborate more on their outfits or even the slightest sign that they had any choice in choosing the outfit instead of their paid stylists. It's just such a shallowness with endorsements that kind of reduces the brand to less credibility. Or LV with Emma chamberlain and Elizabeth Connelly, Elizabeth really matches the aesthetic of LV whereas Emma leaves me with a bitter taste. And all of these celebrities with the new pink PP collection from Valentino. Ugh!
I’m sure someone else has commented this, but I’d love a video highlighting some designers and brands that are making quality items that are worth following.
Love this video! I am not a fashion designer, but I am a 3D designer and I feel like there’s just not as much of a design culture. Like… there’s a lot of disingenuousness now when people speak to process, it feels like it’s about being able to make yourself sound high end and not actually caring about the craft of it and how your decisions actually create the final product
I agree so much! The fact that there are people for example like you said at head of marketing or that have access to all of these things and don’t know anything about the brand honestly takes away value from the company itself! So many people now a days are tied to a company because of how many followers they have, but if they took social media away how many people can truly say that they have the skills to back up their word?
honestly Bernard Arnault with LVMH and Kering have f*cked over artistry and quality in most brands that fall under these conglomerates... Louis Vuitton IMO has kinda been ruined for the customer and actual fashion enthusiasts as they do not even sell what Nicolas Ghuesquiere is creating for the runway shoes.
I also believe that the democratisation of fashion has for sure made a massive impact on accelerating the trend cycle and increasing the amount of seasons we see every year, as the more people talk about things in fashion without caring about the background of it, the quicker they will get tired of it, thus kinda demanding and adhering to notion of 'NEW, NOW'.
Vogue allowing any other opinions than theirs in a comment section😂😂😂 never going to happen! Maybe if there’s ever a post-Anna Vogue…
Democratization definitely has pluses and minuses though fs.
Nina Garcia over at ELLE is another powerful voice in publishing who engages with a diverse audience of fashion lovers😊
@@periscope7731 that’s good to know, thank you!
AW no doubt has already hand picked and carefully groomed her successor at Condé Nast. That’s how much power she wields.
As a new designer, do you (or anyone who wants to comment) think it’s best to launch a brand out of nowhere or to launch when you have a larger following?
“Why, I wouldn’t dream of wearing shoes with unshined soles. I mean, you go out to dinner and suddenly you lift your foot and the soles aren’t impeccable…what could be more ordinary?”- Diana Vreeland
i love this video so much you talking about serious things that needs to change
Agree absolutely what you said about the quality 💯 %. Especially in the last 10 years it has gone downwards. I enjoy all my stuff I bought from the big names long way before. When I looked this year in some stores for shoes from the big brands, with a ridiculous price point, I couldn’t understand that anyone would buy this crap(quality wise). On the other , maybe the consumer who knows (let’s please educate about materials & fabrication) is going more to smaller brands who really look after better quality & in best case scenario also about sustainability 🙏🏼. Yes it is a ripp off .
I know right! It’s so weird that most luxury brands have higher quality vintage pieces compared to what they currently make. You’d think with technological advancements there would be ways to improve the quality and reduce the cost at the same time but I guess these brands just don’t care because they know most consumers won’t care.
@@FashionRoadman as long as the consumer buys … Our very simple weapon is not to buy.
But why weighs a Hermès scarf almost the half than the ones from 30/40 years ago . Pucci had the same problem already 20 years ago. And why would I pay almost the amount of a small car for a handbag that has loose threads aT poor quilted leather bag, Chanel? Let’s not start on the working conditions for these ” luxurious “ objects… Seems no one has seen or read Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano and knows of the very easy to find sweatshops in Italy, to name one country.
But the biggest problem is: there is not a lot conscience left in fashiun, thanks to the trailblazers Bertelli, Arnaud, Pinault etc. . Maybe I am painting it a little too rosy but once there were investor groups who built up a designer ( Onward Kashiyama with Gaultier for example) but not immediately swallowed a new brand. Obviously there are the opposite examples as Romeo Gigli were it all went wrong….
Fact is: better possibilities for manufacturing but worst outcome aka un proportional rising greed.
@@madamerei7378 Gormorrah is á terrifying if very educational read, isn’t it?! So glad you mentioned it. It kinda changed the whole “made in Italy “ mystique for me.
I love the bit about weighing the scarves! The newest ones are like tissue paper. No hand at all. Good thing for eBay, TRR, and other resale sites. It’s possible to still get a real luxury scarf.
The business drive of big brands coupled with social media/visual access and democratisation was environmentally disastrous. Before people would be making and repairing their own clothes for longevity, but having visual access to high fashion would have accelerated desire and therefore fast fashion.
Really good video I throughly enjoyed it. As a fashion journalist it’s so interesting hearing other perspectives
So when you see a fashion show and a influencer is looking at the phone instead of clothing that's the new guard that your proclaiming is the bees knees of the new fashion wheel because the Old Guards of Fashion is loving breathing eating it up but not for views and likes but the love of it
In terms of influencers, it’s sad that some of the luxury ones do not know the basics about materials and the designers and cannot describe the clothes they haul well.
Great point on how ‘fame/celebrity’ is more important than ‘skill/mastery/knowledge’ these days you can see it other fields too! (i.e. americas election of Donald trump)
back to form , back to real essence of fashion. I wish social media can serve us from the other side of the coin that instead of forming barriers, it will open floodgates of possibilities of people creating viable communities that allow participation and engagement not only on the digital realm but in real life eg being able to watch a show etc
I think a vid on distinguishing high quality vs low quality high fashion brands would be a good video 25:36
Definitely a video i'm going to make soon, a lot of people have commented something similar so it's clear that the video is needed.
i haven't checked all your videos yet, so apologies in advance if you already made videos on this (i'll watch them in a bit in that case) BUT: i know for me it's extremely helpful that my mom and grannies taught me about materials, stitching types, basic cutting and sewing, fixing clothes, whatnot... so i'm wondering if videos like "hey, these are 5 crappily made pieces, and these are 5 well-made pieces" could help some others? "what to expect from this and this and that material", "how to read labels on garments"
also something odd i notices is that luxury brands' most expensive clothes are always the ones without logos.... so i'm so curious if those are actually better-made items, and that's why they don't put branding on them and make them more expensive? or what is the deal with that? :D
it's a lot of words to say: inspiring video, thanks.
Yes, yes and yes. Completely agree. people stop buying shit.
Always appreciate your videos. Thank you!
Incredible video. A lot of these takes needed to be talked about. Thank you.
The 'influencers at shows' take is on point. I'm pleasantly surprised every time an influencer is taking an interview and actually mentions past collections or something about the history of the brand. Most times they just say some basic words and that's it. We need less of this and more knowledgeable people being invited to shows.
Same with those celebrity, at the end they all said "it look nice", "the show are great" but said nothing to critics or anything about the collection.
You were a pattern maker ?? That is so interesting I didn’t know that, tell us more :)
The Hot Take on "Balenciaga would hate..." is a complicated one, because there are so many factors at play. It's first on the creative direction (do we include streetwear in our collections, do we go for colour or not, etc.), but then also on the expression of that creative direction, the talent (for tailoring, patterns, etc.) of the current designer, and that's without even counting the current values of the brand, the commercial/non commercial direction of the brand, the old designer's own perspective on destruction and renewal (whether it's a good idea to continue exactly what has been done before, or if the OG designer is a big proponent of breaking rules and creating new ones - including on himself and his work), just the quality of the garments themselves... and also the very question of whether it's appropriate for this specific brand (like I'm sure Schiaparelli would love what McQueen was doing, but perhaps not if he was doing that at Schiaparelli).
It would be like "I love everything that the brand is doing, but..." and then it could be just one thing "the clothes aren't of good quality", "I don't like how he/she threats his/her employees", "it's not catholic enough" (that's for Balenciaga XD), "I just don't think he/she had got what it takes to realise his/her vision", etc.
I understand the point of the “hottake” at the end, I personally do not think it’s an issue with democratization of fashion but the influence capitalism has on democratization of fashion.
Fashion is seen to outsiders as being about either status symbols (celebrity, looking wealthy or like you have taste) or making money (luxury is large industry in Europe). It’s not rare for people working at a corporation to only know what they need to do their job. As long as fashion is a commodity this will be an issue.
But I’m happy that fashion has been democratized it’s allowed learning and enjoying way more accessible. I feel like the types of ppl that can enter the industries without being gatekept and left out has changed because of social media. More diverse voices and takes that aren’t just controlled by specific entities. Not that everyone’s opinion is worth listening to, but the ones that are and weren’t going to be present at a magazine or working for a major fashion house get to use other spaces to be visible and have a say. I think this outweighs the negatives.
Do you think that the current state of fashion is why people are buying knockoffs from DH gate since there's no difference in how they are made these days?
What happened to your fragrance roadman channel?
The people that I criticised in one of my videos banded together and took the channel down by striking it 😭
@@FashionRoadman nooo! Will we see another fragrance channel from you in the future?
@@DP-gr7ko maybe after I graduate which will be midway next year
@@FashionRoadman really??? OMG, that's heinous...
@@FashionRoadman people can be so pathetic. Was really enjoying your channel.
Aw, I wish I could have taken part in this since I have my own:
Cadwallader is insanely boring.
He brings down the Mugler brand with his lack of creativity. All he's doing now is rehashing his cutout suits and that's it. Every single time. It is all he can come up with now and I wish he would step down sooner than later.
Him and Alessandro Michelle.
I’d like to believe a lot of amazing art can rise from this current stage of chaos in fashion production. While big named brands will most likely continue to get away with as much as they can until they’re held accountable to the point of their money flow being affected, people are making their values and what they want to see in fashion known more than ever. I prophesy smaller independent brands will rise as supreme influences and foster the new understanding and expectations of modern luxury.✨
Educate us! How can you identify a well made garment?
Definitely a video i'm going to make soon, a lot of people have commented something similar so it's clear that the video is needed.
The growing trend might be that more people will make their own clothes. There are so many new sewing books and courses now. There are also thrift flippers, sewing UA-camrs and sewing competitions like the British sewing bee and Project runway. There's more pride in saying you made a dress than in saying you bought a dress.
This will never happen
but even (many, not all of) the sewers and flippers are infected with the fast-fashion mindset and driven by ephemeral online trends. I see lots of creators on YT and TT who make eye-catching outfits that get lots of engagement, and they get to boast that they made it themselves-but how often is it a poorly constructed, essentially unwearable outfit that’s only meant to look good in a digital context for a few seconds?
About the brands closing topic:
Many brands also provide younger designers with huge opportunities!! John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, etc. Many small designers can’t necessarily afford to have a brand but can be great at being a creative director
This is a very good point!
tbh i dont connect with most of demna's work. but, in terms of the founder of the brand not liking the direction its been taken in, i mean its probably not an untrue statement but as you said idk if its an automatic slight. i think of YSL taking over dior and revolutionizing womenswear with the suits and the safari jackets etc, like christian dior wouldve hated that! but, we all recognize him doing that as incredibly powerful and some of the most iconic moments in fashion so i dont know if a brand being taken in a direction different from that of its founder is always a bad thing. however i will say that i think YSL still maintained the spirit of the brand in the ways that i feel rly matter, and idk if i'd be able to say the same for demna w balenciaga (again tho, i don't automatically connect with a lot of it so i might just be reflecting a confirmation bias when i say that) but idk i think its a convo that's worth having but will def continue to change and is very context dependent
I was in Dubai & Istanbul a few months back. Every guy there was wearing Balenciaga logo t-shirts or t-shirts with the logo of another brand! They were probably thinking they’re the epitome of cool in their logoed t-shirts 😂 I didn’t know that the Prada loafers are glued 😮 I’d like you to suggest a few brands for good quality loafers 🙂 Love your channel 💗
First time coming across your channel, love the name 😂and what you say
Would love some examples of smaller designers you think have well thought-out runway shows
Anrealage, Uma Wang, Thebe Magugu, Lukhanyo Mdingi, SS Daley, Tokyo James, Paria Farzaneh, Priya Ahluwalia, Peter Do, Isabel Benenato … the list of brands could go on
Thanks! Curious to check them out.
@@biznis9965 hopefully you like their work
@@FashionRoadman Paria Farzaneh is my fav designer right now, so I know I can trust you.
ooo i like this channel already
Upcoming compagnies can “afford” more creative and boldly design than already established companies. Plus they need this creativity to make a name and sell, established companies don’t, their name is now sufficient to sell, why take risks with unusual designs
pls cld u do a video on emerging designers and your takes on them
I'm not sure when you found out about the channel but I will say I have made a lot of videos focusing on emerging designers.
I have seperate videos on Paria Farzaneh, Priya Ahluwalia, Isabel Benenato, Barbara Sanchez Kane, Peter Do + more. Hope this helps
i loveee this video!!
3:00 made me think Onatelladay ersacevay
could you share some brands that are really good quality and have good designs?
precious video, thank u lots
Sometimes people pay more for trashy fashion because where it’s made (Italy, US France)
Honestly am cool with the models
Do u think Bernard arnault has destroyed fashion
Yes
Vogue charging for runways now tho lmao
Demna was able to transform Balenciaga into Vetement
Hello, is there anyway that i can reach you for business? maybe an email?
fashion have not been democratized guys 😭😭😭 wtf you're talking about literally a different thing
👌🏼✨
Hot take....You look like ksi
Examine the current state of the world. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 states "You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" Jesus is coming back. Are you ready?
There's a clear reason why fashion had / has "gatekeepers" and gradually operate differently ‼️ You're VERY misled, it seems because you're well studied in fashion.. If you're so focused on their teachings and their teachings are tainted and propagated, you miss obvious, basics.. ‼️ You're view of the original owner of Balenciaga, because he was a "fashion purist" as you put it, seems very wrong or you're ignoring truth. What does the actual name Balenciaga mean? Did Balenciaga change? It seems like they just gradually became bolder in public view. Actually, ITS A FACT‼️ We have work to do people. Love to all. Bless.
Would a caveman love the creative direction of an iPhone? Would Henry Ford like the Tesla cyber truck? Of course the answer to both is no. The world changes, and with it culture and understanding of art changes. No one respected folk art when it reached some mainstream audiences. Cristobal balenciaga was a genius, had he been born in this generation im sure he’d have a nuanced appreciation for balenciaga, not just “this isn’t tailoring it sucks.”
I definitely get the crux of your point and it’s true. However I’m not willing to concede to the fact that the over commercialisation of fashion due to the race of big conglomerates accumulating billion dollar fashion businesses is some form of innovation. If anything it’s gradually led to the reduction of garment quality amongst other issues.
@@FashionRoadman is that what you think demna is doing? Id say his design practice is quite anti consumerism / satirically aiming at consumerism and that balenciaga has simply gotten lucky with a good marketing team and strong celebrity backing
@@levicohen7333 I’m not saying that represents Demna’s design philosophy. I have over 7 videos on my channel breaking down my thoughts on so many of his collections. However, the fact that he has to put super commercial items like oversized t shirts on the runway every season and over promote the permanent collection stuff that people associate with his work (which is really just what the people on the board force him into making for profit margin) is a by-product of the over commercialisation of fashion.