What The Future Holds

With post-pandemic aftershocks, an incoming global recession and a rapid change in brand perception, it's more important than ever for luxury fashion to stay relevant, creative and progressive. The question really is: "How?"

- JAMIE LEE

Luxury fashion has always found a way to move forward. When designers like Chanel and Balenciaga were disrupted by World War II, they picked themselves right up once things went back to normal and continued their businesses. When the demand for everyday wear overshadowed that for haute couture, fashion houses smoothly segued into providing ready-to-wear collections for a new generation of consumers who wanted speed and convenience along with their luxury. When fashion went from exclusive to global in the 1990s, the industry quickly reconfigured with the rise of luxury conglomerates like LVMH, Richemont and Kering, who each made it their priority to acquire good brands that were struggling to stay afloat.

In the late 2000s, fashion blogging rose to prominence. When Rumi Neely, Aimee Wong and Chiara Ferragni started to set trends and lead public opinion, fashion insiders were quick to recognise their value and place them in their front rows. When the pandemic struck three years ago, social media platform Tik Tok overtook the world by storm and brought on a new era of -cores in fashion, such as quiet luxury, Y2K-core and Victorian-core, which determined what was in and what was out - even before the seasonal runway shows. Fashion brands were again quick to react, and sought out these TikTok stars to seed their collections and campaigns.

When the K-wave started to flood the globe, brands immediately saw the potential of Korean stars, wooing actors as well as musicians with lucrative endorsement deals and the chance to front a prestigious fashion house. Runway seasons now feature an absolute pantheon of South Korean stars gracing the front rows at fashion week - and often, they completely steal the show.