Vicky Layton
Since 2013 we saw the rise of boutique brands and other niche ones who were releasing limited edition products or collaborations with niche designers. The list includes, of course, OFF-White, Supreme, Anti Social Social Club and Bape, to name a few. What are the current trends within the fashion business today? Is it true that everyone is trying to exploit the streetwear fashion business by providing the flashiest pieces of clothing ever? Let’s break it down in a simpler way.
The OFF-White Phenomenon
OFF-White and Virgil Abloh are two names that are currently reshaping the fashion industry. Not only because of the fact that Virgil is now Louis Vuitton’s creative director, a fact that naturally puts him into the spotlight, when it comes to his fashion business presence, but also given the fact that many are the influencers, actors, musicians and such who are currently wearing his pieces, giving both brands an incredible presence in the market.
Collaborations Are Everything
Another important aspect that recently emerged in the fashion industry is related to designers’ collaborations: it has become quite normal to see big, renowned brands collaborating with small, indie-based designers on certain lines, especially when it comes to streetwear. It’s no secret that men’s designer streetwear is a trend and everyone wants to embark on the journey, and that’s why big brands are always on the hunt for the new design star.
Must Cop That Limited One
Branding, when it comes to mens streetwear clothing, is literally everything. In order to boost such brand awareness, many were the indie designers who decided to “just release limited or unique pieces” which, in the end, were not limited or unique, since they are still listed on most of their website. This has been done just so they could have boosted their sales on their “drop days” when fans were waiting patiently in queue for the latest piece (Supreme was probably the first one who adopted this strategy)
To Conclude
For what we saw, it’s easy to state the fact that streetwear is taking over the entire fashion business, being the main focus of many different brands like Gucci, who was previously renowned for being a very high class, boutique brand which was only providing high-level dresses. With that being said, it’s not hard to say that all the upcoming fashion weeks will rely on flashy streetwear pieces.
