This Is What Virtual Fashion Month Is Really Like
Few things bring as much excitement as fashion week, or fashion month, if you’re an avid fashion lover like myself. The usual countdown to fashion month is spent researching collections and accepting and requesting invites to attend shows. New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is the pinnacle of the American fashion world.
NYFW, and fashion month in its entirety, looks completely different this season due to the covid-19 pandemic and the inability for journalists, bloggers, and the like to attend shows. Because of the public’s inability to physically go to fashion week many designers are hosting showcases and shows virtually this time around.
It was with great delight that I was invited to attend two shows and a webinar that all really stood out to me: Fllumaé, Oqliq, and Access by NKC’s- Connecting With Journalists webinar.
The Fllumaé show invitation stated:
“Dear Otaymah,
Join us to watch Black History in the making, as Fllumaé presents the first ever Black owned modest line to premier with NYFW: The Shows Tuesday February 16th 2021, 12:30PM EST.”
The closer it got to showtime the more momentum developed as I wondered what exactly would be shown. As a BIPOC (Black Indigenous Person of Color) seeing a phrase like “Black History in the making” made me ultra excited to see what the brand had in store.
When one thinks of modesty fashion words like illustrious and sumptuous may not necessarily spring to mind. Yet, those are the phrases I would choose to describe the event that took place with Fllumaé. It was like watching a full on fashion extravaganza along the lines of the eye candy we got from Bridgerton. I’m talking exacting tailoring that hugged the models bodies yet left the form free, eye-popping embellishments so intense it was as though the flowers along each lapel were in 3-D, and great, flowing effects which mirrored the fabrics used.
Another show that piqued my interest and kept it was by Oqliq. This show was like watching Westworld and Star Trek rolled into one. Sleek looks coupled with textures that moved with the technology rich setting felt like a fantastic video game fashion experience. Latex looking fabrics flowed and bounced off models bodies while still somehow the looks left you reveling in how comfy they’d be.
Fashion month also plays well with informational’s from various providers. These include panel discussions and networking events. Some may be from magazines such as Vogue and others like the one I was fortunate enough to be invited to, by Access by NKC. This webinar featured of D’Shonda Brown and Jamé Jackson. Both of these women spoke with awesome candor about working in PR and the fashion industry.
Each discussed the effects the pandemic has had on their work and what it takes to be in the industry. I found myself nodding my head yes, engaging in the chat with comments, and taking comfort in the viewpoints shared. Brown expressed the tenacity she has grown into and how getting the answer no doesn’t have to be the end of the world. While Jackson touched on how the pandemic forced her to view things differently in terms of her past approach and feelings about her work, and how she’s been able to let go and roll with the flow of life.
All in all, this fashion month is like none other. The covid-19 pandemic has officially affected every aspect of life. But, as we see with fashion, we can be resilient, changing form like fabric, adapting to new ways. Please watch our “This is What Fashion Month Is Really Like” vid and share your thoughts and feels with us!