At the end of the 1990s, things in fashion started to change a little. Conglomeration accelerated within the industry, computers and the internet were becoming more central to the work – even on the creative side, – trend-forecasting agencies emerged, and their services gained wider popularity and deeper influence. Soon enough, the fast fashion took over, trends surpassed creativity to meet sales targets and innovation took a back seat.” Set aside a few icons of fashion like Armani and Chanel where, despite innovating every season you clearly recognise their distinctive immutable looks and style, nowadays also the big brands have been caught into the trend’s treadmill ! Running and chasing! We see former iconic brands like Balenciaga, Gucci, etc., playing the game of trends and trend setting, very often exponentially increasing their top line (and market value), but then having backlashes and risking losing the identity of the brand. Moving the focus to the luxury segment, haute couturiers are also feeling highly pressured by fast fashion, which in turn has led to the rise of similar styles and designs. Designers are shifting their focus from spending hours on single and customised pieces and moving towards producing larger quantities. Hence disseminating the concept of how ateliers worked in the early 19th and 18th century. Couture houses are also expanding their range of seasonal collections from simple spring/summer and autumn/winter to pre-spring and resort wear collections, chasing the trends and hunting them. Some have even taken the plunge to introduce athleisure lines like Net-a-Porters Net-a-Sporter line, and others are now introducing prêt collections that can sell off the rack and on other online platforms. Trends are extrapolated from what’s happening around us. It entails seasonal, cultural and social huge changes. Its why trends are fleeting and varied among people and places. The homogenization of fashion means bridging this diversity gap, and it is a huge gap.

A 2021 investigation by Rest of World found that Shein added an average of more than 7,000 new items to its website every day. Despite the conspiracies behind it, The company generates new garments to capitalize on whatever is trending. To stay afloat, traditional retailers have been forced to become like their fast-fashion competition, fashion nova , pretty little things , lux to kill and so many fast fashion brands .relying more on data and the advice of large consulting firms and less on the creativity and expertise of their staff. Such trend-prediction methods, result in the homogenization of fashion over time. When a designer’s interesting idea is liked, retailers copy designs. With supply chains have become more dispersed and complicated, multiple brands buy from the same supplier and put their own labels, hence one can often find the same clothes in two stores, copycat alarm ding ding ding! Digitalization has had an exponential impact on every aspect of fashion, and the 2020 pandemic has only propelled the virtual digital push. We are no longer limited to just one format. In-person and virtual realms will continue to co-exist ,Fast fashion and social media have definitely been a catalyst in massifying fashion. Perhaps this is the result of cancel culture and the constant urge for instant gratification,In the past decade alone, social media has managed to quickly revolutionize virtually and digitally, every industry in the world, and fashion is certainly no exception. In the fashion world, social media has brought connectedness, innovation, and diversity to the industry. Instagram, or TikTok for example, functions as a live magazine, always updating itself with the best, most current trends while allowing users to participate in fashion rather than just watch from afar. Social media has also done a number of incredible things for the fashion industry, including creating fashion icons, heavily influencing fashion trends, viral looks, and ultimately reforming the way people dress and shop and how brands market themselves. “Social media has a powerful influence on people’s fashion choices, leading them to follow the latest trends. The FOMO is instilled causing individuals to conform to what is currently popular.It is also interesting to note that although this has paved the way for the uproar of many creative individuals, a new term “influencer looks” has become a popular way for individuals to showcase their styles and promote fashion brands. They can inspire and help to spread awareness of the latest trends and styles. Influencers look to contribute to the homogenization of fashion and encourage people to conform to what is popular rather than developing their unique sense of style and self expression. I believe that Influencer looks are essential to stay in style, but one should adorn looks they are the most comfortable.

Influencers are doing what fashion editors and journalists have been doing for the longest time but in an easier way. What I love about the “Influencer Look” is that they are getting more and more creative with their styling that’s a fact despite the editing. From a couturier standpoint, a fresh perspective to a garment I have designed, or my vision is always exciting and stimulating to me.The influencers’ incessant posting of the same styles and of shifting brands has helped set the tone. But the brands are to blame much more, they have been caught in this rat race, and they should be the ones to drive virtuous individualistic fashion. The realm of fashion has swiftly seen the globalization of its own consumer markets at an unprecedented rate given the birth of social media platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram , likee, onlyfans and digital fashion shows. It can be seen in the impact of fashion shows, movies, influencer lookbooks, and social media on personal style, causing people to abandon their unique sense of fashion. Could this, in turn, bring on an era where individuals, from around the world are in essence dressing eerily like one another? A homogenization of fashion so to speak. Would it therefore also not to wrong be to acknowledge the fact that the term “sustainability” in fashion is now being abused or even used?

As the internet brings us closer to the fashion industry and latest trends as well as those within that share our ideals, are we headed towards one large globalized market? Are we all subconsciously working together to develop a homogeneous style in which we all dress the same no matter our location and .region? We’ll leave the answers to you.THIRTEEN.ACADEMY