FETCH
COLLECTIVE

Fashion show runways were once untouchable domains, where beautiful people displayed exclusive couture and seemed to have status unattainable to the common world. With no cell phones in sight, fashion show audiences would mainly contain celebrities who would admire the artistry of the runway, normally donning another piece from the designer. Today, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is a social media spectacle, where TikTok creators now occupy front-row seats at high fashion runways instead of A-listers, leading us to wonder—has Fashion Week lost its exclusivity? 

 

Thanks to modern technology and social media platforms, anyone can access behind-the-scenes NYFW content. However, as convenient as it is to be able to experience this event from the comfort of one’s own home, the influx of influencers and the newfound ability to gain instant fame has taken a toll on how the public perceives fashion shows and runway culture. 

 

“The first time I went to New York Fashion Week…Instagram did not exist,” fashion reporter Sara Spruch Feiner writes in her article for Glossy Pop Newsletter. “The whole affair felt more clandestine and certainly more exclusive.” As a frequent NYFW reporter, Feiner has observed how fashion show audiences have been influenced by social media in recent years. “The fashion crowd has gone from being frustrated by bloggers getting front-row seats to confused by a younger generation of TikTokers, whose outfits are perhaps even more outlandish than the generation before them,” Feiner says. TikTok, in particular, fosters fast fashion due to the rapid trend cycle, consequently killing the allure of timeless high couture. Yet, its direct effect on the runway often goes unnoticed by the public. They are too distracted by consuming influencer content to notice the reality of the diminishing fashion show experience. Influencers broadcast the event and help brands garner larger audiences, but this newfound emphasis of Internet presence takes away from the artistic appeal of fashion shows. 

 

“In the 1990s, fashion shows were a true craze,” says anonymous writer Fraquouh and Franchomme for Allure Club blog. “The models were the unattainable divas that came in contact with the public who liked them and the clothes they wore…It was an interaction between people of different types, and that was what made the runway shows of the 90s special.” This blog post may be opinion-based, but there is truth in its words. In the realm of social media, where influencers can so easily interact with their followers, fashion models have become much more relatable in terms of their status in the fashion world, contrasting the mystique and unfathomable glamour of the 90s model life, which could not be documented as easily as it is today through Instagram and TikTok posts. Before social media, models needed grit and a specific body type to reach the height of their fame. Now, it is much easier to be scouted to a modeling agency, as in many cases, all it takes is one good Instagram post to get noticed. 

 

It’s hard to imagine that the fashion world has not always relied on social media publicity and marketing—especially because of how difficult it is to find raw, unfiltered content from fashion shows decades ago. Catwalk (1995), a documentary directed by Robert Leacock, follows American model Christy Turlington during 1993 Spring Fashion Week in Milan, Paris, and New York City. Catwalk is available on YouTube, and most of the comments under the film strongly agreed that there was a “certain sophistication, maturity and sexiness to the 90s supermodels.” While getting all dolled up for various runway shows, Turlington shares glamorous, yet raw moments with fellow 90s models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. Turlington and Moss discuss their post-show party plans (26:04). “Give me more to drink, and sure!” Turlington says as a makeup artist paints her face. “You know you love it,” Moss responds, carelessly smoking a cigarette. As scandalous as this exchange could have been during its time, there were less opportunities for Turlington and Moss’ private affairs to be released to the public, with the exception of camera footage such as the documentary or paparazzi photos. Today, models must be more careful—because with social media, anyone can find out anything about their lives. 90s models still had to maintain a respectable image; however, the absence of cellphones allowed for more freedom in their interaction and for them to keep their lives somewhat a mystery. 

 

Catwalk also gives insight into how models collaborated with designers to achieve an artistic vision. Moss experiments with designer John Galliano just moments before a show. “Big eyes,” he tells her (27:13). Moss proceeds to try different types of runs, to appear as though she is being “chased by a wolf” (27:20). Both model and designer bounce ideas off each other,  resulting in Galliano’s refreshing and exciting vision of Russian Princess Lucretia coming to life. Designers carefully picked their models based on who would execute their vision the best, or based on who encapsulated certain collections. Now, designers are focused on getting the most popular influencer in their designs. 

 

The secrecy that once made the fashion world so glamorous is now a thing of the past. Fetch Collective’s own Lead Stylist Ellyana Perosi, a sophomore studying Public Relations in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, has modeled on the runway at NYFW for eight seasons now. Perosi works independently from an agency. “It’s just me and my mom,” Perosi says, as she had never expected to enter the modeling industry until her and her mom decided to send Ellyana’s digital headshots to online casting openings. As a model experiencing the technology surge in the fashion industry first-hand, Perosi has observed both positives and negatives of social media’s effects on runway culture. She likes that she can “see her walk from every angle” through a cell phone camera, as well as how designers have exhibited aspects of social media trends such as boho-chic at this season of NYFW. “Chloé stuck to the boho-chic especially,” Perosi says. She notes the main reason that the “Ibiza summer” trend is gaining traction this spring is because it incorporates handmade elements that fast fashion brands cannot honor, such as hand-sewn lace and intricate beading. Despite the clear benefits of social media providing creative opportunities for models and designers, it also has significant downsides. “I’ve been filmed changing three times without my knowledge,” Perosi told Fetch. “This isn’t necessarily new, but with smartphones, it’s easier than ever for a security breach to slip through the cracks.” Not only can cell phones ruin the “backstage allure” they also can exploit models without their consent; there is an extreme misconception that because models display their body on the runway, they are comfortable with being filmed anywhere. It’s also important to recognize that just like any other art form, experiencing a fashion show from behind a screen is very different from watching the magic happen in person. “I’ve been asked to look pissed off, smile, change my walk…” Perosi says. “[She is] hired to execute the designer’s vision.” It is certainly difficult to honor these artistic visions when people’s faces are behind their cell phones watching the show through their recording, even while sitting front row at a show. Innovation in fashion is not appreciated as it once was. 

 

The definition of runway allure has changed within the fashion world over time. It is certainly possible to use digital technology to enhance the runway experience, and it is such an incredible feat that fashion lovers everywhere are able to witness aspects of NYFW from their own homes. Despite this newfound accessibility, society must also realize that regardless of what their favorite influencer is portraying, their experience from behind a screen lacks the magic that is found backstage at shows and on the runway itself. Perhaps taking notes from the 90s isn’t a terrible idea—disconnecting from social media might revive the lost charm of the runway’s golden age.