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Paris Fashion Week highlights industry disparity with Gen Z

As fashion looks backwards, Gen Z turn toward a future of change. Paris Fashion Week highlights the growing differences between the two.

Paris Fashion Week kicked off last week in a whirlwind of retrospection.

From Miu Miu hailing the return of the ultra mini skirt, to Chanel’s flirty homage to the 90’s, the French capital was abuzz with nostalgia. But many of fashion’s reruns highlighted the growing distance between luxury retail and a forward-thinking Gen Z.

Matthew Williams’ new Givenchy collection was the latest to spark outrage, after showcasing a silver torque-style necklace that closely resembled a noose.

Many deemed the piece ‘tone deaf’ and ‘offensive’, with fashion’s ‘most feared Instagram account’ Diet Prada, weighing in on Williams’ accessory. The satirists, who’s scathing ‘cancelations’ have haunted the industry for the past few years, stated that ‘[the Givenchy necklace] really makes you wonder how no one noticed, but alas…history repeats itself.’

This comes after Burberry sent a noose-laden sweatshirt down the runway at London fashion week in 2019. The garment was dubbed a ‘suicide hoodie’ by the public, and Burberry was forced to issue an apology after one of their own models, Liz Kennedy, questioned how ‘anyone [could] overlook this and think it would be okay’.

Social media has erupted with angry comparisons between the two looks, but fashion’s lacking due diligence runs far deeper than rope-esque accessories. In February 2019, during US Black History Month no less, Gucci pulled a turtleneck jumper from their collection after it was compared to a blackface caricature.

The top was designed to cover the face, with a red opening for the mouth that conjured images of 19th century minstrel performers.

These controversies tailgate fashion’s failure to keep up with environmental pressures.

Beyond the designs themselves, major houses like Fendi, Prada, and Dior continue to rank amongst the worst retailers for worker exploitation.

Despite growing pressure from Gen Z to adopt sustainable business models, these brands encourage insatiable consumption amongst the public, whilst using low-paid, mostly non-Western textile workers to produce supposedly ‘luxury’ items.

Even those who rely on European manufacturers, like Celine and Rimowa, often pay ‘staggeringly low wages’, according to an audit by KnowTheChain.

This begs the question: if luxury fashion is so ethically outdated, is it deserving of an innovative status?

Today’s young people certainly don’t think so. Amongst Gen Z, designer labels are being swapped for independent, inclusive brands.

Last week, Extinction Rebellion protesters stormed the Louis Vuitton show in Paris, holding banners marked ‘OVERCONSUMPTION = EXTINCTION’.

And in Milan last month, critics dismissed Fendi and Versace’s first collaboration, ‘Fendace’. Having relied on its famous ‘F’ insignia for years, Fendi revealed it had little else to deliver, and the show was dubbed ‘the last nail in the coffin’ for logo mania.

This resistance to high fashion is a testament to something that has been evolving for some time: in an era of environmental disaster and economic disparity, flaunting our wealth is a dated trend.

The same digital channels that have helped luxury brands to expand their marketing have also exposed younger generations to the consequences of capitalism. It’s harder to care about a Versace dress when thousands are fleeing war torn countries, and the climate crisis is escalating.

Social media is also allowing individuals to forge their own businesses, on their own terms. Ethnic minority and Indigenous individuals are gaining traction on Instagram with their handcrafted pieces, a testament to Gen Z’s concern for integrity over indulgence.

If there’s one thing to take away from fashion’s latest backtracks, it’s that there’s no use dwelling in the past. Social media fosters the inclusivity that’s stunted by a mainstream market. If big brands can’t keep up, then a social-change driven Gen Z will be sure to leave them behind.

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