Natalie Massenet Has a Simple Fix to Correct the Fashion Cycle

Have you ever wondered why designers are showing spring and summer clothes in September or October, and winter clothes in February or March? During a livestream interview with Imran Amed of the Business of Fashion, the question was posed to Natalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter who suggested that everyone just skip a season, bring the shows directly to consumers who would be able to purchase the clothes weeks, instead of months, later and get rid of the front row in exchange for trade shows.

While it makes perfect sense, it will probably take a few more years before this would be seriously considered. Despite the rise of digital, magazine editors still hold so much sway that it’s difficult to imagine them giving up their 3-month lead time, or moment of importance being photographed front row.

Massenet says that a skilled editor or buyer can look at something on a rack and know if it’s right, and we have to agree. When covering the Vendome Luxury and Rendez-Vous trade shows in Paris, there were plenty of pieces that stood out just because they were great products. There weren’t any light shows, music, special effects or special displays, and they weren’t needed. There weren’t a lot of models, or spectacles, but it was really much better that way. There were designers who stopped us to tell us why their line was unique, and encourage us to touch, representatives who were happy to let us browse and snap pictures, and fortunately, much more time than the 60 or so seconds you get to try to experience the same thing from a seat along the runaway.

Are runway shows exciting? Absolutely, but if fashion wants to make the most of them, we agree with Massenet that it’s a production best reserved for the real VIPs – the customers and fans of a brand.