STYLE IN THE DAYS OF CRISIS
* An attempt for annual synopsisandunprejudicedfashion prognosis
It finished one very important for the Bulgarian fashion year. Maybe it is early to be made final diagnoses and estimations for all good and bad that happened in our fashion design in 2008.
For analysis and evaluation of the condition of some branch and as a whole sphere of the economics and of the culture can be used different experts with their competent methods, instruments, indexes. Regarding the Bulgarian fashion design one of the most authoritative evaluations belongs to the representatives of the media. What is the opinion of the fashion journalists in Bulgaria for the best in the past year? In their voting for the most prestigious Bulgarian fashion award „Golden needle” (at the Academy for fashion) 36-member jury, composite by representatives of the leading Bulgarian media, defined the new bearers of the high prize. These are Alia Milusheva (designer of the year), “Markam” (fashion house), “Etere” (fashion house), Moni Frances (photographer), Julia Angelova (make-up), Milka Alexandrova – Buchi (accessories – jewels), Virginia Zdravkova (fashion spectacle), Svetla Dimitrova (all-round contribution), Paola Apsi (contribution to the building of the national self-confidence), Biliana and Peter Pelov – “Bipone” (young designer).
Motley and heterogeneous was the dynamics in the development of the creation and of the distribution of the Bulgarian fashion articles. The second year from our membership in the European Union was marked by strengthened concurrence and growth of the probations and of the challenges to our fashion houses, designers, entrepreneurs and investors. In the Bulgarian fashion branch started to be felt already the negatives of the world financial crisis. In the end itself of 2008 one of the darkest prognoses reads that between 70 and 80% from the tailoring and textile industry in Bulgaria will stop working still from the beginning of 2009. This could happen if the government don’t take urgent measures for concessions and relieves of this so important branch, were categorical The branch union of the tailoring industry, the Bulgarian association of textile and ready-made clothes and the Union of knitted industry...
What is to be done? New Year – new luck! By tradition or automatically we say to us these words still in the first hours and days of January. However the luck can be good or bad. What is the luck of the fashion – in particular – of the Bulgarian fashion in 2009?
The clever managers know very well that the crisis is not only negative phenomenon. The popular Murphology reads „Before better, the things worsen”! The crisis is the possible clearest signal for exhausting of already existing models of economic development. It is indicator for sharp contradiction between investments and results, labor and capital, strategic planning and tactical actions. I didn’t hear till now reasonable explanation of the gigantic world crisis that exploded as atomic bomb with unforeseen consequences. The crisis management – including in the fashion industry, by presumption, supposes some inevitable steps. After the whole analysis and diagnostic activity it is logical to be reconsidered and reformed the main resource structures – human and material. The market will shrink, but let’s wish just this don’t provoke new wave of cheap articles with bad quality and unknown origin. The logic supposes in the conditions of crisis to survive the better, the more quality and the more fashionable.
The tailoring and the textile sector in Bulgaria have potential and reserves that will help them to survive, even this will happen with some economic stagnation or in the best occasion – retardation of the tempo of development. It is clear that the export will decrease and just because of this – at last, a big part of the companies (that won’t go bankrupt, of course) will reorient to the interior market – zone that some of them quite arrogantly bypassed.
However what happened in the world fashion? In the past fashion 2008 year happened many things that changed the world fashion landscape. At 1st of June 2008 passed away the genius Yves Saint Laurent, merited continuer of the style of Dior, Balenciaga and Chanel. During the second half of the year and especially during the fourth quarter exploded an enormous economic crisis that from now on will reflect negatively at the fashion business. In the same time the planet became a witness of slide-rule fashion activities, the announcement and the realization of grandiose projects and of a number of important events. Karl Lagerfeld announced his intention to project the interior design of the luxurious Dubai residence „Isla moda” on the artificially created archipelago in the emir, where to be built luxurious boutiques in the spirit of “Chanel”. The Spanish fashion empire “Inditex”, those ownership is the multiple "Zara", launched at the market luxurious accessories “Uterqüe”. “Inditex” conquered one more country in East Europe. Montenegro is the 71th country, where the company opened its boutiques.
At the top of the fashion houses realized a number of changes – new appointments, discharges, dismissals. Aizak Mizrahi took the tenure of office chief designer of fashion house „Liz Clairborne” (USA); Robert Vignola became president of „Calvin Klein Collection”; Peter Dundas took the place of Matthew Williamson as chief designer of fashion house „Emilio Pucci”. Before his new appointment Dundas was designer of „Ungaro”. Matthew Williamson himself became the newest visiting designer of the famous commercial multiple “H & M”. In the spring of 2009 the Swedish fashion concern will put on the market an exclusive lady’s collection of Williamson. In the past year the board of the directors of „Hugo Boss” got a new president. This is Claus-Dietrich Lars – ex- executive director of fashion house „Christian Dior”.
The Hollywood producer and actress Sofia Coppola was chosen by the luxurious brand „Louis Vuitton”, to create limited series shoes and bags. In 2008 „the bad boy of the British fashion” Alexander McQueen made special line for the American multiple „Target”. Marc Jacobs signed global licensing agreement with “Staff International SpA” for his men’s line in the next five years. With his new deal the designer will distribute his men’s line in the show-rooms of Staff International SpA in Tokyo, Milan, New York and Paris. “Mаrks & Spencer” concluded an agreement with the designer of the famous TV movie “Sex and The City” – Patricia Field, for exclusive collaborative collection. The deal is with awaited incomes, exceeding 1.1 milliard British pounds.
In 2008 a number of famous cosmetic brands chose their new faces. Among them is Anne Hathaway – the charming star from the movie „The Devil Wears Prada”, who became face of „Lancome” and Gisele Bundchen, who concluded two-year agreement with “Max Factor”.
New luxurious boutiques opened doors and demonstrated scope, globalism and refinement. In New York was opened the biggest boutique for bridal clothes – an ownership of fashion house „Pronovias”. It is situated between 5th and Madison Avenue and it is extended at 21 thousand square feet of area. In 2008 Giorgio Armani put in action his biggest boutique till now – in Milan started to receive visitors gigantic store, extending at 3 floors and area of 2 000 square meters.
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It is not easy to prognosticate what will be the condition of the Bulgarian and of the world fashion in 2009. How will be developed the style in crisis situation, stagnation, economic downturn, recession, and maybe depression? The luxury will acquire new „non-luxurious” physiognomy, because in the conditions of crisis among the first affected are the spheres of the lifestyle, the show business and the advertising. At the order of the day comes the need from re-examination of the existing concepts for fashion and modern, luxurious and high-quality, brilliant and refined, expensive and too expensive. At the order of the day appears the need from new aesthetical discipline and self-discipline. At order of the day appear the irresistible axioms for more modesty and reserve, for stronger brakes in front of the cupidity, the egoism and the over-consumer behavior. At order of the day appear the criteria for bigger unity, for less parvenu behavior and more prolonged sober from the self-oblivion and from the delirium in the world of the luxury and of the over-abundance. Because affected will be poor and rich, don’t having and having, hungry and sated.
Read: 63085 times © Fashion Lifestyle Magazine, issue 18, January 2009
MORE PUBLICATIONS:ISSUE 17: THE FASHION INDUSTRY IN CONTEMPORARY BULGARIA
ISSUE 16: ABOUT THE FASHION AND THE ADEQUATE APPEARANCE
ISSUE 15: THE INSPIRATION IN THE FASHION DESIGN
ISSUE 14: WHERE IS OUR FASHION SELF-CONFIDENCE?
ISSUE 13: LUXURY OR THE DILEMMA FOR THE CONSUMER CULTURE
