This year has certainly been unpredictable for everyone. From the plummeting economy to many businesses closing their doors and unemployment rates skyrocketing, many industries are struggling to stay afloat. The fashion industry is no exception.

The fashion world, which is usually lively, has been moving at a snail’s pace due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Several events such as Fashion Week-in cities like Milan, Paris and New York- have been done digitally and have permitted very few spectators. Despite this setback, designers are still assembling out-of-this-world collections and runway shows.

“I think it is for the best that events such as NY fashion week are virtual or canceled as of right now,” junior Eleni Theocharopoulos said. “Although one might think that this is acceptable at this point since the virus broke out so long ago, we are in greater danger right now than we were in March[…] However, in general, watching a fashion show online is not as exciting as it would be in person and you won’t get the same effect.”

Even though fashion week has been mostly remote, designers still had opportunities to display their extraordinary collections for winter and spring 2021. With little to no guests attending shows, designers and their teams had to get creative just in time for the runway.

“[Digital Fashion Week] did show how flexible the teams and models could be when having to perform in fashion shows,” sophomore Cara Argila said. “Lots of brands did online fashion shows and even outside with social distancing. The choice that these brands made was truly clever and was a great way to bounce back.”

The coronavirus pandemic has not only impacted annual events, but it has affected financial aspects for the whole fashion industry. Sales were put on hold during the state-mandated shutdown in the beginning stages of the pandemic and as a result, the industry lost a significant amount of revenue, and many brands like Modell’s Sporting Goods and Lord and Taylor had to either file for bankruptcy or close their stores for good.

“It is disheartening to see how some brands failed over the course of quarantine and this past summer,” Argila said. “It was really discouraging to see our favorite brands disappear online and in stores. Realistically, I think stores will continue to go bankrupt as COVID continues since there are fewer chances to display new works and less people going out and buying clothes.”

Because retail sales are on the decline, online shopping is at an all-time high. Thanks to seven months of quarantine, the safest option to shop for clothing is through the world wide web.

“It’s not the fashion sector of the economy really because so many people are buying clothes online despite being in lockdown,” senior Mia Aponte said. “The reason why the economy is declining is due to the energy since not many people knew they needed gas to travel.“

The fashion industry still has a glimmer of hope for the future. With access to digital technology leaves room for designers, brands, and advertisers alike to get creative.

“I still think the industry is doing relatively well as opposed to others,” Aponte said. “You see, even though we are unable to travel, creative directors have found new ways to keep their brands alive and continue fashion events. I think as more enhancements in technology continue, the fashion industry will still continue to do relatively well. We just have to stay positive amidst this scary time.”