Oceans rise and fashion weeks come and go, always leaving behind an indecent amount of reviews, forecasts, and celebrity sightings for all to lose sleep over. But as soon as the last designer bows and leaves the runway, the industry has to look at the numbers, crunch them as well, potentially. Thinking about all those sales reports and data analytics, I had to ask: when we look at a collection, is it better to look at it through the eyes of a shopper or an observer?
There’s a clear difference, let me break it down for you. There are two types of people in fashion; the ones who talk about the art and the ones who make the money. The observer - the critic, the journalist, the “I-have-thoughts” crowd - they see a collection as a statement. They analyse the references, the silhouette evolution, the social commentary between every pearl and under every sole. To them, and tell me if I’m wrong, a show is a narrative, a conversation between designer and culture, a form of artistic expression that absolutely needs to be dissected and debated, a thesis on what’s next... But for the shopper, it’s a totally different thing. The shopper is focused on the bottom line. They ask the important questions; Will this sell? Will it hang in my closet, in my client’s closet? Will it sell out before it even hits the racks? Observers write think pieces; shoppers write checks.
Let’s cut the sentimentality - luxury is business, and business is war. The fantasy is cute, but if it doesn’t translate to sales, it’s just an expensive art project. Retailers don’t gamble on “statements”; they bet on what makes people desperate to buy. But here’s the gag - hype isn’t just a buzzword and it isn’t just market manipulation. If people aren’t drooling over your brand, you’re already dead. No one wants what no one wants. And in this industry, irrelevance is worse than bad press.
Think Yves Saint Laurent in the ‘70s or Tom Ford’s Gucci in the ‘90s. Are you thinking revolutionary collections or borderline cults? They hijacked culture, shoved trends down our throats, and made sure we thanked them for it. The critics intellectualized it, the shoppers maxed out their cards, and the brands cashed in. That’s how you do it - runway as chessboard, sales as checkmate.
Once upon a time, the industry was ruled by velvet ropes, whispered guest lists, and editors with God complexes. Now? Any influencer with a Wi-Fi signal and a ring light is a front-row fixture, and your Uber driver might be live-streaming Schiaparelli between rides. The line between spectator and spender is gone, and brands are cashing in. Mugler, Jacquemus, et al. are ahead of the game - why tease when you can transact? The moment a model hits the runway, her outfit is already in someone’s cart, checkout pending. But tell me, when fashion is available at the click of a button, does it still hold power, or is it just another commodity, like overpriced oat milk and Manhattan real estate?
And I’ve talked about this before; luxury isn’t about need, it’s about signaling. It makes sense to bring it up again in this column, so I‘m about to repeat myself, my apologies. In luxury, every shopper is an observer, and every observer is one cocktail away from becoming a shopper. The difference? Liquidity. You don’t buy a handbag to carry your phone; you buy it to carry weight. The act of purchase is a transaction in status, and anyone pretending otherwise is lying - to themselves, mostly. And the observer? Put them in the right room, at the right show, with the right people, and suddenly, “objective analysis” turns into a very expensive retail habit.
And that’s why luxury thrives on controlled chaos. A collection has to be both a museum piece and a street fight - something to be dissected by critics and ripped off mannequins by customers who think they’re tastemakers when they’re quite frankly just the target audience. Because here’s the truth: fashion doesn’t just cater to demand, it manufactures desperation. It’s a slow, calculated addiction. First, they make you want it. Then, they make you need it. And before you know it, you’re refreshing stock drops like a day trader with a gambling problem. Congratulations, you’re hooked.
And that, reader that I love, is the market’s final laugh - fashion isn’t just art, it’s arbitrage. The critics wax poetic, the shoppers swipe, and the brands? They play both sides. Luxury isn’t about filling closets - it’s about controlling markets, shaping culture, and making sure desire always outpaces supply. Call it what you want - commerce, culture, free enterprise - but at the end of the day, the month, the quarter, only one thing matters: the numbers. And if you think you’re immune, take another look at your closet. That “must-have” piece? That wasn’t your decision. It was theirs. Welcome to the game!
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