Effect of Pandemic on Fashion Industry

Dr.Smita Premanand(FD Dept)

The Textile and fashion industry have been most severely influenced compared to other sector due to the novel COVID-19 pandemic, which has tested the world on each and every front of the economy, medical care, legislative issues, and social qualities on the loose. It is something remarkable in humankind’s set of experiences. It is the most noticeably a terrible bad dream of policymakers, who on one hand are attempting to slow its spread, and on the other, occupied in endeavors to make it less lethal on its on social and monetary impact.

The fashion industry has taken a hard hit due to the Corona crisis. From the material to the markets, the supply chain to the paradigm shifts of trends in public. Every aspect of the industry is being affected by the so called ‘fashion’s Darwinian shakeout’.

Global Impact of Pandemic on Fashion Industry

The global pandemic is affecting all the people in every sector on a global scale. We are struggling from improving COVID-19 recovery rates and at the same time trying to control the death rates , broken health systems, starvation, unemployment, lockdowns of months , mental issues people are facing at domestic level and this is just the tip of the iceberg. This has resulted a severe blow to the fashion houses, retailers, influencers and fashion magazines, in expected and surprising ways. Some have made small changes in their day-to-day operations, while others have been forced changes in their fundamental ways.

The Fashion industry of India has responded in a more creative and interesting ways. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), for example, was amongst the first to announce to raise a  COVID-19 Support Fund for helping small businesses, Entrepreneurs and young designers during the crisis. The approaching joblessness in the area generally speaking both locally and abroad, gives us a reminder of the complex structure of the industry. In excess of 20 lakh workers in the clothing business in Bangladesh (the majority of them ladies) have been fired due to recession in market; and it is assessed that an incredible 40 lakh specialists in the fashion industry in Bangladesh will be influenced directly or indirectly due to COVID-19 related undoing or non-instalment for orders. All the While, Pressure from Western retailers were forcing re-opening of 850 garment manufacturing factories in Bangladesh, putting laborers in danger of COVID-19 and jeopardizing their lives.

Everyone, expectedly, is manufacturing masks or other essential line of clothing, partly so their business gets to stay open as an ‘essential service’. But masks are a controversial ‘contribution’ to the situation, given that it isn’t important by how the masks look but how they work against the Covid-19. Moreover, some of the designer masks have become an expression of class and establishes exactly where you are on the social hierarchy. To wear a designer mask while the world is struggling with the situation makes them quite a tone deaf to the mood at the moment.

Fashion magazines also adapted to the situation by going completely online. Some of those interesting changes can be seen in the weekly covers and self-taken covers. This begs to differ the question — is it the end of the fashion magazine, luxury advertising which brings most of the revenues for the industry? Could a magazine survive in the long term merely as a Social media account?

Malls are shut, stores are closed. Retail is trying to move to a more invested field to sustain itself and grow through ecommerce. This is the beginning of Unemployment, Bankruptcy of small businesses as well as some major companies in the industry. The well-known Fashion company JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has decided to close a third of its total stores. while Zara is reported to be closing 1,200 of its stores. The outerwear giant Canada Goose workers. Some companies have been able to deal with this crisis better than other companies by taking advantage of their global vantage point — Burberry, for instance, saw sales in China dropping in the beginning of January 2020 and predicted beforehand the trend that would occur in other countries. While some have suffered, some companies have instead prospered: Bath and Body Works has increased its soap and hand sanitiser production. Lululemon sales are all time high due to more demand for sweatpants, or comfortable work from home wearables. And some are just going all in with their bets such as, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, which has shocked many as instead of reducing prices they have raised them. I suppose they might have used the logic of: you only live once, buy that bag.

Interior movements in nations, more fundamental to production network like China and Italy will affect the worldwide fashion designing industry. Italy, for instance, is loaded up with family-run shoe production lines that have taken a serious hit from the healthcare and financial effect of COVID-19 pandemic. A report was given by the Wazir Advisors assessed the Impact of COVID-19 on European and US Apparel Market and the economic loss in their value that has fallen by about $308 billion, around 45 percent lower than extended in 2020. The spread of the infection has significantly affected the material business as China, the United States and the EU are tremendous business sectors for Indian material items, as per T Rajkumar, administrator of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI). The falling impact of outer interest stun alongside homegrown interest slack brought about lower creation. Numerous organizations were closed down and designing fell dramatically.

Unique changes in Fashion Industry

Turkish fashion designer Bora Aksu said the Coronavirus pandemic has enormously motivated his ongoing assortment, which thinking back came after more than 100 years to the Spanish influenza pandemic and the finish of World War One in 1919.This implied that Aksu’s style show booked was one of the main four occurring at London Fashion Week, compared to the 46 shows that occurred a year ago at the fashion week last September. The originator said that after such a time of segregation in the prior months of the year because of the pandemic. It made him think about the 1918 influenza pandemic and the going with season of grieving toward the finish of the war, and the significantly more hopeful time frame that followed. The floaty white dresses with long socks and white boots mirrored the minimalist dressing of the attendants who treated the war injured and those experiencing infections, he said. “The collections and the fashion actually should reflect the times that we be going through,”.