For the last decade, the fashion industry was an economic triumph. With consistent growth, newer trends every season, and strong global performance, it was one of the top industries in every corner of the world. The sales forecast was looking promising to entering the New Year until everything came crashing down. It is not surprising that in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak, the fashion industry drastically changed.

The COVID-19 crisis had an immense effect on the fashion industry worldwide, with numbers dropping drastically. According to recent statistics published by the US Census Bureau, the value of the US clothing and associated product sales when down by 50% in March 2020 compared to last year’s estimations. Considering the rate, the fashion industry lost half of its revenue generation as soon as the market was hit by COVID-19 and ever since has been treading downwards.

Let’s break down how COVID-19 has affected some of the major fashion industry trends and changed them for a long time post-corona.

8 Ways COVID-19 Has Affected Our Major Fashion Industry Trends

Here are eight ways COVID-19 is bringing in megatrend changes in the fashion industry worldwide.

1.     More Support For Local And Small Businesses

With only essential businesses allowed to open during the pandemic rise, many industries suffered losses and a harsher blow to the small, locally operating businesses. Many among these were boutiques, fashion houses, and locally operating startup labels that had to shut down their operations. As the lockdown eased and all other businesses were given permission to open again, a global trend surged where people were recommended to buy from their local organizations, which needed the most support to survive and keep their business stable unprecedented times.

2.     Significantly Reduced Fast Fashion Sales

There is no doubt that fast fashion makes buying clothes more affordable. But there is also no doubt that it has an environmental cost attached to it. Before the pandemic, as the awareness around fast fashion being bad for the environment rose among the general public, the sales had already started to suffer. When the pandemic hit, it was a full blow to the fast-fashion selling brands.

As people lost jobs and suffered trickle-down pay cuts, the regular spending was more towards essential items and sustainable goods than any fast-fashion clothing item. Even though it was timely, COVID-19 did significantly reduce fast fashion sales.

3.     A Complete Shutdown For Designer Labels For The Time Being

Many designer labels willfully shut down for the time being as the lockdown was restricted, and the pandemic spread was on the rise. The main reason behind this was that many of the labels could afford the timely shutdown, as well as the fact that people were urged to spend their money smartly. The times are so unpredictable that it is recommended to save your monetary assets and spend only on survival goods. Bigger brands played a significant role in spreading this awareness. However, many brands were still up and running virtually as they continued with their online operations.

4.     No New Seasonal Launches For Brands Until Further Notice

This is one major trend that is still in effect. However, many designers and brands are trying to work around it by following SOPs and maintaining social distancing while they conduct shoots. Until then, there will be no new seasonal launches for brands indefinitely. In fact, this trend goes harder for seasonal brands.

They come up with few launches of exclusive fashion seasonally during the year. Because of the delay in the whole production and manufacturing supply chain, it will not be easy for brands to seize the right opportunity to launch their collections.

5.     Modeling Shoots From Home For Fashion Magazines

A positive trend for sure that surfaced on the social media platform Instagram to many people’s approval. Many prominent fashion figures, including the designers, brands, photographers, and models alike, decided to conduct modeling shoots at home all by themselves.

Designer names like Donatella Versace, Gucci, and high fashion models like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner surfaced among others to conduct a model all by themselves at home for fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and others you can find on dissertation writing services. Where the times were frustrating, the public found these images to be a breath of fresh air as new content was available every week.

6.     Textile Mills And Factory Shutdowns

Another big blow that came initially at the rise of the pandemic was that many textile mills and factories had to be shut down. Where government and city officials were closing down factories, many businesses and households suffered because of it too. Launches were delayed, salaries were not paid, work was abandoned, and so forth.

Workers were sent home, and business operations were on the brink of complete writing off before the lockdown started to ease, and workers were called back to continue. Even then, many organizations couldn’t afford to call back all the workers and open all their facilities. So many workers were unfortunately laid off, and some of the factories were closed entirely.

7.     Face Masks Becoming A Fashion Staple

Believe it or not, but face masks are now considered a fashion staple. Be it any cultural or traditional norm around the world. People are adorning face masks both as a necessity and as a widely accepted fashion accessory as part of the outfit.

People can be seen wearing masks with bikinis, western clothing like jeans, t-shirts, skirts, and gowns, eastern apparel like lehengas, hijabs, dupattas, and much more as they make their way to different occasions and places as the lockdown has eased. It is as if now that the masks are mandatory might as well make it so that it goes with your whole outfit.

8.     Boom For Sustainable Clothing Items

Sustainable fashion items and associated accessories might be on the expensive side. Still, the trend had been on the rise pre-COVID and didn’t seem to go down during the pandemic. As we already know, the online operations of many prominent brands were already up and running.

These brands strategized to increase sales by lowering their price points, and people took this as the best opportunity to purchase some of their favorite high fashion sustainable clothing items. From Supreme and Victoria’s Secret to Yeezy’s, many big brands saw a significant boom in the sales around the COVID-19 situation.

Bottom Line

All in all, the fashion industry has been the top one among others that took a bigger economic blowout due to COVID-19. As the lockdown has eased, the progress is slow to get back up to the position as before. However, the time is against most of the industries, as nothing can be predicted for sure. No new plans or strategies can be made given the uncertainty around the situation except to learn to accept the new norm.

Author Bio: Amanda Jerelyn is currently working as a Lifestyle Blogger at Assignment Assistance. She is a young, work-from-home single mother. As an aspiring fashion student, she knows all things fashion and shares her expertise in this regard on her blog with a network of interested audiences.