In 1999, as a young fashion news editor at Elle Magazine, the author did not attend runway shows in Milan and Paris. Instead, she relied on nightly updates from her boss and Women’s Wear Daily to stay informed. The fashion industry at the time was inaccessible to the general public, with only top brands sending out lookbooks, which could take weeks to receive. The author and her colleagues created scrapbooks of WWD’s coverage, providing their only reference until the lookbooks arrived.
Fashion in 1999 was described as a “you-really-had-to-be-there time,” where the industry was considered to be for “weird people,” according to designer Nicolas Ghesquière. The introduction of Style.com and the rise of social media during the early 2000s changed the landscape of fashion, making it more accessible to the masses. Ghesquière’s recent show for Louis Vuitton was estimated to have been seen by half a billion people, illustrating the shift in audience reach.
Despite the changes in the industry, weirdness has remained a key element in fashion, particularly evident in Ghesquière’s unique vision for Louis Vuitton over the past decade. The scarcity of images in 1999 intensified the extremes seen on the runways that year, making the collections more memorable. Vogue Runway has preserved some of the 1999 collections thanks to the meticulous work of Laird Borrelli-Persson, who digitizes old slides in Condé Nast’s photo archive.
The author reflects on the significant shifts in the fashion industry since 1999, noting the impact of technology and social media on the accessibility and visibility of runway shows. The rise of online platforms and social media has democratized the industry, allowing a wider audience to engage with and experience fashion in real-time. The evolution of fashion coverage has made it easier for designers to showcase their work and reach a global audience.
Looking back on the era before widespread online coverage, the author recalls the excitement of receiving physical copies of Women’s Wear Daily and creating scrapbooks to document the runway shows. The limited availability of images in 1999 created a sense of exclusivity and anticipation around fashion, highlighting the contrast with the current era of instant access and constant updates. The author’s experience as a fashion editor in 1999 provides a glimpse into a bygone era in the industry, shaped by different technologies and cultural norms.
In conclusion, the author’s reminiscence of the fashion industry in 1999 offers a contrast between the past and the present, highlighting the impact of technology on accessibility and inclusivity in fashion. The transformation of fashion coverage through online platforms and social media has revolutionized the way designers present their work and how audiences engage with it. Despite these changes, the essence of weirdness and individuality remains a constant in fashion, as seen in the unique vision of designers like Nicolas Ghesquière. The author’s reflections evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time when the industry was more insular and exclusive, yet also underscore the positive aspects of democratization and global reach in contemporary fashion.
