FROM RUNWAY TO REALITY: HOW FASHION WEEK SHAPES OUR SHOPPING HABITS

Written for The Agency at UF

Twice a year, fashion lovers across the globe turn their eyes to the runways of New York, Paris, Milan, and London, waiting to see what the world’s top designers will dream up next. Fashion Week is where trends are born, where style is defined—but more than that, it’s where consumerism gets its marching orders. The glitzy, glamorous world of high fashion doesn’t just influence what we wear; it shapes how we buy, why we buy, and what we expect from the clothes hanging in our closets. Fashion Week is the engine of an industry that’s always moving at breakneck speed, but is it driving us toward a more thoughtful future—or just revving the engine of fast fashion? From the moment the first model struts down the runway, Fashion Week becomes a spectacle of innovation. Bold designs, experimental cuts, and fresh ideas dazzle audiences — but before the lights even dim, these once-unique creations begin to make their way to mass-market retailers. Social media makes this process instantaneous; what we once had to wait months for is now available in days. Influencers and fashion journalists spread the gospel of new trends far and wide, and fast fashion brands are quick to replicate and flood the market with affordable versions of high-end looks. Suddenly, runway exclusivity is out, and consumer accessibility is in.

Brands that were successful during Fashion Week:

Luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior received the most mentions online during fashion week, likely due to the presence of major K-Pop stars like Lisa from blackpink, which attracted over 1.2 million mentions online (Brandwatch, 2024). Louis Vuitton also partnered with Pharrell Williams, who helped open up Paris Fashion Week for their show, and served as the creative director. The main focus for the show was around the cowboy trend, and served as a way to break down cultural stereotypes when it came to discussing cowboys, pointing out that they're not just white but also African-American and Native American as well. A few main trends emerged from Fashion Week, and we’ll likely see them take over stores in the next few months. According to online conversations, some of the biggest trends were colors like black gold and brown, flowers, the cowboy aesthetic, and outerwear such as blazers, coats, and jackets.

Brands that are struggling:

Brands like Zara are very quick to replicate trends from the runway while keeping their prices low, but the brands reliance on utilizing the model of fast fashion has sparked discussions fueled by criticism. Recently Zara has been more often portrayed in the media as the ultimate sustainability villain rather than the innovation champion it was a few years ago (Frederic Etiemble, 2023). Despite being present in Fashion Week, the brand is facing a negative response for its ethical practices and environmental impact.

Gen Z’s View on Fast Fashion

When it comes to Gen Z’s perspective of fast fashion, they prioritize sustainability and making eco-conscious decisions when shopping for clothes. Gen Z is very aware of overconsumption and fast fashion, believing it helps spin the wheels of consumerism even faster, feeding the fast fashion beast. Gen Z prefers more sustainable practices, and this can be tough with new trends emerging every season, driving consumers to buy, buy, buy—only to toss, toss, toss when the next look comes along. This constant churn of trends pushes us into a cycle of disposable fashion, where our closets are never quite full and our desire for the next new thing is never quite satisfied.

Lastly

Fashion Week is a powerful tool for clothing brands everywhere, but its impact on Gen Z’s view is evolving. Something Gen Z is constantly prioritizing is ethical consumption and sustainability, and brands who do not evolve and adapt to this preferred method risk getting left behind.

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