About a week ago, I learnt that AF Vandevorst was closing. It is a Belgian fashion brand based in Antwerp and the first company to ever offer me a fashion internship about eight years ago. My parents were not supportive of me doing it, so it was a missed opportunity. Belgium doesn’t strike most as a fashion capital mostly because it isn’t commercially driven, but in truth, Antwerp, Belgium is probably one of the few authentic fashion capitals left. It is home to the Antwerp Six: Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Van Saene, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee. They are known for their radical differing views on fashion in the 80s. The group had an eccentric take on fashion presentations when they rented a bus and set out for London Fashion Week in 1986 after graduating from the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Many fashion brands and retailers built on fashion integrity and driven by strong stories behind the clothes as opposed to blatant image labelling have chosen the path to close their brands. In a press release, founders An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx expressed: “We are humbled and honoured to be known for exploring new boundaries; for creating a strong DNA with collections in a universe of fetishes, sensual folds and poetic extravagance; for effortlessly blending elements inspired by uniforms with subversive femininity and tailoring.
“The dynamics in the fashion world have changed.
“It is more challenging, uncertain and disruptive than ever before.
“We came to the realization that we won’t be able to maintain the same level of creativity and focus on story telling rather than product.
“To work in a way that has always distinguished us.”
The step is not unusual for many who believe in true fashion and have not chosen to keep up with the charade. In July of 2017, popular Parisian Concept Store Colette on Rue Saint-Honoré, a top shopping destination for editors and style enthusiasts in the city decided to close its doors later in the same year. This decision was based on the fact the owner was retiring and there simply could be no Colette without its namesake as it would likely alter the store’s DNA.
I don’t know what would have happened if I had done the internship. I don’t know how the fashion industry would have altered my professional goals, but one thing is for sure it would have changed me.
Consumer behaviour is changing, and it is constantly influenced by technology and fleeting trends thanks to Instagram, which essentially means jobs and professions and survival are purely for those who are willing to sacrifice everything.
Just yesterday, I read in the New York Times that some hotels in America are now offering room add-ons on for guests who don’t want to pack or invest in necessary gear for certain trips, and still be Instagram ready on holiday. I cringed when I read this, to see what society has prioritized. But something as capricious as this makes you see why it has become harder to create in such turbulent times or have a career in an industry that is constantly changing its bearings.
Clothes have become so disposable, that the appreciation from the consumers’ end is as fleeting as the days or hours between their social media posts.
I don’t know if I will ever have a career in fashion. I honestly thought it was my calling but one thing all this turbulence and these changes have taught me, even from its biggest players, is that it must feel right if you really want to continue, and this goes for everything in life.
