While the four seasons are best known for governing cyclical change in weather and climate, the coming of each season also signals a major event in fashion. For every brand and designer, the busiest time of the year requires gathering models, organizing shows and putting the finishing touches on pieces just in time for fashion week. 

The world of fashion is ruled by New York, London, Milan and Paris, and amid the pandemic, no city has skipped a beat in hosting a fashion week this fall just as they have twice annually for nearly 77 years. The tradition of fashion week began in 1943 when New York held the first official fashion week when designers could not travel to Paris because of World War II. 

Though fashion week has evolved over the decades, the major event looked especially different this year. For one, many fashion houses were not able to put on the same level of spectacle as they normally would be able to and a lot of celebrities invited to these events were unable to travel as a result of the pandemic. 

Thanks to the power of technology, however, event organizers worked around this problem with many celebrities and influencers still invited to view shows through exclusive live streams filmed from the perspective of the seat they would have been assigned in-person. Notable virtual guests at Paris fashion week this year include TikTok star Dixie D’Amelio and Youtuber Emma Chamberlain who were invited by Chanel and Louis Vuitton respectively. 

Another major challenge faced by designers was the inability to collaborate in an industry that relies on interaction. For many companies, this also required a technological solution with designers meeting on Zoom and even using virtual reality to interact with their pieces. The fashion industry’s resilience through the pandemic is meant to serve as a beacon of optimism and is a testament to the impact of technology in these trying times