Fast Fashion Meets High Fashion: Gifts From The Fashion Gods or The Beginning of the End of Quality?

Christian Siriano Spring 2010 

So, I'm sure for most of you fashionistas, you've become immensely aware of the ever growing popularity of fashion collaborations between high end designers and mass market producers such as Donatella Versace and H&M or Missoni and Target. I spent some time yesterday looking through the lookbook for Jason Wu's line for Target, and though I adore his aesthetic, I did not find myself drooling over this new marriage. Watching this pandemonium unfold over these luxury brands hitting the mass market machine is more so disturbing to me than it is entertaining. I, being a monetarily challenged fashionista myself, would normally delight in the idea of having such prestigious names wrapping around my shoulders as I strut around Chicago in a Sex and  the City-like fashion. The idea that it could be possible with my limited funds would sound almost too good to be true, so why not jump on it, right? You can't beat that! But as the true fashion student in me began to ponder this phenomenom, I have to say, I became more concerned than excited.

Christian Siriano Spring 2010 translated from the runway

When you're such a high-end designer, does going to the mass market compromise your brand? When I think Lanvin, Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, I think of luxury goods. High. End. Luxury. Expensive with second-to-none quality of which I can say "when I grow up, I want to be able to buy that". But how important are these brands when your average suburbanite teen can go to H&M and score a Versace outfit complete with Jimmy Choo shoes? It is marketing gold for such stores as Target, H&M and Kohl's (I mean Vera Wang?? Come on!) Even Payless has gotten a piece of the action with Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano. Personally, I absolutely adored his shoes that graced the runway back in '09. These babies were sky-high, had talon-shaped heels paired with wild, colorful and exotic textures and prints. To hear that these haute shoes were coming to Payless via the Oprah show, made me melt. I hated Payless Shoe Source, but if they were going to introduce high-fashion like that to their line up, then I was more than ready to show my support. To my utmost dismay, the commercial line up looked nothing like the runway versions. I understand that there are some modifications to the design in order for it to translate commercially, but geesh! Needless to say, Payless Shoe Source did not end up with a new customer.

With the recent economic downturn, I can understand the sudden outburst of designers reaching out to mass market opportunities, but isn't the magic, the allure, the temptation of the luxury market is the fact that it is somewhat inaccessible? To see celebrities and people of a specific wealth and station parade around with these labels, in all of our minds, whether you admit to it or not, gives you something to want to upgrade to. Would the obsession over the Birkin bag still be there if they did a line of made-in-China purses for Sears? How exclusive are the red bottoms if you can get them from Macy's?

Another concern I have is about the quality. When you have such mass produced items are you sacrificing quality? Honestly, I do not want to spend $180.00 on a pleather jacket just because Donatella slapped a label on it and called it fashion. In a recent interview, Domenico Dolce of Dolce and Gabbana firmly stated that they had absolutely no interest in joining the fast fashion craze. He called it "cheap" and said that there's "no quality" and that these fast fashion companies just churn out looks. The duo had even recently offed their fusion line, D&G.

Now, I don't know about you, but I am not a lover of fashion just for a look. I hold these designers in high esteem, not because of their looks, but because of the attention and love each of them dedicate to their craft. In designing collections, they wield thread and needle like a paintbrush; creating pieces of art to be beloved by all. Whether you believe in the trickle up or trickle down theory, our top designers serve as mirrors of the cultural zeitgeist; compasses that point to the future of how we express ourselves. So are the designers telling us that cheap chic is the future? Are they expressing a "high fashion for all" mentality? If this true, then that's great, but in no way do I want to sacrifice quality for a label. I want to be able to invest, one day, in a Chanel suit that won't unravel on me once it's worn 2 or 3 times because I bought it from Forever 21. The luxury market is too precious to let it go to the dumps for quick cash. Let's preserve it. I almost made myself sick at the idea of throwing a Chanel-esque suit in the trash. But alas, the almighty dollar speaks louder than I ever could, and from the looks of it, fast fashion collabs are here to stay. What do you think? Let me know.

Love,
Ty