The world is now officially dissected into two sects, the pre pandemic and the post pandemic eras. Many things were triggered that were both alarming and informing. However, the battle for life and death was the only thing of extreme importance during this tumultuous period. Until early 2020, the general conversations in the fashion world stressed upon sustainability and conservation of the environment, however with covid, notions of discarding the dependency of single-use plastic were thrown out the window. As fears associated with covid and contracting the virus unknowingly began our inculpable use of gloves, masks, spoons, glasses, and even entire PPE suits.

This is not an argument disregarding the much-needed emphasis on sustainability in fashion but a gentle nudge towards the changing patterns we are seeing in people with regards to what they buy and from whom they are willing to buy from, with an emphasis on asking questions from ourselves, “Is this important” or “Is this right”, every day. Mainly in regard to what informed our choices as consumers became primary.

Couture in Pakistan is mainly defined under one thing and one thing only “wedding wear”. It is undoubtedly the biggest season for designers and fashion houses that prepare year-round to make their aesthetic shine and their cash counters full. in a normal year, lots of Pakistanis prepare year-round for the wedding season weather it is planning outfits, to gathering vacation days, even month-long dance practices were quite the norm. we all can safely say that the world for ostentatious displays is over. The pandemic, social-distancing policies set in place to curb the spread of the virus has effectively ruled out large gatherings for many, making big weddings practically outlawed. The reason being sudden postponement has en mass, made weddings dramatically downsized. Perhaps that’s why, the once outrageously ostentatious weddings season is now reduced to an intimate affair that requires the presence of close friends and family only. How does that translate into the business of fashion? The downsized wedding affairs now see people opting for lighter bridal trousseau. The once competition of adding kilos to your bridalwear now seems outdated and worthy of a communal cringe. It seems the clientele for the season is opting for the ‘less is more’ strategy, however are our couturiers prepared to cater to those demands? Will the upcoming runways of bridalwear depict the same?

Another transition we’ve seen, one that is much evident is in the high-street section. Consumer patterns have dramatically skewed towards niche, individual, statement garments rather than standardized looks offered by many retail titans here. The pandemic apart from many variants of covid saw a pop up of small-sized, niche brands like Naqees, Nukta and Meraki Rouge etc. how does one see these brands competing in our retail atmosphere? The answer being that we see brands with individual identities and an ethos of individuality as something tremendously refreshing and highly charged. These brands have established themselves with their no fuss policy, relatable marketing campaigns that mainly feature everyday people and a refreshing creative atmosphere. The requirement for redundant ostentatious sets and over the top aesthetics seems washed away with consumers now asking brands, why?

There’s no way to predict, of course whether these changes in the business of fashion are here to stay and what we have learned from our years in the pandemic is that nothing is constant for long. However, one thing is for sure that with strict disease-prevention measures will likely be shaping buying patterns for a long time. And brands and designers need to instill a dynamic and evolving pattern to sustain themselves during it. In the new world order, courtesy corona virus, there is no place for redundancy and the lack of human connection in fashion anymore.