American designer Wes Gordon is the next designer in line to shun traditional fashion schedules, closing the gap between fashion week and commercial releases. The fast pace of social media is influencing the speed at which consumers devour fashion. With so many brands and fashion houses utilising social channels such as Instagram and Snapchat to provide an inside view, it was only a matter of time before the traditions of fashion week were upturned.

The Autumn/Winter 2016 fashion weeks so far have seen a number of designers wreaking havoc with the original catwalk show format. Diane von Furstenburg hosted a giant DVF-themed party at their headquarters, with supermodels and influencers in their own right working their way through the crowd dressed head-to-toe in the brand.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BBsOLT4LfaX/embed/captioned/?v=6 Meanwhile, young designers are increasingly opting for presentations as the medium of choice for their latest collections, American designer Wes Gordon adapted his approach for the digital age by launching his Autumn/Winter 2016 collection on Instagram.

His presentation features nine 15-second vignettes which not only show the collection but hone in on specific details such as a ruffle moving in the wind, allowing Gordon to highlight significant motifs in the range. Immediately after posting the video clips, customers were able to follow a link in his Instagram bio which took them to the e-commerce site Moda Operandi where they could pre-order the range straight away, with delivery due between July 2016 and November 2016.


This format is an open door, an invitation to the world. It is an opportunity to experience the collection in a poetic and hopefully easy way. https://www.instagram.com/p/BBsNP8HLfYv/embed/captioned/?v=6 Wes Gordon joins a number of designers who are introducing shorter waiting times between fashion shows and when the clothes become available to purchase. Earlier this month Burberry announced they would be combining its mens and womenswear into one "seasonless" collection, while Tom Ford and VETEMENTS similarly notified that they would also be dictating their own fashion schedules, marking an epochal moment in the fashion industry.