Fashion has been so modernised that there is much less demand for printed magazines and we now predominantly as consumers would rather read a magazine digitally than have a physical copy. Perhaps this is because it's easier with our busy everyday lives or because we can like and share our thoughts on social media in comment sections?

The less demand for print has meant that a lot of publication's have decided that going completely digital or having a large digital presence is the best way forward to reach their audiences and to stay relevant. However, this also comes with its consequences as most of the time people want to consume fashion content for free online. This means publications are posting features for free and have to gain profit from elsewhere such as through advertising.

V Magazine is an American fashion magazine who have a mostly digital presence. The publication posts its magazines issues online which are available for the audience to read and swipe through page by page:

Many publications in the last few years have decided to close their print editions. In 2017, UK Glamour magazine announced it was going "digital first" and stopping their monthly editions, instead producing an issue twice a year. Following in their footsteps, in 2019 fashion and beauty magazine Marie Claire also announced the closure of its UK print edition.

Statistics published by the Statista Research Department show that the UK print sales generated by women's lifestyle and fashion magazines have dropped significantly from 2011 to 2019. With figures dropping from 103.8 million pounds in 2011 to 21.2 million pounds in 2019:

Using digital mediums also comes with its challenges and changes for publications and brands. Such as the differing in tone of voice for each format. When brands are posting to social media sites the tone of voice that is used is a lot more casual compared to if you were writing for a print format.

Leading British fashion retailer: Motel Rocks, uses a very friendly and relatable tone in their Instagram posts when advertising products to consumers.

Addressing a target audience with statements such as "Got plans for when lockdown is lifted, ladies? Then you'll need the right outfit". The result creates a sense of casual friendship or connection between the brand and the consumer and makes the brand seem relatable.

Influencers are not just celebrities and can also be organisations or everyday people who are often labelled as “micro-influencers”. They are now as important as fashion critics and models within the industry.

Ellie Roden, a make-up artist and content creator from Merseyside, has documented her experience with using Instagram to reach an audience and how brands work with her to share their products: 

The use of Roden's posts by cosmetic brands such as Anastasia Beverly Hills highlight's yet another innovation within the fashion industry. Brands now using user-generated (any any form of content, such as images that are created by the user) to share and advertise their products to beat out any competition, and to build a reliable connection with their audiences.

This further builds recognition for brands because artists such as Roden, want to use brands products and share their images and videos online, to be featured on their website or newsletter to get themselves recognised as content creators. Zoomph even labelled ABH as: "the people’s makeup brand, with its loyalty to user-generated content". Zara is another brand that uses user-generated content to their advantage by partnering with influencers and using branded hashtags to advertise their products.

User-generated content is a very clever and powerful method of boosting a brand's exposure and credibility and is used throughout the fashion industry. By using real-life photos from consumers, a brand becomes more reliable and trustworthy.

Exploring the life of an influencer, Ellen Eastwood, a fashion blogger, model and brand owner from Leeds gives us an insight about her experience within the online fashion industry:

"I’ve been a fashion blogger consistently for about a year and a half now, before then I did get gifted the occasional product, but it was on a lot lower level than now due to my following growing over the years. I originally started on YouTube two years ago, making videos about different products I already had and reviewing them. I never had the intention of my Instagram growing initially, I just did it all for fun. I was never gifted anything or even knew what a collaboration was at that point."

"There are so many positives of using Instagram and having a platform, it’s especially amazing for a business and great to be able to share important matters or my opinions to others. I also love promoting other brands too. I’ve been gifted some amazing opportunities and I’ve been starting to make an income from it this year too, to then turning my own Instagram into a business."

"However there definitely are some negatives which you can’t ignore, luckily, I rarely get any hate comments, but when I was starting out, I used to get quite a lot. It’s also hard not to get into comparing yourself to others, in content AND looks. You can easily scroll through Instagram and wish your pictures looked as good as hers, or why you don’t look like her?"

"As well, it is hard to switch off as being online is now basically my job, I do find it hard to take time away from my phone sometimes - but you can’t get too wrapped up in it."

It's no surprise that the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted the fashion industry with production plummeting due to a lack of demand for clothing during lockdown and restrictions, as well as fashion retailers closing amongst other issues. However, the fashion industry like it has done previously has overcame these issues.

Thanks to digital developments in e-Commerce, it has enabled a modernised and exciting online shopping experience for consumers and it means customers don't even have to leave their homes. The buying and selling of fashion related goods or services has been completely innovated in various different ways.

Gone are the days of scrolling down vast amounts of studio shots imagining what the style and fit of a dress would look like in person. Now brands such as ASOS and Berksha are using short 5-10 second video clips which showcase what the clothing or item looks like on models.

Fashion publications and brands themselves are adapting to the ever-changing digital industry through video-based E-commerce. Shoppable videos have now become the new norm within the fashion industry. Shoppable videos are clickable, interactive videos which enable people to click on the looks featured which then takes them to the brand’s products to find out more details.

They are seen as a great way to capture the consumers attention. Fashion brands such as Adidas are using shoppable videos to provide a cinematic experience for their audience’s: 

UK fashion and retail brand, Ted Baker, further upped the game in terms of video e-Commerce with their 2017 360 degree shoppable film labelled 'Keeping Up with the Bakers'. The film allowed users to browse through a home set-up and click on items to purchase.

It’s no doubt that people prefer entertaining watching immersive videos with storylines rather than scrolling through various images and reading descriptions. Customers now want an experience that’s different to any other, having digital features such as shoppable videos can make one brand stand out more than the other and can change customers purchasing decisions. According to StyleShoots: ‘52% of shoppers are more confident in their purchases when shopping with video content’. 

Artificial Intelligence is completely re-shaping the fashion world. Algorithms are just one of many forms of technology that are being used within the industry today. They are able to analyse the data of clothing that is trending within the market and predict what the next trend is going to be which helps designers keep up to pace with making sure they ‘keep in style’ with what consumers want.

ASOS is one of many fashion retailers that have begun to use algorithms. ASOS has created a 'Style Match' tool which allows customers using their app to upload photos of any clothing and then find visually similar results from their site. It's a very useful and popular tool for fashion consumers as they can compare styles and prices to find the best one suited to them.

Another digital advancement within the industry is augmented reality and virtual reality, which many are labelling as being the future for the fashion industry. Digi-Capital estimated that “3.5 billion people would be using augmented reality by 2022”.  

Gucci have installed AR features to their app which lets users ‘try on’ different trainer styles by titling their device down to their feet, to see what suits them or which shoes they prefer.  

GAP have also delved into the world of augmented reality with their Dressing Room app which lets users choose avatar’s with various different body shapes and outfits. If they like what they see they can purchase the items within the app.

A digital wardrobe doesn’t seem all that bad of an idea in the current climate with social distancing measures in place across the world due to the pandemic.  

Virtual fashion has its environmental advantages too, as it reduces the impacts of waste and pollution that comes with fast fashion.