American fashion designers know a thing or two about courage, creativity, inventiveness, and resilience, so we decided to check some of the most popular designer Instagram accounts and feeds to see what they are up to at home and how they are experiencing quarantine in their own artistic universe, their homes. Covid-19 turned everything upside down, yet these creatives are pretty much fearless and many of them decided to post teir efforts to ‘stay home’- ‘work from home’ hash-tagged on Instagram as #wfh activities. The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will surely affect their businesses on many levels (operational, financial, and more), yet the changes seem to come as an adaptation to new logistics and necessities caused by the globalization of everything. Fashion industry is transforming rapidly into a digital and often virtual reality where physical retail comes in a secondary position, mainly as another communication tool in the hands of mega-brands and high-street companies. For the moment, designers are staying home rehearsing on the new reality, reassessing their business, looking for new ways to stand out in the future. It is interesting that they are leading the way in the #WFH movement as a currently responsible attitude and defense while at the same time they are planning their foray into a new post-corona world. Apps such as Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime facilitate their communication enabling them to do their meetings, brainstorming, and anything they did before in their brick & mortar premises. Let’s go through their new daily realities.
Monique Lhuillier is currently working on her new fragrance from home, in the dreamy setting she posted, ideal for the creation of a successful product. Known for her romantic bridal and eveningwear collections, she can’t rest on her laurels.
Wes Gordon is convinced that life goes on and works with his team on the next collection via Zoom and Face Time in a virtual studio. The 33-year-old Creative Director of Carolina Herrera posts himself in another dreamy countryside setting.
Chris Benz is also using Zoom to do meetings with his team. The SVP of Design at J.Crew is posting his laptop during a virtual conference with his colleagues, him from his home in the countryside.
Marc Jacobs continues to share his amazing ‘stay home’ outfits and the same happens with his stylish employees posting their extraordinary super-cool WFHFits (featured photo top-right in this page)!
Designer Veronica Beard admits that her regular meetings – now virtual – have become more interesting. Through her account and website she shares tips and offers to reward a wonder woman in our life with a signature jacket & dickey.
Stirling Barrett, the founder of KREWE Eyewear, is also sharing his laptop screen during a Zoom session in the brand’s base New Orleans. The team is always available for a chat with the customers and with each other.
Nicole Miller is working from home with colleagues dressed in her stylish printed tops, doing meetings via the Microsoft Teams communication & collaboration platform. The designer is also sharing on Instagram tips on how to make your own masks as well as her recipe for yummy home-cooked Mushroom Risotto.
