The New Geopolitics of Fashion: Subtle Indicators of a Global Revolution

Rising raw material costs, customs duties, global political and economic instability: the multiple international crises are significantly impacting the fashion industry. While some markets remain closed, others are actively embracing the global export of their creative industries. Meanwhile, as consumers continue to seek a more rational form of consumption, paying more attention to labels, professionals are adapting and innovating to best satisfy these demands. Understanding where fashion is heading requires examining the global shifts in production and consumption. Behind the scenes, a quiet but powerful change is taking place—blending tech with tradition, craftsmanship with data.

The Question of Product Origin: A Central Issue Across All Markets

While the notion of craftsmanship has come to the fore in recent years as an added value, it is often coupled with the concept of origins, traditions and roots. “Most regions are reclaiming their origins and traditional skills,” notes Boris Provost, CEO of Tranoï, a trade show that, through its international partnerships, serves as a valuable observatory of deeper societal trends shaping the global fashion market

Boris Provost

“The question of origin is becoming a central focus, as it forms the foundation upon which communities operate and traditional know-how lives on”.

Provost sees using tradition as a springboard for new creations as a global phenomenon. "This ‘back to the roots’ approach can be seen in Africa, but also in more mature markets, such as France with its relocation efforts, or Italy, a country that takes care to protect its manufacturing sector. Elsewhere, Japan is drawing upon age-old techniques, while China is rediscovering traditional pleating methods,” he notes. “Acting ‘glocal’—the concept of leveraging local traditions to promote oneself on an international scale—remains highly relevant, but the movement is mutating. Today, it concerns new markets and new methods. In Saudi Arabia, for example—a country that is beginning to open up—the younger generations are revisiting traditional garments for the contemporary wardrobe. And for the first time, from 18 June to 8 July, Galeries Lafayette will host a pop-up dedicated to African design, showcasing four brands promoted by Tranoï and supported by Canex (Boyedoe, Wuman, Late for Work, and We Are NBO). They are doing this because they believe their customers will appreciate discovering craftsmanship from these countries”.

Rejection of standardisation

Both designers and consumers from the 30- to 40-something generation are rejecting the standardisation that may have characterised their parents’ consumption habits. The ubiquitous, cookie-cutter lifestyle—symbolized by the Starbucks-on-every-corner model—holds little appeal for them. Instead, they have a more syncretic vision of fashion, drawing inspiration from diverse sources and refusing to be pigeonholed. Communication tools, especially social media, enable them to express their individuality and creativity—and to gain instant international visibility.

Provost cites an example of the ease with which young designers can now reach international customers:

“At the Tranoï Tokyo show, two Romanian designers with a very specialized knitwear expertise told us they were able to sell directly via social networks to end consumers in the United States and Japan, thus reaching their target customers. Ultimately, to survive, they will have to switch to wholesale, but it is interesting to see that they are already reaching customers on the other side of the world”.  

This trend is expected to gain momentum in the coming years.

The Structural Instability of the Global Economic and Political Context

To fully grasp how the geopolitics of fashion markets is shifting—how a local scene may emerge in one place while another market tightens—it’s essential to consider the weight of each country’s economic and political context. This is especially crucial in nations with high fashion consumption. Most young premium niche brands rely on support from federations, state bodies or local ministries to access export opportunities.

“Whenever there is a political shift or instability, it directly affects their ability to export and our ability to showcase their creations. Semi-public or federal institutions are essential in supporting exports. In South Korea, for example, political uncertainty has frozen activities until spring. In Japan, the organisation that once subsidised exports across the lifestyle sector decided post-Covid to stop subsidising the fashion industry, redirecting its focus to design, interiors, and food. This shift has had a huge impact on Japanese brands. It's also for this reason that, with Japanese buyers traveling less and brands lacking support, we brought Tranoï to Tokyo—to offer them an exhibition space, and an event with international reach which will facilitate exports, at least to Asia”.

Opening up new markets

This constant monitoring of world markets will become even more crucial in the future—it is essential. "I was talking about Saudi Arabia; it's important to follow how the country is opening up. Last year, they hosted Sirha in order to develop the gastronomy sector by drawing inspiration from our ways of doing things.” Out of that came Sirha Arabia, modeled on Sirha Food, the Middle East's major event for food, coffee and bakery professionals. “In Brazil, on the other hand, the country has blocked aid, so if brands want to make a name for themselves, they have to finance everything, and that's extremely costly."   This growing sense of instability is clearly impacting even the largest markets.

“We haven't yet seen the effects of the decisions taken by the President of the United States, but we’ll feel them next season. However, we are receiving increasing interest from South American, Central European, and Canadian brands who want to take part in our events in Europe. As the U.S. has historically been their primary market, they are now turning their attention to 'old Europe' and to Asia—both regions we are active in.” The same goes for China: “Before the pandemic, everyone was focused on China. Shanghai Fashion Week was very well attended, and the city attracted curious Western brands and buyers. Today, the market is effectively closed, despite once accounting for a significant share of sales. In this context, my role is to help reopen access to these markets.”

Scaling Up Eco-Design: A Key Challenge for the Future

“In addition to our constant monitoring of global markets, our other major focus is on promoting more sustainable business models within the B2B sector by initiating meaningful change. This may mean reaching fewer players initially, but gradually moving in the right direction to achieve greater volumes of eco-designed products. The challenge for tomorrow can be framed as follows: how can we scale eco-design?”

As standards grow more stringent, the demand for sustainability becomes ever more critical, and even if it’s talked about less, for young designers, it’s now non-negotiable, according to Provost. “We’re also seeing this in our trade shows, with a smaller number of exhibitors, but all of whom have integrated sustainability into their creative approach,” he says. However, while digitisation is primarily reflected in the enhancement of e-commerce functions—point-of-sale systems, customer experience insights, and virtual showrooms—its presence in finished products remains minimal, apart from isolated 3D design initiatives, such as those by Steven Passaro, and occasional experiments with accessory prototyping.

To apply this prerequisite of better production at an industrial scale, it once again becomes essential to look at global markets.

“If we take the best ideas from every country, we’ll have a better chance of saving the planet. Some will teach us water-free cultivation techniques, others will pass on ancestral know-how, and still others will show us ways to improve waste management”

The concept of global cross-pollination—or systemic cosmopolitanism—is also shaping up to be a major trend of the future, it seems. But this time, it’s not about producing more, it’s about producing better.

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