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When the economy goes down, sales go up.
These are the theses of fashion experts after analyzing historical recessions.
"During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the oil crisis in the 1970s and when the dot-com bubble burst in the 2000s, sales increased noticeably," said Elizabeth Semmelhack, author and fashion expert, in her book " Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Shoe ".
After the "Lipstick Index" comes the "High Heel Index"
The fact that the effects of a crisis have consequences for fashion can already be seen in the red lipstick.
Studies show that women usually put on more makeup the worse the economy is doing.
Leonard Lauder, chairman of the Estée Lauder company, introduced the term "Lipstick Index" to the "New York Times" after he noticed that lipstick sales had skyrocketed after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Not so in the corona crisis.
Due to the mouth and nose masks and contact restrictions, things are going rather badly for the lipstick
Studies from IBM confirm that the level of women's sales has also been an indicator of economic stability for decades.
An example?
The tall stilettos that featured in Sex and the City in the early 2000s after the tech bubble burst.
"Sales tend to rise in an economic downturn as consumers need extravagant fashion as a means of imagination and escape," said Trevor Davis, product expert at IBM's Global Services Unit.
A scientific study by the Korean researcher Insook Ahn also examined the fashion spreads of the US “Vogue” from 1950 to 2014.
The realization: every time the unemployment rate reached an all-time high in the past 64 years, this influenced the level of sales for the next three years.
Louboutin record for the financial crisis
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The high heels of shoe designer Christian Louboutin reached dizzying heights during the financial crisis in 2008. "Heels have never been as high as they are now," he said of his new 20 centimeter creation.
Louboutin created his “highest heels ever” for an auction, the proceeds of which went to the English National Ballet.
A little later, however, he also brought an everyday version of the 20-centimeter heels onto the market - with a platform sole.
Left without plateau, right with: 20 centimeter heels by Louboutin
Source: Getty Images
The digital catwalks are full of plateaus
With its global proportions, the corona crisis provides the best basis for exceeding all previous sales levels.
Although it is currently difficult to imagine wearing anything other than slippers or cozy sneakers again, the search queries for high heels on the Lyst fashion platform have actually increased by 135 percent since the beginning of 2021, which is a total of 71 in an annual comparison Percent more than usual.
So far only reserved for Lady Gaga and women from the milieu: “Skyscraper” platform shoes
Source: Getty Images / Ray Tamarra
Well-known designers also seem to fuel the desire for new heights.
At the exclusively digital Fashion Weeks, you could discover unusual high heels, far from being introverted due to pandemics.
In glitter, metallic and neon, with heels up to 22 centimeters, the Italian fashion house Valentino showed shoes at its haute couture show in January this year that would previously have been assigned to Lady Gaga.
At Valentino, the fashion was much more reserved than in previous presentations, with a down-to-earth attitude influenced by the crisis.
Only the shoes were reminiscent of the brand's usual grandeur.
Sinking in the flokati: heels for men and women at Prada
Source: Prada
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Something similar could be seen at the Prada show, which took place digitally last week.
The result of the collaboration between Miuccia Prada and co-designer Raf Simons were clear cuts for the collections, with platform soles dominating the feet: chunky, with a slight incline, but with an artfully curved heel - and that applies to men too!
Thanks to the platform, the high heels and sandals are not necessarily uncomfortable, but rather suitable for everyday use.
The summer collections 2021 by Miu Miu, Saint Laurent and Tom Ford: platform sandals
Source: Mytheresa
How long do the high heels stay?
Observations by the Korean researcher Insook Ahn have shown: Three years after the financial crisis in 2008, people turned back from breakneck high heels to kitten heels, i.e. mini heels with a maximum height of two centimeters.
No reason, however, to banish the “Skyscraper” boots from the closet forever.
The next crisis is sure to come.
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