The Art Of Designing
Clothes For Screens

In the luxury space, brands have traditionally played it safe when it comes to marketing. The bulk of advertising budgets goes to print, perhaps a big billboard campaign in major cities, and some digital display ads. In the past few years, this has expanded to include verticals like Instagram and TikTok, boosting social media posts and getting more visibility and the important numbers. But some brands have cracked the code—what happens when the product itself—displayed on your phone; remixed in a user-generated video—becomes the real advertising?

Since Demna joined Balenciaga in 2015, he’s continued to push the boundaries of fashion, designing unconventional, tongue-in-cheek products that create conversation. It started with the now-iconic Triple S sneaker, which acted as the catalyst for the chunky shoe trend that has defined the past few years. The shoe was so polarizing that it took the internet by storm, encouraging user engagement far beyond the realm of fashion.

In December, Balenciaga debuted a collaboration with LA’s hottest (and most expensive) grocery store, Erewhon, as well as a pair of 10XL sneakers that look just as outrageous as they sound. And just as planned, the show created so much buzz that the brand gained organic coverage across all social media platforms, with everyone from self-proclaimed fashion critics to #mommybloggers sharing their opinions. The show has trickled down and infiltrated every corner of social media, and everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame by sharing their own take online. It’s a recipe that Demna has mastered; even though it may feel predictable, it is undoubtedly effective. We’ve seen it plenty of times in the past few seasons—the oversized shoes, the unconventional items like the $925 towel skirt, Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look—and we know what to expect.

For his work at LOEWE, as well as his eponymous brand JW Anderson, Jonathan Anderson has also honed the art of creating conversation around his designs. By creating viral products that intrigue the masses, Anderson has taken LOEWE from a niche luxury brand to a household name. On TikTok, #LOEWE has over 1.2 billion views—that is more than 15% of the world’s entire population. If that doesn’t convince you, LOEWE climbed 13 spots on the Lyst index since 2022, sitting in second place just below Miu Miu at the end of Q3 (in Q1, LOEWE held the top spot). The brand’s Puzzle tote and recognizable Anagram tank top both made the list of the year’s hottest items.

The big shift to prioritizing online engagement over real-world popularity happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you take a brand from physical shows, physical stores, and the traditional fashion calendar, to displaying strength and relevance in a primarily online world? How do you create a collection that resonates with people through their screens? In Anderson’s case, you become more conceptual.

When LOEWE returned to the runway for its Spring/Summer 2022 collection, we got the famous soap and egg heels, the blunt colorful haircuts, and the dresses with metallic breastplates. The season after, Anderson served shiny balloon boots and dresses shaped like cars.

From one day to another, the brand was gaining buzz on social media, resulting in multiple viral videos that dove into the unconventional designs with plenty of analysis and opinions. Today, LOEWE has over 1.2 million followers on TikTok (a platform that a surprising few luxury brands have adapted to yet) and every season, Anderson has designed a piece or two that take the internet by storm. Spring/Summer 2023 gave us the pixelated shirts, as well as the shoes and coats with real grass growing from them, and of course, the viral “Polly Pocket” outfit that piqued the interest of TikTok, with countless try-on videos showcasing the products getting millions of views each.

For his namesake label JW Anderson, Anderson created standout items like the Frog and Pigeon clutches, which became major talking points online and prompted more bird-statue clutches for the coming season. For women’s Spring/Summer 2024, hoodies made from clay were paraded down the runway, and the Fall/Winter 2023 paw-shaped boots are a coveted pair that TikTok dubbed “The Mr.Tumnus.” It is a strategy that is clearly working, and Anderson will continue to design clothes for our screens throughout seasons to come, while still maintaining the luxury tailoring and ethos of the respective brands. In a year punctuated by designs that flourished in the digital space, Jonathan Anderson won the International Designer of the Year award at the CFDAs, and Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.

There are endless examples of products that seem designed to go viral: Swedish label AVAVAV’s four-toed boots, HODAKOVA’s belt bag, Chanel’s roller skates from Métiers d'Art 2023, Pharrell Williams’s Louis Vuitton Millionaire Speedy bag that you could get your hands on early if you purchased the LV NFT, Miu Miu’s heeled ballet flats that ruled fashion week street style. Today, convincing buyers, fashion critics, and the press that your collections are good is a difficult task, but it is one that is undoubtedly becoming less important for brands. It doesn’t matter what the industry insiders think, because with attention and support from the internet, success is sure to follow. If an item from a runway show blows up online post-show, buyers are much more likely to come into the showroom the next day ready to place an order. Social media and the internet have created an immediate response, acting like a focus group for anyone in the fashion industry. This direct response has completely changed the game.

The business model stretches far beyond just luxury fashion; it is also being used by labels like MSCHF. At the beginning of 2023, the Big Red Boot made the rounds on the internet, and although the Astro Boy–inspired shoes were large and ridiculous, it didn’t stop people from wanting to get their hands on them for a fit pic on the IG grid. Those with social media clout were able to snag a pair before the general release, and once they hit the market, they instantly sold out. Immediately after they dropped, they hit the resell market on sites like StockX, selling in excess of $500. After all, likes and engagement reign supreme. Since, we’ve seen multiple colorways and a campaign starring Paris Hilton—all viral on social media, of course.

It’s not just collections that are designed for our screens—it is runway shows and events, too. Take Bella Hadid’s dress at the Coperni Spring/Summer 2023 show. The clip made the rounds on the internet, and everyone and their mother had seen Hadid wearing the spray-on dress. But what filled the rest of the Coperni collection that season? Do you remember? Viral products and spectacles can be the making or undoing of a brand overnight, but labels run the risk of becoming a gimmick, too.

There’s a fine balance, and for luxury brands, walking that tightrope is more important than ever, with social media playing a central role in dictating trends. Designing clothes for screens is a tactic that works right now, but at some point, like everything else, it will feel passé. Until then, flexing your Erewhon x Balenciaga tote on the ‘gram while wearing the viral Dilara Fındıkoğlu dress made from cutlery on the runway will earn you a spot on best-dressed lists and the social media following to match.