Roger Gingerich-Way Forward

Roger Gingerich

wants

Fashion Industry to buy locally and support its community.

Photography Nick Merzetti

"We need to concentrate on celebrating uniqueness."

Roger Gingerich is a household name in the fashion industry with over 35 years of industry experience. What does he think about fashion shows going either digital or semi-digital, or what are his insights on the future of Fashion as we get closer to a vaccine? FORWARD finds out in an e-mail conversation with Gingerich on his views on the fashion industry’s way forward.

How is the fashion industry changing right now? In Toronto, and globally?

Toronto is no different from any other city in the world right now when it comes to Fashion. We face the same challenges– without public events and encouragement to stay home, consumers have shifted their short-term response to Fashion. Loungewear and being comfortable in your surroundings have taken on a new life. Designers and online retailers that have shifted their focus to cater to this market have been successful.

What has pandemic taught you on the ways you interact with Fashion?

It has taught me to be more focused on what’s important to me. I have a clearer understanding of social/environmental causes in brands and how I support them, along with my local community that is struggling and how better to promote them.

Talk about your most important realization from the pandemic?

Our world is full of mini-events that don’t matter, we waste so much money and time on trivial things. We need to concentrate on celebrating uniqueness.

Your insights on how the fashion industry should approach moving forward?

Baby steps. We’re all hypersensitive –Pro- vaccine / anti-vaccine, social shaming for gathering with friends, emotional sensitivity is rampant, even with well-meaning intentions you are guaranteed to offend a specific group. So it is really to understand your target market and focus on them.

Canadian International Fashion Film Festival (CANIFFF) 2020, talk about its success.

We were one of the top five most active Fashion Film Festivals in the world in 2020. We engaged with the industry and the consumer globally and promoted film genres to Canada’s new audience. With over 160 fashion film shorts from 37 countries, we put Canada back on the global map with fashion film directors.

Elaborate on the opportunities in the fashion and film industry?

Our film industry is second to none here in Canada. We have four full seasons, a wide variety of landscapes, an incredible talent pool, a welcoming, safe country, and with that, an open door to the global film industry. Fashion has always played a second character in the film. It sets the tone of the characters. Designers, stylists, PR, the list is endless for those that want to work in the film market.

Photography Nick Merzetti

“Our world is full of mini- events that don’t matter, we waste so much money and time on trivial things. We need to concentrate on celebrating uniqueness.”

With fashion shows going either digital or semi- digital, what, according to you, will be the future of fashion events?

Focused smaller audience. We will be a couple of years away from the epic 500-750 guest audiences at fashion shows, but designers and brands still require marketing to press, buyers and consumers. Audiences of 50 – 100 will be made of hyper-focused guests. Digital for sure, but they have to be engaging.

How do you compare the online show with live shows? Do they exude the same level of charm and awe?

Online shows will never be at the same level as in- person live shows. It can never replicate the ambience and energy, but in the end, it is about the experience both in the moment and what we remember afterwards.

Do you think [digital shows] will take over the ‘live’ shows?

Never, but digital shows are permanently part of our future. The challenge, however, is shifting the experiences.

What old practices do you feel the industry must move away from going forward?

Mass production of fast fashion. We need to promote buying less but quality fashion. Media should reverse from concentrating on trends and exerting pressure on consumers to adapt to the newness.

Comment on how digital runway shows could be a sustainable way for brands to show their works.

Financially more viable. Cost-saving is smaller to non-existent in in-person audiences who have to travel to the event. The cost-cutting allows a designer or brand to reduce their operating costs and, ultimately, their product’s retail price to the consumer. Sustainable brands always struggle with added costs on producing their product, so any cost-saving operations to offset these expenses’ passing to the consumer is a win.

What will be the future, the way forward for the Fashion industry?

Buying local and supporting your community. We are storytellers; we want to buy into something that we feel good about and know has positively impacted our planet. This health crisis has been a reset in all markets and forced us to re-evaluate what we bring into our sanctuary, our home.■

“Buying local and supporting your community. We are storytellers; we want to buy into something that we feel good about and know has positively impacted our planet. This health crisis has been a reset in all markets and forced us to re-evaluate what we bring into our sanctuary, our home.”