How does this information impact the PR field?

Critics and scholars have questioned the relevance of the fashion industry in a digitally driven world. The industry has faced increasing amount of pressure to change its approach to selling merchandise and customer-brand communication due to the digital disruption which changed consumer buying habits. Millennials and Gen Z consumers represent $350 billion of spending power in the United States, and the new generations of consumers are more educated, technologically native, and hyper-aware of advertising (Amed et al., 2019). This shift in demographics along with a sequence of radical changes driven by new technologies and climate change will require businesses to become more agile and flexible to keep pace with change. Millennials and Generation Z will demand more sustainable, equitable and decentralized societies.

The fast-paced progress of technology complements fashion’s always-evolving aesthetic and each use of new technology also gives designers and brands more opportunities to explore new horizons to communicate with customers, improve consumer experience, strengthen relationships with consumers, and help to build the brand and consumer awareness. These trends have implications for the communication field, especially the disciplines of public relations and marketing. The dynamic between brands and their customers has evolved from being purely transactional to concentrating on collaboration and sincere dialogue.

There is a blend between fashion and reputation management for companies as a company's reputation is a big issue with social media and the increasing mediation of communication by technology. Consumers’ contact with fashion brands is often limited to online channels. With a rapidly increasing number of people shopping online, especially due to the impact of the pandemic, an online presence is crucial.

The purpose of this website is to analyze the trends in the use of technology by brands in the fashion industry. The discussion attempts to provide a deeper understanding into how technology has revolutionized the promotion, fabrication, branding, and basic design of fashion as well as consumers’ shopping behaviors and how emerging digital technology is transforming the industry. These findings can shed light on the future of the fashion industry and practical implications for independent designers and small brands’ reputation management strategies and public relations efforts. A digital divide exists between established, large brands, especially luxury brands, and upcoming designers and small, independent brands. 

The global state of crisis due to COVID-19 and the social justice movements that have impacted every aspect of the fashion industry have given us the opportunity to reform the system, to digitally reinvent and display fashion in new innovative and democratic ways.