The Transformation of Fashion Practice Through Instagram

Abstract

This case study analyzes Virgil Abloh’s 2018 debut show for Louis Vuitton’s menswear to investigate the impact of the social media platform Instagram on fashion practice. Using Bruno Latour’s Action-Network-Theory, the qualitative analysis of Instagram’s influence on other network actants in the fashion industry reviews the impact on choices of set design, casting, guests, the use of audio, collaborations, and the choice of the designer himself by the LVMH luxury conglomerate for the brand. It is contextualized within traditional fashion practice, specifically fashion show practice, as documented by fashion studies literature. The conclusion confirms a shift, suggesting that the digital literacy skills identified by Henry Jenkins have become a prerequisite for success in the fashion system. It also addresses challenges and opportunities which the format, strategy and commercial purpose of social media networks offer in the field of fashion, in particular the production of content by platform users