In collaboration with the British Fashion Council, Vogue has conducted research to discover what people want to know about the world of fashion. Google search insights also revealed there is a large appetite for information about the industry and how to succeed in it. Now, in this introduction to the new series, Vogue and Alexa Chung are responding to this appetite and taking the research one step further – wanting to hear directly from anyone keen to pursue a career in fashion and inviting them to post their questions online.
Questions will be answered in several follow-up films which will launch at the beginning of September, in the run-up to London Fashion Week. Over the course of the documentary Chung will speak to fashion insiders – from current students to the heads of major design houses, via journalists, buyers and everyone in between. She will explore what the future holds for this multi-billion pound industry, how the next generation will obtain careers using all the tools available to them, and what the landscape looks like in terms of sustainability and technology, say the publishers.
Alexa Chung comments: "I've been working in fashion since I was 15, and the thing that I've found is people are very dismissive of fashion in general, like it's always seen as folly, or it has connotations of vanity or indulgence and all of these things when actually it's occupied and driven by people who are highly creative, highly intelligent… So I'm working with British Vogue to do a series that takes a closer look at fashion. I think it's important that we make a film which is an accurate representation of fashion as it stands now and where it's going in the future."
Caroline Rush CBE, CEO British Fashion Council says: "By using technology to research, engage and inform young people about all the opportunities and careers within the fashion industry the UK will be able to continue the charge when it comes to celebrating and supporting the next generation. Vogue has a huge audience and Alexa Chung is not only a London Fashion Week ambassador but she's also a brilliant spokesperson for the industry and has both knowledge and influence to connect with young people planning their futures."
Laurian Clemence, a spokesperson from Google, adds: "Google search trends enable us to get a real snapshot of some of the diverse topics that are being searched for in fashion – from trends, to people, to news and to career opportunities. The thirst for industry knowledge has really grown over the years, and interest in fashion professions is particularly high. This interest is encouraged by the September shows where we see searches spike."
The Alexa Chung series is created by the recently appointed Condé Nast Digital Video team, led by Danielle Bennison-Brown.
Further Vogue Video content to be released in the coming weeks will include a weekly Vogue News programme; and a Vogue Beauty School series which will launch later in the year, in collaboration with Nicola Moulton, Beauty Director of Vogue.
