Chinese short-video-making app TikTok has partnered with luxury designers like Saint Laurent, JW Anderson, and Louis Vuitton to host its own digital fashion month at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the plans of major brands.
San Francisco:
The short video-sharing platform said on Friday that it will host two live streams per week till October 8.
"With the launch of our TikTok Fashion Month, this is just another way for our brand partners to leverage the platform's authentic and community-driven approach to showcase their art, creativity and personalities in a unique and truly TikTok way," CeCe Vu, Fashion Content Partnerships Lead at TikTok, said in a statement.
"We're so thrilled to be able to offer an inclusive and immersive virtual fashion month experience for our community and are excited to see how they engage with each piece of live programming, hashtag challenge and creative effect."
For designers and fashion lovers everywhere, September is the month to usher in the trends for autumn. But this year it has been different.
"It's always been important for JW Anderson to work with new technologies and platforms. I think TikTok is challenging norms and innovating the way JW Anderson does," said Jonathan Anderson, Founder and Creative Director at JW Anderson.
"I am very excited to be working directly with TikTok this season to show our Women's SS21 collection on the platform."
On the final night, October 8, singer-songwriterNick Tangorra will host the "TikTok Runway Odyssey", a first-of-its-kind virtual fashion runway live stream in partnership with PUMA and Alice & Olivia.
The move comes at a time when the short-video sharing platform's future in the US is facing uncertainty due to pressure from the Donald Trump administration to quickly divest its operations in the country or face a ban.