How to Write a Fashion Show Review

Written by Valentine Fabre

Kicking off in New York on the 8th of February is the womenswear fashion season, a perfect time for you to get familiar with what makes a good fashion show review while you follow the busy schedule.

Whether you are a student, an emerging fashion writer or a veteran journalist looking for a small refresher, here are the things that you need to know to write an insightful review.

It Is Not About Your Personal Opinion

The first and probably most important thing to keep in mind when writing a review is that it should not be about whether you personally liked the collection or not.

As explained by Sandra Miller and Peter McNeil in Fashion Writing and Criticism, the “Basic aspects of criticism do not simply concern judgement”, but “the historical, the re-creative and the judicial, supplying a set of standards or canons” that lend authority to context and artistic significance over personal opinion.

Journalist Angelo Flaccavento’s critique of the latest haute couture week perfectly exemplifies this, discussing Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri and her references to the maison’s archive.

Research The Brand

A fashion show is never a singular event happening in a vacuum, but rather the combination of a strong artistic heritage, as well as political and social contexts that influence a collection. An essential part of writing a review is therefore properly researching the brand, the show’s location and the creative director(s) to pen an informed review.

Look into a brand’s origin and past inspirations; noteworthy achievements or controversies; its current aesthetic and target audience to educate yourself about the presentation. Be sure to also research specific and technical terms to make your review more insightful.

Look for the Details

Developing a collection takes around four months, and is the result of work carried out by several teams that ensure everything from fabrics and patterns to earrings and footwear is perfect. Therefore, as a reviewer, you will have to study a collection’s many details that extend beyond the overall looks.

Are there any bags? If yes, what kind? What are they made of? Do they reference any past designs? How about the accessories? In what way do they fit with the rest of the garments?

Draw up the conclusion from the brand’s offering and wider pop culture for a compelling read, as Vogue did in its review of Miu Miu A/W 23-24 which notes the trend of the handheld bag.

Looking deep into the elements of the clothes, observing things such as materials, prints and silhouettes will help you better understand the overall artistic direction of the collection.

Find An Angle 

An engaging review requires a unique perspective or a “hook” to draw readers’ attention. Your critique should not just include a factual description of the looks, but rather a holistic understanding of what the collection signifies, aims at achieving, and if it was successful in doing so based on your knowledge of history and craft.

Your angle could be centred around certain themes, colours, shapes, inspirations or what the brand achieved or failed to do. Be creative and look for the focal point that binds the other ones together.

Find further information about the fashion industry directly at The Glowth Academy and extend your knowledge to the fullest.

Written by Valentine Fabre