Paris Fashion Week and the Rise of Collective News Fatigue
The article explores the intersection of Paris Fashion Week and a global trend of news avoidance, citing the Reuters Digital News Report 2025. In Germany, regular news avoidance rose from 24% in 2017 to 37% in 2025; in the US to 42%, France 36%, Australia 40%, Turkey 61%, and the UK from 24% to 46%. Trust in news among 28-34 year olds dropped below 40%. The author argues that fashion events like Paris Fashion Week fill the attention void left by news, with Launchmetrics reporting a $425.5 million Media Impact Value for the relevant season in 2024. Examples of politically engaged fashion include GmbH's FW24 collection with a call for peace in the Middle East, and Matières Fécales' collection "The One Percent" on privilege. Historical references include Vivienne Westwood and Katharine Hamnett. The piece questions whether fashion can leverage its reach to address societal issues rather than remain detached.
Key facts
- Paris Fashion Week occurs amid a global rise in news avoidance.
- Reuters Digital News Report 2025: Germany news avoidance rose from 24% (2017) to 37% (2025).
- US news avoidance: 42% in 2025.
- France news avoidance: 36% in 2025.
- Australia news avoidance: 40% in 2025.
- Turkey news avoidance: 61% in 2025.
- UK news avoidance rose from 24% to 46% over the same period.
- Trust in news among 28-34 year olds: 38% in 2023, below 40% in 2025.
- Launchmetrics reported $425.5 million Media Impact Value for Paris Fashion Week in 2024.
- GmbH's FW24 collection featured a call for peace in the Middle East.
- Matières Fécales presented 'The One Percent' on privilege and inequality.
- Vivienne Westwood used punk for political activism in the 1970s.
- Katharine Hamnett wore an anti-nuclear slogan T-shirt at Downing Street in 1984.
Entities
Artists
- JR
- Christo
- Jeanne-Claude
- Kylie Jenner
- Benjamin Huseby
- Serhat Isik
- Vivienne Westwood
- Katharine Hamnett
Institutions
- Paris Fashion Week
- Roland-Garros
- La Caverne du Pont Neuf
- Schiaparelli
- Comme des Garçons
- Duran Lantik
- Hodakova
- GmbH
- Matières Fécales
- Royal Academy of Antwerp
- Launchmetrics
- Reuters
- Vogue Runway
- Sleek Magazine
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Berlin
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Milan
- Italy
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Baltic Sea
- Downing Street
- Antwerp
- Belgium