When Dolce & Gabbana´s men´s fashion show was soaked in rain and hail last week the internet beamed with malicious joy. And you could not help but wonder: Is that really society´s criticsm about the shallow world of overpriced fast-fashion - or is it just jealousy??

That very show would be the glorious end of a three-day-extravangza packed with stars flewn in to Venice from all over the world (obviously when your are famous and therefore fly private jets the virus cannot harm you). First there was a couture show (on gondolas!) with offsprings of more stars modelling the Alta Moda, then a sun glasses presentation, finally the men´s show. And one celebrity-DJ party every night.

So far, so (fashion show) business as usual. But although "Telegraph"- fashion editor Lisa Armstrong was invited (find below what she had to say), there were less journalists there than ever.

That marks the grande finale of magazines and editorial websites - no publishing house or public business controller will pay for expenses anymore that journalists cause by travelling.

Because: They had learned during the pandemic-home-office-offensive that nearly every live experience is comprehensible online as well (we are not even sure if Armstrong was there, really), and that would be for free.

When New York fashion week opens next week that privilege of attending those events finally got a real price tag. Because you can now buy yourself into a one-day-fashion-experience, limo driver and backstage access included. For just 15.000 dollars. No, wait, you would need to have 30.000 dollars at the end, because you can only buy two tickets as a package deal (it´s like sharing a Bouilabaisse in a Parisian bistrot).

So this is it. That curtain has closed, end of an era.

And it seems only logical. The old deal of presenting a spectacular show to convince a critical audience of your work and vision has gone.

Buyers buy the clothes and accessories again that worked the season before.

Editors cheer the labels that book advertising.

Influencers post the brands they are paid for.

It is just a stupid repetitive business chain.

And so-called-defilées where people get paid to attent on one side - and pay to get some attention on the other.