As the high-end fashion world embrace the digital-age, there’s a great need for products to be made available right away. Consumers no longer want to wait around three to six months before they can purchase items from Paris or New York Fashion Week. Designers are taking note and are adjusting how they traditionally market their products. In a recent article on AP, a retail consultant mentioned how fashion shows are very outdated but have embraced social media. “There’s been a general view that they way fashion shows have operated has become increasingly outdated, especially with fashion shows more open to the mass market on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook,” said Andrew Hall, a retail consultant with Verdict.retail. “People are able to see it instantly nowadays, when in the past they would be able to consume it only through fashion magazines.” The idea of “waiting” is what is being adjusted with the increase usage of social media. Fashion designers are understanding now how these changes can benefit them in the long run. For instance, Rebecca Minkoff is promoting the hashtag #SeeBuyWear and are selling runway designs immediately on her online store. Burberry is slated to offer “seasonless” clothes. These will be designs made available as soon as the model shows it off on the runway. No longer will Burberry honor the tradition of showcasing clothes six months before the season to sale. The question is, however, will this help fashion designers gain revenue. Garments modeled on the runway aren’t the typical clothing consumers wear on an everyday basis. Yes, Burberry, Rebecca Minkoff, and labels like Diane von Furstenberg can profit off a digital spin. But, other high-fashion labels may see difficulty with quicker sales of their clothing. Luxury designs are costly and probably will not reduce in sale price (even if sold online or faster). The key will be to make sure that via the digital space, fashion designers still market to the proper demographics. It will make no sense to try and capitalize off of the worldwide web – or global scale of social media – if the majority of the people can’t afford the products in the first place. If a luxury fashion brand offered items straight off the runway, which brand(s) would you likely purchase? Photo: Burberry 2016
