The idea is just simple as this: align the runway and retail calendar. Instead of waiting six months to buy the clothes you’ve just seen on the catwalk, why not make them available to buy as soon as the show is over?
So that’s what Burberry, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger and others have started doing from September onwards.
The driving force behind this is clearly technology, which created the demand: from live-streaming catwalk shows to previewing collections on Snapchat, labels have won fans by understanding that fashion week is no longer a closed-shop industry event, but a global consumer occurrence.
Of course, this move is going to require a huge shift in the way collections are made and distributed.
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| Burberry Fall/Winter 2016 at London Fashion Week, September 2016 |
Brands will have to work closely with suppliers and wholesale buyers during the process of creating the collections. This collaborative approach will be based on sharing information and technology, and on facing unknown challenges as a multi-disciplinary team.
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| Tommy Hilfiger Fall/Winter 2016 at New York Fashion Week, September 2016 |
However, this shift raises some questions: by giving the customer what they want more quickly, are we losing some of the creative magic that excites people in the first place? Or will a faster turnaround from catwalk to purchase enhance more freedom and originality? Will this mean less risk-taking and a way towards safer, commercial styles?
Word has it that Milan and Paris will resist the move, stating themselves as the homes of luxury by continuing to show a season ahead; moreover it will be harder for fast-fashion brands such as Zara or H&M to keep up with runway styles.
With no doubts, the "See Now, Buy Now" introduction will shake up the fashion industry, but exactly how is to be seen.
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| Tom Ford Fall/Winter 2016 at New York Fashion Week, September 2016 |
With no doubts, the "See Now, Buy Now" introduction will shake up the fashion industry, but exactly how is to be seen.
written by: Claudia
