EDITORIAL
Welcome to 2020 and the start of an exciting new decade for our industry.
Technology, customer groups, the weather, trade shows – nothing is as it used to be, and the industry has to respond quickly. We need to take back the steering wheel and lead – rather than follow – consumer trends. There is more creativity to be found in our industry than ever before: new cultures have entered the fashion scene, unveiling ideas and identities that were inconceivable just ten years ago. Our Lookbook attests to that.
At the same time, the global fashion hubs are becoming more similar than ever. It is time to highlight creativity, set trends, communicate them efficiently through retail, and collaborate, rather than pursuing an outdated “every man for himself” paradigm.
Generation Z is the new customer – what do they want? Honesty, straightforwardness and innovation. That doesn’t mean we have to reinvent the wheel: on the contrary, retro has never been more popular. Brands are launching archive-inspired collections that can offer ideas to retailers for their store designs and events.
Barriers between different industries are being broken down: art, music, sports, automobiles – there are great synergies every fashion store can explore in order to keep things exciting. It is clear that this new generation is more skeptical than others when it comes to big business, all while wanting to have something to show off. This can only be a good thing. Make your consumer part of a journey and give them something they believe in; they will thank you with loyalty. Stories of social or environmental consciousness are what stores, brands and trade shows need to create in order to prepare the industry for these customers.
Social media content will be less and less trustworthy, and targeted marketing will see a decline. The consumer is too educated and conscious, and needs real-life interaction to trust a brand. Brick-and-mortar stores are the perfect sites for this; memories of a good store experience linger longer than those of a website. This goes hand in hand with the training of good sales staff and the decoration of your store. Find ideas for the latter in our Storebook.
Technology is a special focus of this issue. It is now obvious that, rather than replacing humans or making the old ways of working obsolete, it is here to be incorporated into traditional models; to enhance and develop them rather than lead to their demise. Customers use digital devices to research products, only to then go to a physical store to buy them. At the same time, retailers are increasingly using technologies that enable virtual and augmented reality experiences in their physical stores, as well as exploring games and artificial intelligence as a means to enhance engagement with their customers. Our Reports section discusses these phenomena in more detail, while in The Knowledge section, key apparel and tech experts across the globe offer insights into the key technologies fashion professionals should keep an eye on right now.
The technology and fashion sectors have more in common than it may initially seem, and will be collaborating more closely in the coming decade. Fashion has much to learn from the tech sector, including agility and resilience: see our ‘Enterprise 2.0’ Report for suggestions on how to implement this in your business.
We are always keen to hear what topics you would like to see covered in our magazine. Please email sv@wear-magazine.com with your ideas, comments and suggestions.
As always, we wish every success to your business,