FASHION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
As the Internet turns 50, we ask fashion experts what, currently, makes it the most dependable tool in the industry
On October 3 this year, the Internet turned 50. With time, so much has evolved and changed in the way the world functions. Right from business to education, the Internet has taken over everything. We have become so dependant on it that every click has a story to tell. Over the years, the Internet has made even the fashion industry a lot more accessible in real-time.
Shopping has become easy, thanks to online shopping sites. Samyukta Nair, founder of the fashion brands Clove and Dandelion, is of the view that not just e-commerce, but being able to click and shop off an image from the likes of Instagram makes it so much easier to purchase what one likes. “With social media and its sales-driven focus on ads and sponsored posts, brands find it easier to reach their target audience. Audiences, too, get a better understanding of what’s available across the board, and hence, make an informed purchase,” Nair says, adding, “There is no denying the ease, convenience and accessibility of the Internet in aiding the fashion industry and being its most dependable tool today.”
BENEFITTING THE FASHION INDUSTRY
From a design point of view, has the Internet helped in the growth of the fashion industry? For fashion designer Payal Khandwala, it certainly made the process more democratic. “Now, designers can communicate directly with consumers and have access to their audience as well as relevant data. Thus, it takes out the middleman. This is especially helpful for small design labels and emerging designers who don’t have deep pockets,” she says.
However, as Stan Lee famously wrote, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’, the fashion industry has been bearing the brunt due to many reasons. Khandwala believes that not everyone cares about the fact that with the freedom that the Internet brings, there’s also an added responsibility. “So, the flip side is that easy exposure to original ideas and design philosophies leads to plagiarism with practically no legal repercussions. And although monetarily, that might hurt some businesses, its overall impact is even more insidious. Unfortunately, it makes the fashion landscape lazy, homogenous and bereft of any real imagination and creativity,” she opines.
A BOON FOR BUDDING DESIGNERS
For a lot of people in the fashion industry, be it designers, brands, labels or industry experts, the Internet has played a crucial role in the fashion business. Kavindra Mishra, CEO, House of Anita Dongre, is of the opinion that the Internet, in the recent years, has been key in disseminating fashion. A typical brand is present in about 800 to 1000 points of sale (retail stores and e-commerce websites).
“The Internet provides access to the latest trends in fashion to people of towns and cities where offline expansion would not have happened. So, according to me, it is definitely positive. Also, as information flows freely, a newly emerging class of aspiring customers has been formed, and they are becoming familiar with the brand and the world of fashion. Overall, it is a very positive change,” says Mishra.
Another factor that has helped individual designers and brands evolve through the Internet is that celebrities actively share the outfits they wear on social media. Fashion designer duo Saaksha & Kinni shares that their first breakthrough was when a celebrity wore their garment and shared it online, and the impact helped garner the attention they needed.
“Fashion and celebrities go hand in hand, and we noticed that even whilst being totally unknown, the power of a celebrity wearing your outfit has the capability of guaranteeing you hundreds of followers and thrusting you into the Internet limelight. The impact of a celebrity wearing your garments and posting the same on social media is invaluable,” says Saaksha.
“In terms of sales, you see a huge spike following a sighting on the Internet, as well as hundreds of new followers who are waiting to see who and what the celebrity will wear next. There’s also the added effect of bloggers and media outlets then reposting the look on their websites and writing about you as a brand, which, of course, increases exposure,” adds Kinni.
There is no denying the ease, convenience and accessibility of the internet in aiding the fashion industry and being its most dependable tool today. SAMYUKTA NAIR FOUNDER, CLOVE AND DANDELION