Product Configurator Software Helps Fashion Brands to Accommodate Latest Trends
Ecommerce to this day remains an extremely complex and intricate business. E-tailers and brands not only have to offer the right product at the right time, in the right place for the right audience, they also need to be agile to accommodate any changes in the market. These strategies enable them to succeed and gain an edge over others. As the global eCommerce market continues to rise exponentially, the fashion industry needs to understand what customers want and how they want it. The online product designer is a perfect customization tool that allows brands and retailers to peep inside customers mindsets and manufacture precisely what they like. The software enables brands to display their collections and designs. Accordingly, their customers can take inspiration from these designs and customize their apparel, footwear, headgears, bags, and other fashion products. The tool comes with digital solutions that allow buyers to preview their products as they personalize them before placing the final order.
Product Configurator Software Offers Solutions to Scale Businesses
In the last one-year, seasonal peaks have been high, especially around the holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or the end of the season for fashion retailers and helped eCommerce businesses to plan their inventory and warehousing accordingly. However, these peaks are shifting, with many seasonal sale peaks, for example, becoming longer. With many fashion e-tailers launching several collections a year, the idea of an end of season sale is changing, making it more difficult to predict future demands for certain products. As the concept of “peak season” continues to change, what can e-tailers and online businesses do in order to know what consumers want in a week, month or year?
Let us look at the various factors and other inspiring stories that help fashion companies to foster in the digital space and scale their business:
1. Increasing Dependence on Technology
Technology is an integral part of our life. It is changing the way people shop; brands display their collections and how both parties communicate with one another. Therefore, its significance in the fashion sector can’t be ignored, and brands must use it at their full capacity to thrive in the fashion industry. Innovation is the true synonym of fashion, and it is no longer restricted to physical garments; and the pandemic acted as another driving force for designers and pushed them towards digital and immersive solutions. As stores shuttered and fashion shows were held online, it was obvious that clothes would also be adopted in the digital format, and people could virtually wear them.
Many luxury and apparel brands have started minting NFTs (non-fungible tokens; unique digital assets that only exist digitally but can cost tens of thousands of pounds), and digital-only designers and collectives are making waves, partnering with mainstream brands to bring them into the realm of cyber fashion. For some, virtual fashion may not be quite mainstream yet, but consumers have already started to embrace these changes and have given their positive feedback on the concept. Some see digital fashion as an antidote to the excesses of fast fashion and the waste associated with all aspects of fashion overproduction. The Metaverse is full of endless potential and uncharted territory. At its heart, fashion is all about celebrating creativity, but it has long been an industry plagued by criticism, from a continued lack of inclusivity and representation to utter disregard for the climate and an elitist perspective when it comes to who decides what’s “in fashion”. Metaverse, the new-age technology, is enabling brands to leverage the current trends of virtual solutions as it supports persistent online 3d virtual environments through conventional personal computing, as well as virtual and augmented reality headsets. The technology in its limited form is already present on platforms, such as VRChat and video games. At present, Metaverse is only centred around issues related to technological limitations with modern virtual and augmented reality devices. Numerous entertainment and social media companies have invested in metaverse-related research and development.
The advancing technologies in the fashion industry indicate that brands are more than ready to welcome the new solutions to revolutionize their business model that can be reflected on their bottom line. For instance, Italian fashion house Jil Sander has unveiled a collection in collaboration with technical apparel and outwear label Arc’teryx on a mountain sports collection. The partners are working on womenswear, menswear, and unisex capsules for Jil Sander, designed for an active outdoor lifestyle. Creative directors Lucie and Luke Meier selected the performance-wear brand based on its long-standing commitment to functionality, authentic performance and innovation. The line focuses on skiing, snowboarding and other mountain activities, optimizing Arc’teryx’s engineering and technical trades as it consists of three jackets, a pair of bibbed trousers and a one-piece suit.
Slight on the similar lines, Netflix series Emily in Paris to launch shoppable content. With the second season nearing next month, the show’s parent company, ViacomCBS, is hoping to capitalize on its popularity, launching a shoppable content channel where looks from the show can be bought on Netflix.com, Saks.com and in some physical Saks stores. The show’s costume designer, Marylin Fitoussi, has cleverly mixed high and low fashion, with looks from the Alber Elbaz, founded label AZ Factory and Chanel-owned brands Goossens Paris, Maison Michel, Causse Gantier and Barrie all collaborating in the collections.
2. Rising Concerns for Sustainable Development
Sustainability is not a new trend in the fashion world; it has been going rounds for some time now. However, brands and consumers have recently tried to change their purchasing patterns and collections that ultimately help companies to balance revenue and nature. Therefore, in recent times, you must have witnessed more brands taking up initiatives that support eco-friendly measures and boost their sales while also enabling customers to make responsible choices. Let us explore the initiatives launched by PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, which is raising fashion industry awareness of the importance of sourcing materials from sustainably managed certified forests. It is the world’s largest forest certification organization and is participating in the IAF’s 36th World Fashion Convention to draw attention to the importance of responsible and verified sourcing of forest-based materials, including viscose, acetate, lyocell, and natural rubber. It aims to support and educate brands to shift from unknown forest sources to more sustainably managed and certified forests. This move will help fashion companies transform their environmental impact and support the vitality of the world’s forests.
PEFC intends to extend its support and encourage brands and retailers to make responsible procurement choices, drawing on the sustainable management of forests around the world. Natural and renewable wood-based materials have a huge potential to help the fashion industry on its sustainability journey, but must be sourced responsibly from a sustainable origin, proved via the PEFC chain of custody certification mechanism. The firm’s certificate assures brands and retailers that they are using man-made cellulosic fibres, packaging, natural rubber, or timber. It also affirms theirs believes that they are using a sustainably responsible material and are playing their part in tackling climate change and supporting biodiversity. Through sourcing certified materials, brands and retailers have third-party verified evidence that their suppliers are not contributing to deforestation or illegal logging nor intensifying the accompanying social and environmental problems.
These initiatives suggest that brands and retailers have a huge role in making the fashion industry and the planet greener and cleaner as they are the ultimate decision-makers for sourcing and have the power to influence the supply chain. As suggested in the above paragraph, one way of making a difference is by procuring wood-based products- fibre, textile, and other marketing material. Another way is related to technology and implementing correct technology that will take your business to the next and enable you to balance revenue and environment. The product design tool, a customization tool, is designed to help companies reduce their overproduction, carbon emission, resource wastage, and sourcing problems in a snap. The tool empowers your buyers to design their numerous fashion products, including pants, shirts, t-shirts, blazers, backpacks, sneakers, shoes, caps, hats, and many other products. Since buyers have the upper hand in deciding the pattern, they are less likely to throw away the product after one use. Besides, they would have emotionally and creatively invested so much in customizing the product that they won’t ever think of throwing away the product. Also, the product manufactured will be of the best quality as buyers will have a say in what materials to use while manufacturing the item. The tool, in short, is a win-win for both buyers as well as brands.
3. Collaborating with Leading Partners
Collaborations, acquisitions, and mergers are parts and parcels of business, and the fashion industry is no different. Whenever some brand, designer, or retailer wants to step into an unknown space, the first step they take is to join hands with other prominent names in the industry or merge their business with them. And as the sector is witnessing its drastic and swift changes where technology and sustainable solutions seem to be at their core, emerging brands or even the otherwise companies should join forces. This helps them understand the landscape and accordingly plan their strategies to be at the top of their game. For instance, Starter has collaborated with Pull and Bear to celebrate the sports brand’s 50th anniversary. The two companies have partnered to create the Starter x Pull and Bear Autumn/Winter ’21 capsule collection, combining streetwear with athleisure. Their collection will consist of a two-tone theme that will be reflected through its two-tone denim jacket, a patchwork shirt, and an oversized cardigan. The collection’s colourways are mainly forest green and black and white tones.
Starter earlier began its collection with the tagline “every athlete dreams of being a starting player”, and since then, it has continued to draw inspiration from sport, music and pop culture. The brand’s other collection will also include a sweatshirt, pairs of jogging trousers, an oversized raincoat, and accessories, such as baseball caps, beanies and socks. The collection’s centrepiece will be the Starter classic varsity jacket, embroidered with Starter 50th anniversary logo patches. The collaborations are not only limited to the apparel segment; the jewelry sector is not left behind. It is also seeing some exciting and interesting partnerships that will bring good news to its buyers. Streetwear brand Supreme has revealed a collaboration with the luxury jewelry house Tiffany & Co. in an Instagram post unveiling a range from the upcoming autumn 2021 collection. The collection is called ‘Return to Tiffany’, and it is inspired by pieces originally launched in the 1960s. The line will consist of Heart Tag Pendant, Oval Tag Pearl Necklace, Star Bracelet, Heart Tag Stud Earrings, Heart Knife Key Ring, Oval Tag Keyring, and T-shirt. All the products mentioned here will have the phrase “Please return to Supreme New York” engraved on them.
In the post, Tiffany & Co. states that all pieces featured are Sterling Silver, with the pearl necklace designed using freshwater cultured pearls. The news of partnership was broken at the weekend across various social media platforms with the aim of enticing the label’s young buyers. Many experts believe that the timing of announcing the collaboration comes at the time when the iconic jewelry brand wants to re-establish itself in the market, following a series of hierarchical restructuring and the new exploration of a fresh creative direction. The moves were triggered by LVMH’s acquisition of the label earlier in the year, with the fashion conglomerate stating its goal is to transform the iconic jewelry house. Since then, the brand has welcomed a number of high-level ambassadors, including model Hailey Baldwin and power duo Beyoncé and Jay-Z, emphasizing the swift change in direction for the classic label.
The Choice is Yours-
Towards the end, it will be appropriate to say that the fashion industry is witnessing some of its toughest times as it is extremely daunting for its brands, designers, and retailers to anticipate or forecast a particular trend. The strategies suggested in the blog will help fashion and luxury houses thrive and put the best fight in the market. If these suggestions or thoughts of revamping the entire business model seems an overwhelming task to you, you must implement the online product designer by iDesigniBuy. The customization solution will solve all the problems related to advancing technology, sustainability, and the constant threat of acquisition in the fashion world as it gives brands and retailers an edge to compete in the market and eventually become a winner.
