This Little Designer Went to Market: Social Media and Fashion Manufacturing
June 20, 2011
Fashion editors and department store buyers have always been the biggest determining factor in which designer collections make it to market. In other words, if you make the buyer for Barney’s upset, don’t expect your spring line to do so well. However, this pattern is changing these days, thanks to a quickly shifting social web culture that facilitates online voting, purchasing and even customization of clothing lines.
Social media is all about interaction, and this deeper engagement between designers and their end consumer is now giving shoppers opportunities to choose what gets produced and in some cases, what designs look like. The result is a more engaged shopper, less waste from manufacturers and a retailer who is better able to estimate demand before garments are even produced.
FashionStake, an online high fashion e-commerce site, knew early on that fashion-conscious consumers craved the opportunity to be a part of the creative process. They created a platform where designers and shoppers could collaborate to fund the creation of new designs through pre-orders. Clothes were only manufactured if enough orders were placed and consumers were able to conservatively ‘invest’ in the designer.
Design brands such as Burberry allow customers to choose patterns, materials and other details in web apps that create individualized apparel, which allow shoppers to feel they are socially connected to the company. Accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff got even more interactive by asking for help in designing a clutch for her line earlier this year. She supplied images of signature materials like leather, hooks, tassels, studs, zippers and straps and then asked consumers to get creative. She received over 6,000 different designs. The winning clutch debuted on Minkoff’s first runway show during Fashion Week in New York this year. It’s now available for purchase. All of this was initiated by social interaction online and has reaped hefty benefits for these companies.
Even older dot com companies like eBay have capitalized on the shift in online social platform use for the fashion industry. At New York Fashion Week this past February, designer Derek Lam unveiled a series of 16 original designs, which eBay shoppers were then invited to vote on. More than 120,000 votes were cast to determine the five dresses that were chosen to go to market.
In summary, both consumers and buyers were given the final say on what items became mass manufactured. This makes designers less risky to investors and gives consumers a personalized experience. With more and more websites and fashion industry companies building bridges of direct social connections, consumers will become loyal, engaged and willing to spend money on their favorite designers. In such a competitive industry, this is a critical piece of the puzzle when determining success of a clothing line.
