The Relevance of Fashion Shows for Retailers /E-commerce Firms to Launch New Collections Retailers on e-commerce portals view this as an opportunity to let their buyers know that they have a wide array of products available that are in line with the latest couture.
By Yashovardhan Gupta •
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Winter is almost over and one can smell the flavors of Spring at your doors with every relatively warmer morning. Like the ecstatic blossoms on dried patches; every spring brings in something equally exciting for the fashion forward; the spring summer collection.
Fashion shows have been loved and critiqued equally over the decades. Inhibitions, ignorance and a weak economy had caused a lack of popularity of sorts for fashion shows. However, those days are now well behind us and the relevance of fashion shows is on the rise yet again.
Fashion sector thrives on each other's support as well as their fierce competition
Couture shows have always drawn attention of the who's who of the fashion world and this is not something that everyone understands or appreciates. However, they are the ones that define what the year or the season is going to look like. The real haute couture fashion shows almost always happen in Paris and there are laws that are in place to protect the very term. Presence of celebrity showstoppers lends support to launch of new collections/designs. Fashion sector thrives on each other's support as well as their fierce competition.
While it may be tempting to ditch the tents, there are a few positives to the traditional fashion show that have started becoming more and more relevant now. They are a huge PR show! If a brand or designer craves the highway to recognition, this is the medium to resort to. It's a commercial event. There are people that buy the collections to resell around the country or world; these buyers decide if a collection is appealing for their audience. The other offbeat fashion shows that have become significantly relevant these days are the ready to wear fashion shows. The designers usually opt for the private shows in the designer's atelier with the actual clothes that are going to be sold in-store, the buyers can demand variations depending on their influence.It's a trend event. What you see there is going to hit the shelves in the next season.They movement the market. There are other inhibitions and myths that people have.
Some of these myths are usually misplaced; one such myth being that retailers or ecommerce websites cannot benefit from them as they are a costly affair. It cannot be denied and thus we shall call a spade – a spade; a fashion show is a really expensive event. There are almost 40 looks per collections; it employs a lot of people: 40-50 models, assistants, directors, stylists, makeup artists, etc. However, the kind of media attention that a fashion show garners cannot be compared to anything else. The very essence of a fashion show is to declare to the world what will be the in thing for the season or year. Thus, a fashion show is the best alternative for retailers to let their consumers know, how they have adapted to the couture and trends that were declared early on.
Ready-to-wear fashion shows are on the rise
Ready-to-wear shows feature more practical, down-to-earth looks that the regular demography loves to purchase. Many middle-class name brand retailers draw inspiration from the ready-to-wear looks of high-end designers, including Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and others. Internationally brands also showcase and launch their new collections at strategic trade fairs through their fashion shows.
Ready-to-wear fashion shows are on the rise and this is the one time that fashionistas and the mainstream population can be on the same page and appreciate fashion. Retailers on e-commerce portals view this as an opportunity to let their buyers know that they have a wide array of products available that are in line with the latest couture. This also gives the buyers the confidence in choosing products when they see the same being carried by live models just like consumers would.
So, choose to look away if it isn't palatable; but fashion shows are here to stay. This being said, retailers and e-commerce giants realize the relevance of the above said shows and they will always choose to be a part of it as it is the best option to communicate what they have in store for their consumers.
