#rewiringfashion
This is a proposal for the global fashion industry, the product of ongoing conversations between a growing group of independent designers, CEOs and retail executives from around the world who have come together in this challenging time to rethink how the fashion industry could — and should — work.
Facilitated by The Business of Fashion
Introduction
We are a group of independent designers, executives and retailers from around the world who came to the fashion industry along different paths but for the same reason: a belief in the beauty, imagination and craft that remain at the core of this business. And yet, we find ourselves facing a fashion system that is less and less conducive to genuine creativity and ultimately serves the interests of nobody: not designers, not retailers, not customers — and not even our planet. It’s time to slow down and rediscover the storytelling and magic of fashion.
Among the practical issues we face are (1) a fashion calendar that is out of sync with the end customer, unsustainable for industry professionals and damaging for sales and (2) a fashion show format that is outmoded.
The Covid-19 crisis makes the need for change more urgent than ever, while also providing a powerful opening for dialogue and a rewiring of the system around a fresh set of principles. We aimed to think boldly and hope to find common ground with industry peers tackling similar issues, such as the forum led by designer Dries Van Noten, Lane Crawford President Andrew Keith and Altuzarra CEO Shira Sue Carmi.
1. Reset the Fashion Calendar
We need to revise the current fashion calendar, which is out of sync with today’s market, rethinking the timing of shows, buying periods and product deliveries.
The Problem:
Fashion shows are staged too far ahead of product deliveries, short-circuiting desire for collections when they finally hit the store.
Some brands quickly copy our designs, getting them to market in cheaper, disposable fast fashion.
Delivery dates are out of sync with real-world seasons.
Buyers and press expend too much time, money and energy travelling.
What if we…
Combined men’s and women’s fashion weeks to take place in January/February and June to enable longer full-price sell-through periods, minimise travel requirements and de-gender fashion week.
Aligned fashion shows, collection deliveries and real-world seasons so shows take place just before weather-appropriate collections hit stores.
Synchronised next season buying periods with current season presentations to cut back on travel.
2. Reimagine Fashion Shows
We believe the format of fashion shows is outmoded and labels should be free to reimagine the presentation of their collections to better target a consumer audience.
The Problem:
The format of fashion shows has not changed in 50 years and yet these previously closed industry events for press, buyers and other insiders now welcome celebrities and influencers, and they are captured and shared online for everyone to see.
Fashion shows are not optimised for this new instant, digital world where fashion imagery travels at lightning speed, limiting the return on the customer desire created by our investments in fashion shows.
What if we…
Repositioned fashion shows as events primarily designed to engage customers, creating awareness and desire for collections just before deliveries arrive in stores.
Agreed that there should be no rules — imposed by convention or fashion councils — regarding the format of shows, nor any expectations that every brand should show every season.
Freed designers to reimagine their fashion presentations to best engage their customers and the media titles they follow.
This statement captures our collective thinking about the actions we must take to preserve the beauty, creativity, and craft of our industry, while building solid, sustainable businesses that can survive the current storm — and beyond. This is only the first step. We hope to build upon and refine this proposal as we continue to engage with other industry leaders and address other industry challenges. We hope you will join us.
Join #rewiringfashion
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Founding Signatories (64)
For the full list of (2,204) supporters click here.
Share the Message
We invite you to share the messages outlined in our proposal on your social channels via the link below.
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