Custom: The New/Old Luxury for fashion and apparel
#customization #custom #fashion #fashiontech #fittech #fit
Visiting the MET museum last weekend I had an epiphany... Old stuff was much more well made.
Tony Stark couldn't have made a better custom suit of armor in that time.
Even with all of the fancy manufacturing we have now, custom is still a problem.
Consumer preference shifts often, but as of lately it seems that consumers are shifting toward customization.
According to a study launched by Italian custom clothing company Lanieri,
“1 in 5 Americans (21%) bought customised items last year:
millennials are the highest among the other age groups (34%)
and would be willing to spend more money (42%) to purchase customized items than on non-customized items”.
The Custom Era is coming 'Is your company Prepared?' is the question you need to ask yourself.
Who is to Blame?
Of course, there are many factors that could explain why consumers have become so privy to customization as of lately.
I point the finger at fast fashion.
Fast Fashion spoils consumers with increasing amounts of style options but it disappoints consumers with the lack of quality.
Consumer obviously have high expectations.
I went out and asked shoppers how they felt about fast fashion and the responses were mainly around fit:
" I need better fitting clothing that actually has quality. "
" I would pay more if it fit better and may the fabric was a little different"
Consumers certainly equate fit with quality.
This is why customization is appealing to shoppers, shoppers are ready for the next level of retail innovation.
Innovation has been moving exponentially in phases and providing new experiences for shoppers:
1990's Mall Era = Regional Availability
2000's Online Era = International Availability
2010's Fast Fashion Era = Trend on Demand
2020 and Beyond: Customization = Fit on demand
Why does custom work?
There's a philosophy I believe in that sums up the 'Tao of Customization':
I’m a firm believer that launching creations together maintains successful relationships.
Allowing the customer to take part in the creation of their garments builds a new relationship between brands and customers.
How can they take part? Two simple ways:
- Helping to design by choosing options
- Giving their measurements
Simple
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