Digital Roundup: S/S 2021 Digital Fashion Weeks

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF S/S 2021 DIGITAL FASHION WEEKS

As global travel restrictions disrupted the fashion calendar this year, designers and fashion brands had to creatively adapt to a new virtual presentation format. London Fashion Week Digital, Paris Fashion Week Online and Milan Digital Fashion Week were all presented online with some brands also incorporating offline components.

Among the standout presentations were Prada, whose “Prada Multiple Views SS21” collection commissioned diverse global artists to make creative short films; Loewe, whose menswear S/S 2021 collection was a “Show-in-a-Box” that translated the collection into physical objects presented in a ten-pound archival dossier; Jacquemus whose physical runway show “L’Amour,” set in a wheat field in Us, France, was coupled with a robust social media campaign; “Phlegethon,” Rick Owens’ menswear S/S 2021 video presentation, filmed in Italy; and a lookbook from Gucci worn by the brand’s design team and presented with a 12-hour livestream video.

In spite of this creativity, overall critical reception was mixed. There was consensus that these first digital fashion forays were more prototype than finished product. Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, Bruce Pask, menswear director of Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, commented that there was not enough focus on product images. For buyers, it was difficult to grasp an idea of each collection from digital presentations which were more like mood boards than product catalogues, as Matchesfashion Men’s Style Director Simon Chilvers recently pointed out in an interview with La Conceria.

Clearly, these shows have been watched, by professionals as well as end consumers, which boosted engagement and awareness. But they did not automatically translate into wholesale sales. The digital buying process is new to everyone. Although it has certain advantages – for instance, it offers a quicker overview of product range and simplifies the selection of key outfits as well as digital archiving – it doesn’t flow naturally.

“Without the real-life interaction, it feels rushed. It’s hard to make decisions over large investments digitally,” a German buyer told WeAr. With so much at stake in an economically uncertain time, the unfamiliar environment makes the selection process much harder. Ramon Ehlen, co-owner of Labels in Sittard, the Netherlands said: “[Digital appointments] were okay, but not as nice as a normal showroom visit. It is important to feel the vibe of the showroom. In the next season, I hope we can go to the physical showroom”. And Peek & Cloppenburg KG, Düsseldorf told us: “Our buyers were positively surprised how smoothly the ordering process can run even on this changed path. Nevertheless, the digital offer cannot replace the ‘look & feel’ [of the real]. The feel of the fabrics and materials is essential for our work.”

Of the all the digital events, Milan Digital Fashion Week ranked first among digital fashion weeks with 58% (6.24M EUR) of the total combined Earned Media Value (10.74M EUR) of the events, according to DMR Group, a media monitoring firm for the luxury market. Milan Digital Fashion Week launched an ambitious online platform that with presentations from 42 fashion houses and a collection of 73 online showrooms representing 457 brands. The event also featured Together for Tomorrow, a collection of 11 new designers, and International Fashion Hub Market, with 10 international menswear brands. Brands such as Alberta Ferretti, Ermenegildo Zegna, Marni, Moschino and Prada participated along with showrooms such as Spazio38, Showroom Marcona3, and Slam Jam.

In Munich and Düsseldorf, real life showrooms, which operated under strict security measures, were well frequented. While companies like Zalando imposed a complete travel ban, other stores, like Breuninger, allowed their buyers to travel at least nationally. Whilst it is possible to order online with systems like JOOR, buying is still mainly a people’s business: buyers need to understand the brand’s emotions, and a sales person will still be required to respond to a customer’s individual wishes. As Peek & Cloppenburg put it: “For the future, a combination of process-supporting digitalisation with conventional sample parts would be desirable. We see an advantage for short-term procurement needs in the expanded offerings in the area of 3D simulations.”

Despite the challenges adapting to the new digital format, a hybrid digital and physical buying experience could offer a more efficient and innovative experience for brands and buyers alike.