Silent MIPEL showroom: innovative format lands in Seoul
After the obligatory stop in March caused by the COVID-19 emergency, Mipel Leathergoods Showroom took place and became Silent Mipel Showroom in Seoul.
The pandemic made it necessary to revise the well-established format created by Assopellettieri with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA-Italian Trade Agency which is taking place from 20th to 26th October 2020 in High Street, Seoul and will see the participation of 21 Italian brands.
Companies are protagonists with their SS2021 collections exhibited in Seoul and entrepreneurs, even if not physically present, are able to “meet” buyers and the Korean press through virtual sessions of “Meet the Brands”.
“The Silent Mipel Showroom in Seoul is an example of how it is possible to continue to support companies and do business in this moment of profound crisis, while not moving from the national territory – comments President Franco Gabbrielli -, we are proud to say that this format, conceived by us together with the precious partnership with ITA- Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is the first ever in the Italian fashion scene to be landed across the border and come to life with these characteristics. Korean buyers and press will be able to enjoy live, in physical presence, the collections of our companies set up for the occasion in the spaces of the HIGH STREET Italia building in Seoul; the representatives of the brands, on the other hand, will connect in streaming according to a specific calendar and will have the opportunity to tell about themselves to the Korean world. An innovative format of which we are the forerunners and which we will certainly replicate on other international initiatives”.
APP-DATE: Bridge digital with physical
Below we review some of the best apps and software platforms used by retailers and brands to bridge digital with physical customer experiences. The latter is crucial during unprecedented times as this is where all effort must go into optimising the customer journey and putting great emphasis on digital innovations.
STORE OCCUPANCY SOLUTIONS
Solutions that calculate the number of customers in your store are vital in a post-quarantine world. SmartOccupancy by retail tech firm Checkpoint combines the overhead people counting sensor Visiplus 3D with a cloud-based software portal, HALO. Similarly, Prodco, a company that specialises in footfall tracking, utilizes an advanced PC-3DR Stereoscopic camera at each entrance or interior zone, pushing entrance and exit count data (excluding staff and/or security guards) to cloud servers in real time. Suitable for buildings of all sizes, a SafeCount solution delivers live occupancy data with visual warnings and alerts when limits are approached or exceeded. If you are not yet ready for complex solutions but need to keep track of customers entering and exiting your store, there are plenty of simpler counter apps that work on Android, such as Counter Plus (free!), AllCounter or Klickr (under 6 EUR).
checkpointsystems.com/us/SmartOccupancy/
www.prodcotech.com
www.irisys.net
HERO
Aiming to make omnichannel easy for retailers as well as end consumers, Hero is a timely solution in an era when a lot of communications with customers need to happen remotely, yet need to feel personal. It allows staff to send photos, product videos and make video calls directly from the shop floor, giving shoppers the confidence they need to buy, and making them less likely to return items. Moreover, it enables the retailer to see what shoppers are browsing in real time as they move around the website and allows them send recommendations for other items straight into the chat. Already used by the likes of Harvey Nichols, Chloe and Diane von Furstenberg, Hero is backed by an impressive team of investors and advisors, including the former EVP, Technology at Macy’s and the Director of Commerce Partnerships at Google.
www.usehero.com
SHOEFITTER
The ShoeFitter app designed by German company Formigas aims to bring returns down and boost customer satisfaction. With the help of Apple’s FaceID sensor, a feature of recent iPhone models, customers can scan their feet and use the measurements to check whether the chosen shoe will fit. This technology can be integrated into existing shopping apps or be used as a link connecting users to the ShoeFitter app. The company offers multiple schemes to retailers: Rental for a software development kit option, where brands and online retailers pay royalties to use the ShoeFitter functionality in their own e-commerce channels; an Affiliate scheme where end consumers utilizing the app are forwarded to an online or offline retailer, who pays up to 12% commission on the generated sales; and a Data insights scheme for companies that need access to shoe fitting intelligence to optimize and develop better fits for their footwear.
Prada Re-Nylon collection 2020
The spectrum of Prada Re-Nylon expands for 2020, offering ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories for men and women. An expansion of ideas, a broadening of scope and a re-commitment to responsible retail and sustainable business practices.
The Prada Re-Nylon collection is a groundbreaking evolution of the brand’s most recognisable signifier, nylon – an emblem of Prada’s distinct viewpoint on modern luxury, an industrial beauty, and contemporary life for more than four decades.
Re-Nylon is the next step in fabric technology and sustainable luxury – a textile that can be endlessly regenerated without loss of quality, a true cyclical luxury.
Prada presents the Prada Re-Nylon collection through a series of installations in its stores and original pop up stores in collaboration with the most prestigious malls in the world.
Among the others, the installations at Beijing SKP-S, the Epicenters of New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo and the pop up stores at Seoul Shinsegae Gangnam, Selfridges Manchester, Xian SKP, Vancouver Holt Renfrew, Shenzhen Bay MIXC, Bangkok Siam Paragon, Seoul Hyundai Pangyo.
British Fashion Council announces new digital format
The British Fashion Council has announced a new digital format for The Fashion Awards 2020, due to the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19.
The Fashion Awards 2020 will honour and celebrate the designers, brands, creatives and individuals who have created positive change within the fashion industry this year; from those who bravely faced this challenging period with pro-active responses to the global pandemic, showed leadership and creative resilience, to the ones who stood up against prejudice within the fashion industry and fight for change. The BFC is looking to shine a spotlight on those who made humanitarian efforts, adapted their business models and responded to their community’s needs.
Twenty individuals and brands will be recognised and receive a ‘2020 Fashion Award’ in honour of their specific contribution. They will be announced as part of a short film that will document the fashion industry in this extraordinary year, while bringing together a list of next generation opinion leaders and creatives to share their personal vision on the most important moments of 2020.
Photo Credit :Services Généraux
Marketing: strategies to adapt during a crisis
The current consumer mood is anxious, and the messages that might appeal to a customer today are completely different from those that appeared just last quarter. Great sensitivity is necessary in all communications. In a recent article on health crisis brand strategy, e-commerce selling platform Shopify recommended that brands reconsider whether their message seems “appropriate and considerate of the context we’re in”. Sellers need to be responsive to the current situation without being negative, while also being reassuring and authentically empathetic.
Being authentic means going beyond mere product presentation to offer an online experience that communicates the spirit and ethos of your store or brand. Retailers and designers have been posting uncharacteristically personal stories: for example, the owners of London-based online retailer Scout & Co. have been documenting the lives of their kids in lockdown in Instagram Stories and sharing the struggles that come with balancing home schooling and running a business – a challenge that most of their customers can relate to.
It is telling that advertising spend on social media has declined since the start of the year, according to Facebook’s recently released revenue report. As they reduce their paid advertising budget, brands are relying on organic social media content shared with their followers on Facebook and Instagram. For example, Epoque Evolution, a US-based sustainable leisurewear brand, is using social media content on Instagram to educate customers about their product range. The brand shares yoga classes, product giveaways and recipes on Instagram Live, thus becoming part of household life in ways that extend beyond a simple sales transaction.
It is important to remember that online is not the be all and end all of marketing. With their lives mostly happening in the digital realm under quarantine, custom- ers are longing for physical objects. Now is the time to advertise in exciting print media. Also, put creative effort into designing the windows for your bricks-and- mortar stores to wow those customers hungry for real-life experiences once lockdowns ease.
Photo Credit :Shopify
E-Commerce: Platforms or a store of your own?
When entering the world of e-commerce, retailers often have to make a choice: do they sell their range through a marketplace or set up their own online store? Boutiques can opt to sell through global fashion platforms, such as Zalando, ASOS, Farfetch and Lamoda. There are also national and regional marketplaces. All these platforms charge commission on each sale (usually 5-25% of the gross price) and may also demand a registration or monthly fee. In exchange, the seller can use the website’s infrastructure and client reach, and products can generally be listed quickly and easily. Before you know it, your ‘market stall’ is live and you can start selling.
Conversely, building your own online shop can take several months, depending on the desired level of customization. It’s relatively complex, expensive, and incurs marketing costs to attract customers. This approach entails a lot of preliminary research to decide on the right features for the store. Programmers or agencies then need to be briefed and you will have to oversee the development process. Once your shop is up and running, products need to be listed and updated – this also requires skills and time.
Good quality product images and descriptions are essential for both formats. Wheth- er your item is modelled or simply pictured on its own, be sure to create a style that customers will recognize. The more images in your store and the more detailed the descriptions, the better. A few garment measurements (e.g., total length, leg sizes) are useful and will reduce returns. It’s your shop, so the product range, response times, delivery terms and charges, as well as the returns policy, are up to you. On platforms it’s a different story: if you don’t fall in line with the marketplace rules, you’ll risk not only penalties but poor ratings. And your competitors are just a click away: if your range isn’t special enough, the competition can be fierce – as can the pressure to lower prices.
High traffic is a draw for well-known platforms. They are able to reach the kind of large customer bases independent online shops can only dream of, thanks to their generous marketing budgets. It’s challenging to attract new customers as a sole e-commerce store, but the individualized approach makes it easier to reach and retain loyal customers: after all, an online shop enables continuous access to customer journey data. Some platforms analyze this information so intensively that they are suspected of copying their retailers’ bestsellers, an accusation recently levelled at Amazon.
Examine the individual pros and cons for your business model, and the various options available in terms of time and budget for product sales through various channels. Perhaps the middle way is the best: you could start on one or two online marketplaces while you wait to launch your own online shop.
Stone Island launches STORIA
Since its inception in 1982, Stone Island has acquired a worldwide cult following for its cutting-edge outerwear. In the world where brands latch on to culture, through its almost four-decade existence Stone Island influenced it.
Storia captures the story of Stone Island, combining its history and ethos into one source. With never-before-seen images and three major texts by Eugene Rabkin, Paul Gorman and Jian DeLeon.
A special cover with slipcase and a poster depicting the history of iconic Stone Island badges has been produced exclusively for Stone Island stores and its websites.
Fondation Louis Vuitton reopens with major retrospective dedicated to American photographer Cindy Sherman
Initially scheduled to run from April 2 to August 31 but postponed because of the health crisis, the “Cindy Sherman at the Fondation Louis Vuitton” retrospective is set to become a highlight of the Paris cultural calendar for 2020-2021. Dedicated to showcasing contemporary art, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is welcoming visitors back with an exhibition of more than 300 photos from various series shot by the 66-year-old photographer since the late 1970s.
Cindy Sherman is known for exploring female stereotypes through extremely elaborate self-portraits. Posing in her own photos is a hallmark of the artist’s work. And yet, in all her images, she never looks the same. Through the magic of makeup, costumes and wigs, the artist transforms herself into a myriad of characters of her own invention.
Designed in close collaboration with the artist herself, the retrospective also aims to highlight how Cindy Sherman’s work and technique have evolved over time: her transition from black and white to color, her choice of small and then large formats and, more recently, her use of image editing tool Photoshop and social network Instagram.
MYCLAH: E-Commerce specialised in Italian refined and artisanal collections
The idea behind MYCLAH from an Italian entrepreneur, Claudia Gatti, whose aim is to give voice to talents and small made in Italy manufacturing companies and offer them greater international visibility by investing in a project to support the beauty of the Italian lifestyle.
MYCLAH presents itself as a container of high-level products, original and often unique, selected for quality, ability to transmit Italian mastery and know-how, without however neglecting the affordability of the proposal. The site develops as a portal to which, beyond the e-shop, it will be added a section dedicated to artisan start-ups and creatives who will tell their stories. An internal editorial staff will talk about travel, fashion, life style, food and beauty #allitaliana. This will be the common thread that will accompany the world of MYCLAH on social media.
Supporter of young talents and passionate about the stories that lie behind each product, imbued with quality and tradition but also with innate creativity, Claudia Gatti, creator of MYCLAH project, has seen how much the territory and the roots are fundamental for each of these companies: inside of MYCLAH it will give particular visibility to the relationship between product and land of origin. Furthermore, 90% of the brands featured in this first launch are led by women. A great pride for MYCLAH, whose team is all female: “I found great solidarity from everyone and an exchange of energy that feeds me and strengthens me every day”confirms Claudia Gatti. Among her future projects also the creation of a mini capsule of clothing and accessories branded MYCLAH.
For the first launch campaign, the MYCLAH project is inspired by Italian beauty and everyday life. Scenes of life with an ironic chic flair that recall italian places of art and vacation. The shots of the adv campaign were taken in a former 15th century convent, now a relais in Gradara, from photographer Vincenzo Traettino (model Claudia Capellini, set designer Mirna Casadei).
DFO launches NOVA by DFO with a strong international lineup at Shanghai Fashion Week
From October 9-12, DFO will debut NOVA by DFO, an official Shanghai Fashion Week event for its SS21 edition.
Hosted by DFO International, with 10 years of experience in the industry, NOVA’s hybrid sales platform combines Showroom and designer sections, showcasing leading international commercial and designer brands for the domestic retail market. Providing streamlined, in-depth sales and marketing services, NOVA’s innovative platform aims to maximize business opportunities and market engagement between brands and buyers.
Demonstrating its dynamic positioning in the Chinese market and strong digital strategies to respond to changing market needs, DFO’s sales has strongly surged by 30% compared to the same period the year before, despite the global coronavirus outbreak.
NOVA by DFO will make its debut by presenting a total of 40 fashion and lifestyle brands for the Showroom and Designer sections.
Key highlights…
-The SHOWROOM section, hosted by DFO Showroom, will feature 24 brands.
-The DESIGNER section introduces buyers to 16 global fashion brands that are new to the Chinese market.
-Cementing its role as brand accelerator, DFO and haute couture designer Wanbing Huang will jointly launch womenswear label AnOTHER MUSE. Creative Director Wanbing Huang brings her proficient haute couture design experience and DFO International’s deep market insight into life, experimenting with superb technology to improve the structure, fit and wearing experience of clothing, and the dedication to craftsmanship is highlighted in every piece of the collection.
–Ze by SANKUANZ, the eponymous lifestyle brand by SANKUANZ, will make its first Shanghai Fashion Week debut.
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