Author:Dhani MauPublish date:May 19, 2020There's been a lot of discussion around what future fashion weeks are going to look like, with all the logistical challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic — but what about the trade side of things?
Some overarching themes? Digital solutions to in-person activities will be key; communication between retailers and brands needs to be stronger than ever; and everyone needs to be aligned when it comes to delivery and event schedules — which, yes, need to change. Read on for the highlights from all four conversations.
In preparation for the launch, the Nuorder team have been hosting webinars and training brands in how to use its virtual showroom, with labels like Alice + Olivia and Redone already preparing their content for launch in June. As for the future, Skuza and Wells feel that once this type of technology is widely adopted, there will be no going back.
When it comes to doing business for upcoming seasons, Brand Assembly is also going digital — at least, partially. Its next trade show was scheduled for June 15 through 17 to support resort collections, and France and her team are instead planning three days of digital programming including workouts, discussions and virtual showroom walkthroughs.
And, as France also mentioned, communication with brands has been key, says Aiken: "It's been really encouraging to see how collaborative people have been — how open to different ideas and different ways of thinking about things — and I think it's brought the industry together more than I've ever seen before in terms of those relationships between retailers and brands."
As far as those proposed changes to delivery schedules, Aiken is excited that conversation is happening but notes that everyone is going to have to get "on the same page."