Fashion Brands and the Digital Age

For Fashion brands and business, the coming of the digital age has allowed for immense speed to market. You can now create a prototype and sell it before you make it. You can get feedback and engage with your target market; you can get analysis and information from data at the speed of light, which all adds up to more competition in the marketplace. It has never been easier to create a brand than it is NOW.

Thus, it is essential to make your mark on the digital world. Best of all, creating a profile on any given social media is immediate, free marketing. Below we share with you five ways to leverage the digital world and build your brand.

1). Build a community of followers and engage with them. Having an engaged community and being in constant communication with it is key to having a thriving business. Create content that adds value to their lives and builds the brand and consumer trust. This moves nicely into the next point of how to stay on top of creating fantastic content.

2). Create an Editorial Calendar. Although this seems like a basic task, often, being business owners, it’s easy to get wrapped up in a to-do list of, which this gets tagged onto the end. It is crucial to set out a content calendar similar to how you would if you were running a magazine.

3). Analysing the Analytics. Know your metrics; be sure to check what content is working and what is not. In the complicated world of data, pick a few important metrics for your brand and check on them regularly. Learn, edit, engage and repeat.

4). Lead Generation. Find ways to grow your fan base by giving them value through email sequencing. There is a range of software options that can help you create this; learn and build a campaign relevant to your brand.

5). Create loyalty stickiness programmes. Create focus groups, give them rewards, ask questions about what is working and what is not. Keep them coming back for more.

Finally, think out of the box!

Thanks

Kate

Founder at Fashionable Futures

“This Too Shall Pass” – A Lesson in Impermanence

During challenging times, we feel it will go on forever. We can feel overwhelmed and helpless. At these times, it is essential to remember that 'life is a journey'.

This is a valley (of death) we are travelling through.  

A beautiful way to explain this is through a Parable from King Solomon:

There was a king, and he once said to the court sages, “I have a ring with one of the finest diamonds in the world, and I want to hide a message under the stone that can be useful in a situation of extreme despair. I will give this ring to my heirs, and I want it to serve them faithfully. Think of what kind of message will be there. It must be very short to fit in the ring”. The sages knew how to write treatises but did not express themselves in short sentences. They thought and thought but did not come up with anything.   

The king complained about the failure of his venture to the faithful old servant who had raised him from infancy and was a part of the family. And the old man said to him, “I’m not a sage, I’m not educated, but I know such a message. For the many years I spent in the palace, I met a lot of people. And once I served a visiting mystic whom your father invited, and he gave me this message. I ask that you don’t read it now. Save it under the stone and open it only when there’s no way out at all".

The king listened to the old servant. After some time, his enemies attacked the country, and the king lost the war. He fled on his horse, and his enemies pursued him. He was alone; his enemies were many. He rode to the end of the road. There was a huge deep cliff before him; if he fell there, it would be the end. He could not go back as the enemies were approaching; he could already hear the clatter of their horses' hooves. He had no way out. He was in complete despair, and then he remembered the ring. He opened it and found this inscription: “This too shall pass”.

After reading the message, he felt that everything went quiet. The pursuers got lost and went in the wrong direction. The king was filled with gratitude to the servant and the unknown mystic. The words were powerful. He closed the ring and set back out on the road, where he gathered his army and returned to his kingdom. On the day he returned to the palace, they arranged a magnificent feast for the whole world - the people loved their king. The king was happy and proud. The old servant came up to him and said softly, “Even in this moment, look at the message again”.

The king said, “Now I am a winner; people are celebrating my return; I'm not in despair, not in a hopeless situation”.

“Listen to this old servant”, the servant answered. “The message works not only in moments when everything is bad but also in moments of victory.”

The king opened the ring and read, "This too shall pass".

And again, he felt a silence fall over him, although he was in the midst of a noisy dancing crowd. His pride dissolved, and he understood the message.

The old man said to the king, “Do you remember everything that happened to you? Nothing and no feeling is permanent. As night changes day, so moments of joy and despair replace each other. Accept them as the nature of things, as part of life".

Remember your own times of challenge and abundance. They were all impermanent; they all passed. 

Take power and freedom from this, and have a beautiful day!

Thanks

Kate

Founder at Fashionable Futures

What’s Next for Fashion?

In my previous blogs, I talked a lot about the future of fashion. It is something I am deeply interested in and committed to impacting.

As we’ve discussed many times how the past two+ decades have driven us to a consumer culture where we have been programmed to buy large amounts of clothing at low cost, wear them briefly and discard them. Until relatively recently, nobody really understood the true impact of that. I still encounter people who proudly tell me that their beautiful dress was only X amount from X fast fashion company, whether it’s H&M, Zara or Shein, whoever. What I’m reminded of is this is not the true cost. This collective guilt that many of us have is at the root of our focus and extensive commitment to reversing this damage wherever we can.

Yet do we really know what we want in the future of fashion? Are we clear about the balance and structure of brands in the future? 

At this point, I want to introduce the concept of “spiritual fashion”. We could also call it “mindful fashion” or fashion that is “aware” or “present”.

The subject of spiritual fashion I will explore further, but it’s something I’ve been considering and studying for some time.

A few points to consider – do we want fashion that:

• Sparks joy 

• Creates healing, well-being, a feeling of happiness and fulfilment

• Is honest, respects and loves everyone involved

• Clothes that are filled with love, intention and beauty                                     

• Isn’t this a future of fashion that is engaging, one that we would love to be a part of?

Thank you for reading and let’s talk again soon.
With love,
Kate

The Transformation of Fashion

I’m back to explore some considerations on the “transformation of fashion” over the past 25 years. In the last blog, I discussed the cycle of Gucci from the arrival of Tom Ford to the exit of Alessandro Michele.  Now, I am considering what the future of Gucci could be.

It is quite bizarre to now read an article by Reuters with the headline “Out of fashion, Gucci faces the daunting task of replacing top designer”.  Is Gucci really out of fashion?  Why does it matter?  The past few years have been somewhat turbulent, to say the least. Humanity has become really quite polarised.  We face real-life problems with protests, war, many displaced people, and cost of living crises, and yet we’re still talking about selling more fashion and how quickly Gucci has become outdated.  

Don’t get me wrong; I am not criticising Gucci or the Fashion world.  However, I am asking questions about how we can create a world of Fashion which is not polarising and is a force for good for the world and the lives of the people involved.  As someone who has been involved in Fashion for over 30 years, I have seen many changes in the industry.  Sadly the “transformation of fashion” in the past 25 years has made it both more accessible and even more polarising.  The accessibility has made fashion available at a lower cost, but the polarisation has meant that the bottom of the Supply Chain has been severely impacted.

Let’s explore “polarisation”—the definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: “division into two sharply distinct opposites, especially: a state in which opinions, beliefs or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes”.

How is this playing out in Fashion right now?

• Gucci is considering how to further increase sales by finding a new Designer.

• Garment workers have become unable to feed themselves.  BOF article “How can we live.  For Garment Workers, it is worse than the pandemic.”

• Influencers are showing several outfits a day—both in the luxury sector and fast fashion.  

• Cost of living crises in many countries.

Fashion always reflects life; here is another example: Fashion reflects life as lived now.  If this is true, how can we create Fashion to reflect the life we want to live?

As an idealist, I would love a world where we create beauty, magic, love and abundance.

What would that look like for fashion?

• There would be a lot less made and wasted.

• Circularity would be taken on as a problem to be solved for the benefit of everyone.

• We deal with the issues around workers’ rights, wages and security. 

• The beauty of fashion is to be celebrated at all levels through a sense of collaboration and leaving a legacy.

• Finally, Gucci would lead the way in upcycling and keep that sense of magic that Alessandro Michele so beautifully gave us.

Another thought to ponder…
Have we made ourselves “crazy for buying Fashion and Luxury Goods” as a way of distracting ourselves from the realities of life?

Love to all

Kate Padget-Koh

The end of an era?

What’s happening in Fashion right now?  In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen Tom Ford selling his namesake brand to Estée Lauder, Raf Simons closing his brand, and Alessandro Michele now stepping down from his role at Gucci.

Tom Ford

On the surface, these look pretty much like normal changes with fashion brands, with endless collections to pump out and designers being exhausted or unable to meet the financial demands of either running the brand or feeding the relentless growth requirements. But, upon reflection, is it something else; are we really at the end of an era?

Raf Simons

What is really going on here?  Something these designers have in common is that they are part of the incredible growth of luxury brand dominance over the past 20 years.  They have been in the world of luxury Brands through their monumental growth; they have been key factors in the transformation of Fashion.  

Alessandro Michele with Jared Leto

What is this “transformation” of Fashion?  Is it better or worse; what has been gained, and what has been lost?

Let’s start with Tom Ford.  How many of us have watched “House of Gucci”?  We see his rise to fame through his clear vision for glamour and sex through clothing and accessories.  He literally woke up our tremendous hunger for fashion, glamour and dressing up, craving those sexy bias dresses, sharp tailoring, towering heels and bamboo-handled bags.  By wearing Gucci, we could feel like celebrities, think Madonna and Gwyneth.  It was epic and made an impact so great and so legendary.  Mr Ford had become a legend.

After an unfortunate exit from Gucci and YSL, Tom Ford went on to start his own label with Accessories, Make-up and, eventually, Clothes.  It was incredible.  Mr Ford was giving us luxury through his own Brand; expensive and glamorous but so desirable.  I remember thinking at the time, “what did I do before Tom Ford designed sunglasses?”  The cosmetics line was so perfectly packaged and, compared to other brands, very expensive.  I had to buy it.  I tore out a magazine advertisement for “Black Orchid” until I could actually buy the fragrance.  It was all so desirable.

If we look at the Eyewear market now, it is filled with “Luxe” Brands.  Linda Farrow, Victoria Beckham and every Luxury Brand sell eyewear for every occasion.  I don’t even think of buying Ford.  Likewise, the luxury cosmetics market is filled with Luxury Cosmetics and Fragrances.  I still buy Tom Ford, but I buy much more of his former Creative Director’s namesake collection, Charlotte Tilbury.  Again, Victoria Beckham, Gucci, Liza Eldridge, Pat McGrath, and Huda have all found their place in this busy market.

This blog is running the risk of becoming a brief history of fashion.  So, in writing, I will extend this to a series, starting with this one with two more to follow.  

Now, let’s look at the most recent and very successful Gucci Designer - Alessandro Michele.  He, like Ford, made us ‘crazy for Gucci’.  I really wondered how I could get my hands on those embroidered sneakers or cool loafers.  Mr Michele changed the way we dressed and the way we looked at life.  He was truly on the cusp of the fluid movement, a natural talent and lover of beauty.  He brought magic and whimsy to the commercial world of luxury goods.  

The drive at Gucci was to make the Brand somewhat like Fast Fashion, making it appeal to younger consumers and driving the desire to keep buying more.  Undoubtedly, Alessandro Michele has been successful.  So his exit from Gucci came as a surprise to many.  Instagram has been full of acknowledgement, sadness, shock and reflection on this news.  I wonder what the future of Gucci will be.  I wonder what Kering have in their future plans.  In these days of Sustainability challenges, cost of living crises, anti-consumerism and anti-fast fashion, will Kering continue on the same journey?

In summary, are we at the end of the fast fashion and mega consumerist trends?  Does the exit of Michele complete the cycle started by Tom Ford?  Will the progressive Kering Group take a new direction and pave a more sustainable, mindful, and collaborative path, and less about buying more?  Let’s wait and see.

Talk to you all again soon,
Kate