Simon P Lock 08 February, 2016

RETAIL RUNWAY PUSHES BUYERS ONLINE

Tags Tom Ford, Burberry, Online Showrooms, Retail available collections, CFDA, British Fashion Council

In a week that saw two major designers, Burberry and Tom Ford, announce they will commence showing retail available clothes on the catwalk from this coming September the industry globally is looking to new ways to promote and sell wholesale collections that have been at the core of the international fashion week schedule for the last six decades. Both designers cited the ever building influence of social media networks as the defining reason for their change of business strategy saying it now made sense to capitalise on the immediate consumer demand created form the distribution of digital content from their fashion shows.

With the both the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the British Fashion Council contemplating having a greater focus on retail available collections the business of fashion is looking for online solutions.

“As more and more designers use their catwalk presentations at fashion weeks to present retail available collections ORDRE is embracing new technologies to allow exciting and creative ways for luxury designers to present their wholesale collections without relying on fashion shows. This includes video, 360-degree view, fabric definition technology as well as virtual reality” Simon P Lock, Founder & CEO ORDRE.com

The fashion supply chain globally will not shift as a result of the change of focus of fashion weeks shows. To present Spring/Summer on the catwalk in August/September when it arrives in store wholesale collections will still be need to be shown at the traditional timing of February/March. The timing for new season’s fashion colours, fibres and fabrics will still be driven by Premiere Vision preceding the presentation of wholesale collections. “As the role of fashion weeks globally change from an industry to a consumer focus this shift compliments ORDRE’s vision; providing additional services to bricks and motor showrooms that allow buyers around the world, regardless of their travel schedule, to review the wholesale collections of the best established and emerging designers in the world and simply and efficiently place their wholesale orders online” says Mr Lock.

For the coming Spring/Summer’16 wholesale season over 80 luxury designers have joined the ORDRE portfolio to show their new season’s wholesale collections online to ORDRE’s global retail network.

Designers include: ELLERY, Prabal Gurung, Chalayan, Tome, Temperley London, Zimmermann, Zoë Jordan, House Of Holland, Linda Farrow. Jonathan Simkhai and many more.