Buying fashion straight from the catwalk
As part of our ‘Fashion Week’ month series, we’ve taken a look at the future of buying from the catwalk.
High-end brands have been spending time promoting their latest fashion collections for the upcoming season well in advance of actually launching their products. More forward-thinking brands are starting to realize the impact of letting customers buy from the moment it’s shown on the catwalk, therefore bringing a sense of reality to the shows and creating a ‘see now, buy now’ strategy. This comes as a result of brands creating collections so far in advance that they don’t have the actual products ready to sell. Unfortunately giving low-end retailers the chance to produce ‘knock-off’ versions of their creations sooner and at a cheaper price than the real thing. This ‘see now, buy now’ concept for the Fashion Week world has actually resulted in many of the bigger brands sitting out of September’s Fashion Week in favour of launching their Spring/Summer 2017 collections in February 2017 instead.
People are impatient. We all know that if you can’t buy it now, you forget about it, or just go and get a cheaper alternative elsewhere. Although people might like the idea of that $2,000 dress, if the luxury brand hasn’t had the chance to release it, and a high-street store has a product almost identical, people will be more inclined to go and get it there rather than waiting.
With access to so many media channels and opportunities to buy now, customers expect to be able to see something and get hold of it there and then with no delay. This is completely changing the usual behaviour of brands, whereas before it involved showcasing on the catwalk and then a four month wait before releasing their products to consumers.
At the moment, the fashion world is leaping to push their products on their website immediately for purchase after shows. However, many brands are yet to understand that it doesn’t have to stop there.
Shoppable catwalk
For some time now, moltin has been thinking of ways to make it even easier for customers to buy from their favourite catwalk collections. We want to cut that corner of seeing something and then still having to go on a device and search for it. With an commerce API anything is possible.
As long as it connects to the internet, you can buy and sell from any device.
With the fifth generation of Apple TV approaching and our version two launch in the pipeline, it’s now time to get excited about the future of the catwalk experience. We’ve produced a tvOS SDK which allows brands to add an eCommerce element to their catwalk live streams via Apple TV. We want your customers to be able to buy items as they come down the catwalk, making them instantly purchasable.
The rise of VR
The popularity of VR has skyrocketed in 2016 with the launch of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Something that many brands may not have considered yet is allowing customers to shop virtually and purchase items direct from their experience.
moltin delivers the future of commerce which we know includes top fashion brands creating compelling new (VR) experiences in-store and at fashion shows. This allows customers to try on upcoming items and purchase directly.
Imagine trying on the newest ski-suit and being transported to the French Alps without moving. Just being able to envisage how it looks and feels and then having the ability to make a purchase at that exact moment in time. This is a much more compelling experience for your customers than trying something on in a stuffy, uncomfortable changing room surrounded by mirrors and bad lighting.
We want to allow your customers to be transported to a place where they can experience a product and make that purchase seamlessly.
moltin is the driving force for the innovative and exciting future for the world of commerce in VR and beyond and we’re excited to see it evolve.
Originally published at moltin.com on September 15, 2016.
