In the past year, brands including Chopova Lowena, Julie Kegels, Knwls and Oude Waag have each fully rebuilt their e-commerce sites. In many cases, brands work with external partners to design and program their sites. Knwls hired two friends, an art director and a programmer. “Even if we improve conversion by 1%, it’s tons of money,” co-founder Alexandre Arsenault told Vogue Business. Meanwhile, Chopova Lowena used its prize winnings from the Vogue/BFC Designer Fashion Fund to expand its DTC business, and Chinese brand Oude Waag was able to expand DTC from 20% to just over 50% of its business in less than a year by launching on China marketplace Tmall.
The investment signals a deepened understanding that owned channels can drive credibility, conversion and data visibility. It’s a reminder that in an era of fluctuating wholesale, control of the customer journey is a valuable asset.
Test and learn pre-runway
A fashion show has long been the pinnacle of ambition for many emerging designers, but today, they are rethinking that playbook. Instead of using the runway to introduce themselves to the industry, they are planting the seeds far before.
For many, this comes in the form of presentations. London’s Talia Byre hosted intimate, on-schedule presentations to gain industry attention before her September debut, when she also secured Ugg as a sponsor. Byre was even able to launch bridal, a key revenue driver, thanks to word-of-mouth referrals. Likewise, New York’s Lii became an industry darling, boasting sample requests for top shoots with Greta Lee and Ayo Edebiri, as well as invite-only appointments at fashion week before graduating to a show in September. Milan’s Giuseppe di Morabito and Copenhagen’s Anne Sofie Madsen developed their brands for many years before showing on-schedule.
Lii and Talia Byre debuted in September in New York and London, respectively.Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com