Lockdown forced us all to slow down and reassess. So it’s hardly surprising that consumers are thinking more consciously about what they buy – especially the social and environmental impact. And we’re now heading even faster towards the end of the fast fashion era.
But what does this mean for fashion designers, buyers, and brand owners? How should you now plan fashion collections to meet the needs of tomorrow’s more conscious consumer?
To answer these questions and more, we recently hosted a Future of Fashion: Live Event. For a limited time only, you can watch the full recording for free here.
In this event, we focused on 3 things fashion creatives need to know to create today for how consumers will think, feel, and shop tomorrow . . .
#1: How the consumer mindset is evolving
Our research shows that consumers are changing.
Even pre-pandemic, we could see shifts forming in their thoughts and behaviors, driven by increased awareness of things like climate change, gender/cultural identities, and digital advancements.
But COVID lockdown has acted like a catalyst for change. It’s forced consumers to really slow down and question the way they live. It’s made them think more about who they are, and how what they do (including what they buy) affects people and our planet.
And because of this, the days of mindless consumption are fast coming to an end.
Instead, consumers want to invest in products that deliver meaningful style, quality, and longevity. They want to buy from brands that care about their community and the environment as much as they do. And they appreciate that this will cost more.
You can dive deeper into the 2020s consumer mindset by watching the full Future of Fashion: Live Event here. But, in essence, consumers want to buy less but better.
So fashion designers need to create better.
And this starts with making the creative process inspiring again.
#2: How to challenge the creative process
In the fast fashion age, designers have been under pressure to churn out high volumes of products, quickly.
Often, this has meant churning out close replicas of runway styles – rather than taking the time to really understand what your consumer wants, and optimizing for this.
Most designers have known it’s not a sustainable way to design. It’s not good for the planet. And it certainly doesn’t make full use of their talent and creativity.
At the same time, they’ve often felt it’s beyond their power to challenge the status quo and implement more sustainable practices – because they’re reporting to someone else.
But you have more power than you think.
And with the consumer mindset evolving, now’s the time to drive change.
In our Future of Design Event, we set out some basic principles to start designing less but better. These include:
- Adopting a more ‘conscious’ mindset
- Identifying what your consumer actually wants
- Finding the right sources of inspiration
- Optimizing for key trends
And the good news is, you only need one tool to put all these principles into practice: our online Trend Platform.
#3: What you need to drive change
Our online Trend Platform provides everything you need to design less but better fashion for tomorrow’s consumer – and do it fast. This includes trend forecasts, design resources, and expert support.
You can quickly find what your target consumer will want to wear up to 3+ years from now – with online forecasts curated by season, color, print, materials, style, and more.
Then, get real inspiration for turning these foresights into products that will sell. Save and share your ideas with ease directly on the platform. And stay confident in your creative decisions, from concept to launch, thanks to our market validation and ongoing trend tracking.
To see what we mean and learn more, explore our Platform Tour Videos here.
