New York Fashion Week officially begins today, and we are really excited to see what Rebecca Minkoff has in store for Spring 2016.
Like other companies, her namesake brand will showcase its products on Saturday, Feb. 13, but will only present collections that are already available in stores. For example, rather than show clothes for Fall 2016, Minkoff will present her Spring 2016 collection for a second time instead.The decision underscores a growing trend in the fashion world where designers are wielding social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter to become more tech-centric.
Minkoff’s innovative approach to Fashion Week emerges at a time when consumers have unprecedented accessibility. In the past, editors and buyers would view a collection privately, six months before the rest of the world. Thanks to the advent of social media, consumers can view a collection on Instagram, Twitter or Periscope before it even leaves the runway. That immediate exposure is leading to “customer fatigue.”
“Everything that you can see on the runway show is buyable — it’s shopable right then and there,” Minkoff said in an interview with Bloomberg. “So you’re going to see an image on Instagram that someone’s going to post anyways, and the consumer can actually go to the store and get it that day.”
Rebecca Minkoff isn’t the only shop changing tactics. Thakoon, Misha Nonoo, Burberry and Tom Ford have each agreed to change how they present their collections. Rebecca Minkoff, however, was one of the first designers to officially announce a change in its approach.
Minkoff’s #SeeBuyWear show, she noted, won’t solely be a rehash of her September lineup, although there will be some familiar pieces. It will feature only the looks that were picked up by retailers — save for 16 new styles the designer added to be sold in her stores and potentially by her current wholesale accounts. New hair and makeup will also give the show a fresh look.
