Fashion
Why More Young Designers Are Going Direct-to-Consumer in 2020
From sustainability concerns to the out-of-sync delivery cycle, designers like Maggie Marilyn and Mara Hoffman are breaking away from wholesale and investing in their own direct to consumer sales instead….
Given the looming climate crisis, Marilyn wasn’t willing to keep waiting for those systemic changes. So she removed herself from the system entirely: Starting today, Maggie Marilyn is a 100% direct-to-consumer business, meaning her collections will only be available on her website and in her first store in Auckland, also opening today.
In a video announcing the change, Marilyn states: “We need change that’s faster, stronger, and bolder… Our decisions will no longer be dictated by seasons or someone else’s rules. We will design slowly and mindfully, [with] seasonless offerings that are traceable, organic, recycled, or repurposed, and drive forward our mission around transparency, circularity, inclusivity, and regeneration.” She’s unlocking the freedom to own every decision about what she creates, how much is produced, how it’s shipped (i.e., by sea freight, to reduce emissions), when it’s delivered, and what it should cost.
Marilyn isn’t the only designer taking back that control. The pandemic accelerated the trend of designers going direct-to-consumer, which had already been in motion for years. (Consider the success of brands like Dôen, Glossier, or Entireworld—they don’t just own their sales, they’ve built an entire community around their message.) Some designers, like Mara Hoffman, are going “mostly” DTC while keeping a select number of wholesale accounts, usually specialty stores and small boutiques. Hoffman said she’s reduced her retailers from around 200 to just 10, and will invest more time and money in her own e-commerce platform; in an open letter, she wrote: “Hopefully, we can build something that actually resembles the vision we are hoping for—for the future of this industry and planet as a whole.” Tibi’s Amy Smilovic ended many of her wholesale partnerships this season as well, and is exploring alternative retail models, including influencer partnerships designed to drive traffic back to tibi.com.
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