NYFW: The 411 On 'See Now, Buy Now' Revolution

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The fashion industry has forever changed.

Driven by technology and demand, the concept of see-now-buy-now began buzzing last season when brands like Burberry and Tom Ford introduced the runway-to-consumer strategy last season. But it wasn't until the arrival of this New York Fashion Week that everyone realized what was once an experiment is now here to stay.

So what exactly is see-now-buy-now? It's the option for shoppers to buy the collections online and in-stores as soon as they hit the runway instead of waiting 6 months for it to available. "We are in this moment where people don't want to wait," designer David Hart told the Observer. "Everything is so instantaneous."

These changes posed a new challenge for buyers and editors, as they would have to see the collections ahead of time. For this reason, fashion icons like Karl Lagerfeld aren't fans of the business model.

“It's a mess. The reality is you have to give people the time to make their choice, to order the clothes or handbags, and to produce them beautifully, so that editors can photograph them. This way is chaos,”Lagerfeld told the Financial Times.

Tommy Hilfiger took the new way to do business to a whole other level this Spring 2017 season. The designer collaborated with model Gigi Hadid to bring a capsule collection that was shown at 'Tommy Pier,' a New York City carnival with a ferris wheel, hot dog stands, and gaming booths. Tommy x Gigi went on sale the minute it was debuted on the runway.

With brands delivering instant gratification to consumers, it's safe to say that the past is in the past and the future is uncertain but in the present, it's all about now.