What's New in Fashion?

With constant technological innovations, new ideas and concepts are continuously being developed in the product field. Even within the last few years, we have seen revolutionary concepts; we have smartphones, the iPhone, BluRay DVD players, and now even HD 3-D enabled televisions. There is always "the next big thing" that consumers can't wait to get their hands on. Despite the economic state, innovation is rampant in product development and people are willing to spend big bucks to keep up with the latest techno gadgets. 

The fashion world, however, seems to be barely hanging in comparison. As many retailers are struggling to meet sales goals and the average consumer is no longer interested in paying full price, the retail and fashion industry is faced with a great challenge.

As technology continues to take the lead, fashion houses and retailers must realize the importance of collaboration outside the fashion realm. The future of fashion is much more than recycling trends and updating silhouettes, but rather experimenting with new concepts. Like any other industry, and with today's fast and ever-evolving society, in order for fashion houses and retailers to succeed, there needs to be more innovation.

photo via: Freshnness Mag 
Opening Ceremony, for example, takes a fresh new spin of the hotel shop experience with their latest venture of opening New York City's second store at one of our new favorites places, the Ace Hotel. Beyond clothes and fashion, this shop caters to the avid traveler's lifestyle; offering stylish, unique souvenirs of designer totes and accessories exclusive to the location, and collectible treats from around the world. With a personalized and distinct shopping experience, this is what will stand out amongst the other small boutique shops.

photo via: Design Boom

A few giant retailers are also making progression. Uniqlo's HeatTech line is a great example of combining technology and fashion, offering basics made from a mixture of rayon and milk protein that traps body moisture and uses it to retain heat.

 

photo via: The Daily Beast

Following similar ideas of Target and H&M designer collaborations, Gap recently collaborated with Merci, one of our favorite Parisian boutiques mentioned in an earlier blog post, bringing the commercial market together with small, high-end fashions. The internet is also inevitably going to change the retail scene, as Sears and Walmart both have online marketplaces, like Amazon and Ebay, allowing other firms to sell merchandise on their site.

Despite the economic state, the longevity of designers and retail companies is not the next sales goal, but creativity and smart design. Although fashion trends are developed and inspired by what is going on around us, the more interesting and exciting aspect of fashion is how it can be a leader of innovation, rather than it's follower.