The fashion industry is always open to new and exciting things. But what if that new thing was cutting-edge technology? Online shopping is now commonplace for the generation that will drive fashion in the future. Furthermore, overseas, renowned fashion brands are now innovating by leveraging cutting-edge technology in new marketing strategies and shopping systems. The time has finally come for this fashion and technology whirlwind to arrive in Japan. Recently, "Decoded Fashion," a pioneering event that combines fashion and tech, was held in Japan for the first time. This article will cover the event in two parts. Held at the Tokyo American Club on July 9, 2015, "Decoded Fashion" is a global event that connects leading companies and brands in the fashion and beauty industries with technology companies that offer unique services in the tech field. Founder Liz Basselaar studied journalism at Columbia University and worked as a news program producer. She demonstrated her talent by being nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding programming for a special program covering President Obama's victory speech. She then moved to a tech company in 2010 and founded Decoded Fashion the following year. The first summit was held in Milan in 2012, and then expanded to New York and London. This year, Decoded Fashion arrived in Japan. Liz, who was working at a tech company at the time of the company's founding, says, "I met startup owners with unique ideas that could be applied to fashion." She didn't know what problems the fashion industry faced or what proposals she could make, but she felt the time had come for technology and fashion to intersect. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but this isn't a story from Japan. It may seem surprising to outsiders, but the fashion industry is quite conservative in every country. Thanks to Liz's efforts, tech and fashion came together. WIRED Editor-in-Chief Kei Wakabayashi also commented, "It's great that Decoded Fashion has created a space where people from two industries unknown to each other can meet face-to-face."
Katie Baron, head of retail at global research firm Stylus, lists three keywords when considering consumer behavior in the post-Internet era: "socialized," "personalized," and "responsive." Let's look at some specific examples based on these keywords.
■ "Socialized"
For brands to establish a solid presence online, it's important that their products, brand, shop, etc. are talked about both online and offline. In addition to the quality of their stores and products, it's also important that the brand has a presence online. This also means that customers and the brand share the values the brand provides. By allowing consumers to access the value of a brand's products and stories anytime, anywhere, brands can encourage customer purchases through content both online and offline. Being able to encounter a brand's products and stories online, as well as in physical stores, means consumers can find their favorites more easily than ever before.
And there's something brands need to remember when presenting content in social spaces. Let's take the example of London-based skincare brand RODIAL. Rodial appointed American fashion model Kylie Jenner as its global ambassador. They invited her to a London store and had her report on the experience on social media. The key here is that Kylie was already a fan of the brand. The brand's CEO, Maria Hatzistefanis, made a very striking statement: "Consumers are smart enough to discern whether an ambassador truly loves a product (or is just promoting it)." Brands need to remember that customers are interested in the authenticity of their content, even if it's just a social media report.
■ "Personalized"
Technology is changing not only the way we communicate with and sell to customers, but also the actual manufacturing process.
Nikki Kaufman, founder of NORMAL, a company with a factory in the heart of New York that makes custom-made earphones, started her own company out of frustration at not being able to find earphones that fit her ears. NORMAL can create earphones that fit your ear perfectly in just two and a half hours. This is made possible by 3D printing technology. A year after launching the business, customer data revealed that at least 20% of people have different ear shapes. This data can be used to inform the next development. Kaufman says, "Using 3D printers, we can now create products just for you, rather than mass-produce them."
This is the example of earphones, but some startups are experimenting with building systems that use 3D printing technology to create custom-made items in just a few hours. While it hasn't yet become a reality, there's every chance that technology will make custom-made apparel more accessible. This trend has potential because it could potentially break new ground in the fashion industry, a format that hasn't changed much in recent decades. The day may not be too far off, when we can order our favorite fashion items online from the comfort of our own homes.
■Responsive
When technology and fashion come together, we'll be able to respond to ever-changing customer desires much more quickly than ever before.
For example, HOUSE OF HOLLAND used technology in a new initiative for its men's collection. Linking with VISA cards, the brand established a system that allowed customers who watched the show to place personal orders. Previously, after the show, buyers at select shops and other retailers would place orders, and the items would then be displayed in stores. However, customers can now order the items they want directly, shortening the time it takes for the items to arrive.
Furthermore, deciphering customer interests from the vast amounts of data made possible by digital technology will lead to delivering the information customers want to know right now. It will become possible to accurately derive personal interests from social media and website behavior.
While the fashion world is known for its love of new things, it also values history and tradition and values sensibility. Perhaps as a result, business practices themselves remain somewhat outdated. However, customers are certainly embracing technology and building communities online.
In the United States, millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, have long been recognized as the core consumer generation. The internet and digital technology are a natural part of this generation's infrastructure.
If those of us working in the fashion industry can also connect with our customers and communicate our concerns, it will be a mutually beneficial experience. The vast amounts of data accumulated through technology will surely tell us where our customers are and how they will knock on our doors.
