Pass the scissors : customers close in on fashion designers

The fashion supply chain is being turned on its head. While traditionally fashion has been a monologue from designer brand to consumer, new technology has given consumers a voice to engage brands in a conversation to express evolving needs, ideas and feedback. Customisation of product is no longer innovative. Successful brands are including customers in the design process and holding conversations ‘with’ them to improve product, manufacturing, sales, distribution, marketing and sustainable business practices. This paper examines the effects this consumer engagement is having on fashion models and the fashion supply chain. Consumers want fashion immediately, they want it where and when they choose and they want to have a say. They believe they deserve to be heard and are happy to share their feelings (positive and negative) with friends. Social media, live streaming, online shopping, crowd sourcing, crowd funding, pop up stores, co-creating, do it yourself designs, global sourcing and branding the ‘individual’ are all indicative of the new consumer. As a result, in this consumer-empowered era of information sharing, this paper examines several fashion companies that are embracing these new challenges and successfully engaging customers while sustaining viable businesses and turning up the heat on the fashion industry.