“No man who is in a hurry is quite civilized” - Will Durant

I’m sure everyone’s heard by now that Net-a-Porter plans to offer two looks from Halston’s Fall/Winter collection for sale on February 5th, the day after it is shown in New York...which is great for anyone who hates that pesky six month lag between seeing the clothes on the runway and actually being able to buy them. But...

Isn’t this going to make fashion, with a capital F, more disposable than it already is...with items becoming “old” and “out of date” before they are even available in the majority of stores? And, as a consumer, isn’t a waiting period a good thing? I know that I, for one, have coveted items when I saw pictures, fresh from the runway...and probably would have purchased them, had the opportunity arisen...but, after a few month's sober reflection, the madness passed and the realization set in that maybe they weren't for me. Let's face it, I have enough "mistakes" in my wardrobe that were bought with adequate time for sober contemplation...the damage that I could do in the heat of battle doesn't bear thinking about.

Likewise, I feel that some collections need to drill into your subconscious before you can truly appreciate their subtleties. Immediate access calls for immediate action...which may be great for retailers but feels too rushed, for me at least. But what about you, dear reader, do you see this as an idea that fully utilizes modern technology and beats the knock-off artistes at their own game...or a step on a slippery slope that will lead to items moving from “one season wonders” to “five minute flash-in-the-pans”?

 
 
 
 

Post a Comment 3 comments:

  • Anonymous said...
    9:01 AM
    This particular instance with Halston seems to be a stunt by Harvey Weinstein to generate early retail buzz: "Look, -insert buyer here-, the two looks we launched via Net-A-Porter sold out in two hours!! You should totally carry our line in your store!" I don't think that this will likely become a bigger trend among the establishment any time soon, because I don't think you're alone in needing to digest and process all of the runway shows--think of all of the looks retailers and editors need to sift through in order to figure out the general direction of the season and which lines succeed without the flash of the shows versus those that underwhelm after the fact.

    It'll be interesting to see what Tamara Mellon and Rachel Zoe do with the brand, that's for certain.
  • WendyB said...
    9:33 AM
    I think it might be right to change the timeframe for delivery. The peak interest in the new clothes comes right after the shows (before all the knockoffs get made). That's when they would do their best selling to the customer. Just because something's always been done that way, doesn't mean it can't be changed. I think fashion loses a lot of momentum in the months that people have to get overexposed to an unattainable look. By the time the clothes are available, it's ho-hum. It's definitely an idea worth trying.
  • Elizabeth said...
    10:15 AM
    I'm open to getting in on something early, if I have a visceral LOVE reaction to it, and think it has shelf-life. If I get it early, then I get more time to enjoy it before the powers that be tell me it's "over."

    This is how I feel about established brands, though. I perfer to wait out new, or re-launched brands, to see if they're going to be any good.

    Halston is going to have to make a few laps before I jump on the bandwagon.

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