Pre-Fall or Posthaste Marketing?
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
As though the onslaught of fashion designers and fashion shows and fashion weeks isn’t enough, the industry seems to have invented yet another avenue to push their agenda on us: the Pre-Fall Collection. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fashion lover and a fashion follower. I check Style.com to keep up with the latest collections and read numerous fashion blogs daily to understand the public’s reception of these collections. The internet has transformed an industry previously available only to those with the ability to attend these exclusive shows into information for the masses. But when does free information become too much information?
To my knowledge, and correct me if I’m wrong, if you want to stay up to date with fashion you will have to follow the Fall Ready to Wear, Fall Couture, Resort, Spring Ready to Wear, Spring Couture, and now the Pre-Fall collections. Not confused yet? Let’s mix it up a little more. For example, many of you right now are dressing for cold weather so you will probably want to reference the Fall 2008 collections for inspiration (or for purchasing if you are so able). But the Fall 2008 collections did not come out in Fall 2008, these shows hit the runways earlier in the year between January and March. However, since then we have seen the Resort 2009 and the Spring 2009 collections. And now before we are hit again with yet another season of Fall collections, we get the Pre-Fall collections. You may find yourself wondering if you are really keeping up with the trends of Fall 2008 if you are following the trends of Fall 2008.
I know for most fashion lovers and followers it is not this cut and dry. Inspiration can come from anywhere and most of us do not blindly follow the cues of the fashion industry. But all business works to make a profit. And if your business is not profitable you can always work on your marketing. More collections mean more shows, more wears, more parties, more magazines, more everything. Maybe the well established fashion designers and design houses have found themselves facing competition from the little guy. Just as the internet has provided a new outlet for high end fashion designers, it has also given independent designers a cheaper and easier way to show their work to the general public. It seems as though the fashion industry is attempting to distract us from this newer and more affordable market.
So, as you search for fashion inspiration or a place to spend your hard earned cash don’t be afraid to turn away from the never ending collections supplied by the high end fashion world. Supporting independent designers creates more opportunities for entry into the industry. But for the die hard fashion fans like myself who can’t help but look in both directions, we’ve just got some more homework to do because as we know, we are slaves to fashion.
by: Tricia Rock
