AYDHA MEHNAZ, BRAND IMAGE & COMMUNI- CATIONS OFFICER AT MUGLER, PARIS, SHARES HER INSIGHTS REGARDING THE SHIFTING DYNAMICS OF THE GLOBAL FASHION INDUSTRY
Experts claim that e-commerce in luxury is more about storytelling and less about selling? What do you think? Do you think the brick-and-mortar system will dominate luxury selling?
I think there needs to be a good balance between telling stories through the fashion you create vs. selling products. When it comes to luxury, for example consumers are paying so much money for a handbag not only because it is a good quality bag but also its about what that bag represents and which brand it belongs to. According to the latest findings from McKinsey, brick-and-mortar sales have been very stagnant for the last couple of years, and the pandemic had its toll in the system, whereas the e-commerce luxury sales has been on the rise and by 2025 is projected to account for 25% of the total revenue. Although we will see a bit of ‘revenge shopping’ as the post-pandemic luxury economy reboots, my guess is e-commerce sales will jump up to 35% or even higher, because everyone is becoming a lot more accustomed to getting their fashion fix online.
How has the pandemic affected a global luxury brand like Mugler?
Even before the pandemic began, Mugler was planning to recalibrate the fashion calendar and transitioned to a see-now-buy-now and wear-now — business model. Instead of launching four collections a year, the brand has started doing two collections a year that will be available immediately when the collection drops through retailers and the brand’s own e-commerce. The shift in the model was announced mid-last year amidst a pandemic and it seems to be looking very promising.
From a communications point of view, the brand awareness accelerated exponentially as we have strengthened our presence by dressing some of the biggest stars of the modern pop-culture era. Mugler bodysuits for instance are now considered as a ‘uniform for the pop-stars’. The world might have slowed down a bit, but we certainly didn’t.
How has Mugler’s journey been so far when it comes to reaching out to consumers (mostly Gen Z and Gen Alpha) through the digital channels?
The last collection was launched in two parts- both of which was digital in its entirety and has been the biggest success the brand has experienced in the recent years. Starting from show invites to magazine features to actual launch of the collection films almost everything was done digitally. To be able to witness how the brand is being liked and discovered by a new generation of consumers is very encouraging.
Should luxury brands be more inclusive? If so, then how?
In my opinion, inclusive luxury should be the new norm. Understanding who your clients are, what they need and what they value is super important to align brand objectives and stay relevant in this era. I think that no brand, if they want to be relevant, can limit itself to say ‘I am only going to cater to certain types of people and not the other’. Being inclusive should not be an option, it should be mandatory.
Do you think fashion shows, which are a gathering of industry-people, are going to come back any time soon? Or with the trend of digital showcasing of products, traditional fashion shows are going to become obsolete?
I think we are entering a hybrid world where it will be a mix between hosting physical and digital shows. Digital shows, in my opinion, are pretty cool because it democratizes who can access the best of fashion from all angles. On a personal note, I love how a viewer at home can have the same access to watching a show in real-time as a Vogue editor.