Can Technology Open Doors For Fashion?
Posted by casey on 06-03-2008
Popular teen stores — everything from Urban Outfitters to Abercrombie & Fitch to American Eagle Outfitters — have seen consistent lagging sales during the past few seasons, but, as Anastasia briefly mentioned in last week's Essentials, Forbes is reporting that one virtual world for teens and tweens is enjoying enormous success. Stardoll, an online paperdolls-for-millenniels community, brings in more than 7 million unique visitors a month and the site sells up to 180,000 "items" (vintage dresses, fancy denim, even luxury handbags!) per day.
Since I read the article, I just haven't been able to wrap my head around the idea of buying clothes for an online version of yourself instead of buying clothes for the living, breathing version of yourself. It is fascinating to me that teens (and parents, who most likely man the money) are willing to fork over a few dollars here and there for virtual clothes, yet they are spending less and less on actual wearable threads. What kind of satisfaction does purchasing online fashion for dolls bring? Wouldn't it be easier to mindlessly e-window shop through DKNY and Sephora (all available for your very own Stardoll) and picture yourself — instead of a paperdolled knockoff — in a dream wardrobe?
Because Stardoll users are mostly tweens and a handful of teens, I think young, wallet-friendly stores like H&M, Forever 21, and even Old Navy would be able to build a new audience and get in-store exposure through the website. When I was in elementary school, dressing like your American Girl doll was the absolute coolest thing you could do, so naturally everyone bought outfits for their dolls and themselves. Cute, right? If these stores could set up direct links that enable users to buy clothes for their Stardolls' wardrobes and their own closets in one click, it would be incredibly interesting to see what kind of affect this would have on profits.
A glance at the article:
I spent a year working with the fashion industry during the dot-com heydays, and I was struck by how little science and analysis is applied in the fashion business. As a result, the industry remains a nightmare of surplus inventory, which leads to markdowns and unhealthy profit-and-loss statements that precariously balance companies at the edge of life and death.
But it doesn't need to be this way. Other industries, such as financial services, manufacturing and insurance, have embraced technology and benefited tremendously from its infinite potential. Why not fashion?
As a lover of fashion, I love the idea that technology could open so many doors for fashion. I'm just not convinced Stardoll is the answer…