What are the colours that you see coming in for A/W 12/13? Vintage inspired brights are one of the key groups, with dark bottle green, dark cherry red, smoky blue and dark mustard as some of the key shades, along with gold and silver metallics. For the full details, product examples, leather and material examples and specific Pantone® references, we have made our A/W 12-13 Colour Book available as a pdf file.
What do you think makes women shoppers make footwear purchases? The three main reasons a female shopper would purchase new items for their wardrobe, including footwear, are 1) occasion that requires a specific style, whether for a wedding, party or business; 2) the desire to treat oneself and update one’s look; or 3) to upgrade one’s wardrobe through an investment purchase with lasting value. Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy about fashion trends due to continuous access to trends through live-streaming, blogs and daily and weekly trend stories in the media, and all three types of purchases are influenced by trend. This means that retailers are no longer in a position to dictate trends to consumers, as we saw 15-20 years ago. Now, the most successful retailers are becoming increasingly proactive to using consumer-driven trends, and applying our forecasted consumer trends that the shopper doesn’t yet know they will want.
What are the dominant styles/shapes that you see coming in for A/W 12/13? The application of trend, color, patterns and detailing completely depends on the target customer. It no longer works (if it ever did!) to try to give the youth trends to a grown-up woman. However, the grown-up woman wants trends too, they just are slightly different trends and directions to the young looks. For Autumn/Winter 12-13 trend conscious consumer we will see ethnically inspired clogs, heels and boots and lots of Studio 54 disco sparkle, multi-material and panelled footwear and foil metallic textures. Brightly-coloured snakeskin look is a big influence from the designer collections.
How can retailers use next seasons’ trends to entice consumers to buy? The key to enticing the trend-savvy customer to buy is to ensure you have the right trends in store when the trend conscious customer arrives with the desire to purchase them, and then tried and tested methods will do the rest: Good, on-trend styling on well-placed mannequins, catchy items placed attractively on the attention-grabbing spots at ends of rail and near changing rooms with some impulse accessories near pay points. Our Tailor Made Trend service is designed to support this.
How does product placement and setting within a shop affect women making purchases? The mood and product placement affects purchase decisions greatly. Internet provides speed and convenience to busy professionals, but sometimes a customer still wants the real shopping experience, and when they do, they want that experience to be a little bit special. The consumer has an increasingly discerning eye now, and expects items to be merchandised beautifully and enticingly, and a good service with a smile part of the transaction. If something is merchandised badly then you may walk past it – if it is part of a gorgeous display that taps into the right trends, it is more likely to catch the eye. Again, trend is the biggest pull in terms of catching the customer’s eye for that split second. If you sell multiple products, used to their full potential, mannequins are a fantastic tool, as the outfits can be styled to show multiple trends in one outfit, not just to present the season’s trends in the best possible light, but also to up-sell multiple products.
How do colours influence shopping moods? People are drawn to bright colours in times of recession, to provide a much-needed shot of optimism, and as a means of cheering themselves up. – A shot of fresh new colour in the wardrobe brings a small sense of escapism and pampering. There are lots of brilliant, wearable Pantone® colours coming through for next summer, including vintage inspired pastels and exciting brights that can be used as accents, such as pineapple yellow.
What is the key to translating catwalk fashion into trends that consumers will buy into? Translating catwalk fashion into consumer must-haves is one of our specialities in supporting our clients. The secret to doing it successfully is picking the correct key trend elements and distilling them in a wearable way, without losing what makes the product a trend when adding a commercial price point. Again, correct translation to each target customer is key. Mature women don’t want to look like mutton dressed as lamb, but they do want to tap into the latest trends, and harnessing their buying power through the right trend presentation can be a great boost to non-young retailers in the current climate.
What would your advice be to women’s footwear buyers for 2012? Ensure you have the season’s key trends in store, and ensure your trend message is clear and right for your target customer. Use our styling tips to display the trends you offer.
Visit
www.trendstop.com for more information and to book for their monthly S/S 2013 Colour Webinar
.
Trendstop Fashion TrendTracker app is available from your app store for the iPad and all major smartphones
Photo of Jaana Jätyri by Aleksi Niemelä
FEBRUARY 2012 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• 29
Catwalk photos courtesy of
Trendstop.com
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