With the fashion industry going virtual with their campaigns and collection showcases, the industry is taking some vital steps to reform the current face of the sartorial calendar. 

Dries Van Noten, with the help of some other designers and CEO's of the industry, published and 'open letter' calling to reform the current calendar to the industry's immediate needs. Hold on folks, a revolution is on the way! 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just in, a group of #designers and retailers, led by Dries Van Noten, are proposing a reset to fashion’s deliveries and discounting calendar. They have tapped Zoom to assemble a “forum” that, after three meetings, is pushing fashion to rethink its traditional calendar, addressing two of the most pernicious issues facing the sector: the timing of collection deliveries and discounts. Today, they released an open letter calling for the industry to realign #fashion deliveries with real-world seasons and push back markdowns. Specifically, the group wants to push the Autumn/Winter season to August through January and push Spring/Summer to February through July. They also want #retailers to delay end of season discounting to January and July, which could mean doing away with money-spinning markdown days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Singles Day that help to drive traffic and sales but erode profitability and brand equity for labels and retailers alike. Signatories to the letter include a cross-section of industry players, big and small, from labels like Marine Serre and Thom Browne to retailers such as Selfridges, Nordstrom, Lane Crawford and MyTheresa. Notably absent are brands owned by #luxury supergroups LVMH or Kering, and players that operate outside the luxury sector, including fast fashion giants and mid-market retailers. [Link in bio] : @gettyimages

A post shared by The Business of Fashion (@bof) on May 12, 2020 at 8:20am PDT

Recommended read: Katy Perry's unborn daughter gives her the middle finger in this Mother's Day special Instagram post

Titled Open Letter to the Fashion Industry, it begins: "Recently a group of us from across the global fashion industry, from CEOs to buyers and creative directors, came together in a series of conversations with a shared vision; to discuss ways in which our business needs to transform. We agreed that the current environment although challenging, presents an opportunity for a fundamental and welcome change that will simplify our businesses, making them more environmentally and socially sustainable and ultimately align them more closely with customers' needs."

An open letter was published, calling designers and labels alike to join the cause of re-evaluating the delivery, discounting and release cycles while shedding light on increasing sustainability and reducing waste. Current members on the panel include Acne Studios CEO Mattias Magnusson, Joseph Altuzarra, Bergdorf Goodman's Linda Fargo, Erdem Moralioglu, Gabriela Hearst, Pete Nordstrom, PR Consulting's Pierre Rougier, Tory Burch, Dries Van Noten president Matteo De Rosa and Van Noten himself, among many others. 

.

(SOURCE: BOF)