Is Social Media changing the fast fashion industry?

From catwalk to closet, social media has changed the way the fast fashion industry works by speeding up the process. The Fast Fashion industry reflects the demand for speed in retail trading. Over the past 3 years, the movement of styles from fashion shows to consumers has increased by 21%. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest have become the main place for people to seek lifestyle and fashion inspiration. With partnerships and celebrity endorsements, it is no surprise that social media has caused Fast Fashion to become so prominent.

So, what is fast fashion?

Fast Fashion is essentially the accelerated rate at which catwalk trends appear in store. The production process is sped up to ensure new trends can be received by consumers as quickly as possible. It’s all about reacting to demand. Beginning towards the end of the 1990's, fashion brands started seeking new ways to increase their profits. With supermarkets beginning their own lines of cheaper clothes, high streets brands came under increasing pressure. With this, Fast Fashion also reflects the modern need for speed in all areas of retail. Consumers are continually able to purchase on-trend clothing 24/7. This has changed dramatically over recent years as fashion-forward consumers used to wait for seasonal (i.e. Winter/Summer) collections.

What are Fast Fashion retailers?

Retailers such as Zara and H&M are considered to be two of the first Fast Fashion brands. When Zara first opened in the US they claimed that the production of a garment from concept to completion would take only 15 days (usually it would take 3-4 weeks!). The speed of garment production is what makes the Fast Fashion retailer different from any other!

Sales through social media

Social media is one of the most influential platforms for Fast Fashion retailers. Consumers often crave fashion and lifestyle-related digital content. Not only does this inspire consumers, it also entertains. Many retailers now know to use this to their advantage. Fast Fashion brands have learned to fuse the worlds of social media and shopping. Unsurprisingly, Instagram reigns supreme as the most effective platform for fashion brands. Many retailers post videos, Instagram Stories, and include links to shoppable content. This allows users to smoothly transition from browsing to buying. What a retailer’s dream! Missguided have become a well-known fast fashion brand as they have effectively adapted to social media and what they offer; making them more desirable. Missguided use social media to increase volume of sales. They have in-cooperated a ‘swipe to hype’ feature (very much like Tinder) where consumers can dislike or like products to create their own wish lists. There are no Kings or Queens of successful brands using social media. But some of the greatest are ASOS, New Look and Very. They are very popular brands in terms of reacting to speed and agility that the world of fast fashion brings.

What is the Ethical Fashion Forum?

The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) is a not for profit network focusing on social and environmental sustainability in the fashion industry. According to the EFF consumers are “buying a third more clothes now than they were 4 years ago.” With help from fast fashion retailers and the increase of collections per year figures are set to rise again. Does the fast fashion industry need to get over the ‘throw away’ culture that we’ve adopted?

What is the Slow Fashion Movement?

Meaning the opposite of fast fashion, slow fashion was created by designer Kate Fletcher who invented the term in 2008, but it's still not at the forefront of many consumers’ minds. Slow fashion ultimately means being purposeful when buying clothes and realizing that fewer items bought is better. It’s a deliberate choice to buy better-quality items less often and when purchases are made, they’re environmentally and ethically conscious rather than trend-driven.

How has social media changed fast fashion?

"Social media is now so relentless, you are spending your whole time on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter... Everything needs to be instant."

The whole process from design through to manufacture has changed due to customers demanding on-trend items of more quickly. Fast fashion retailers have speeded up their processes because trend-savvy people can see fashion shows instantly due to live streaming on mobile phones. Thanks to live streaming on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat which makes everything so instantaneous. High streets can be as speedy as they need to be to manufacture a trend. They can respond to trends quicker and the turnaround is much tighter so clothes can be in stores in a matter of weeks. People do not want to wait 6-months for a trend anymore, the quicker a retailer can react to a trend the better the profitably for the business. People that are interested in fashion can’t necessarily afford designer prices so this is how fast fashion retailers like Primark and H&M fit into the mix perfectly – which is all supported by social media. At Knapton Wright, we deliver measurable results to businesses in a range of industries using commercially-focused social media marketing. Speak to us today about how we could help you. Alex Prescott Account Manager

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