Amazon announced the online buying and selling platform will be adding independent high-end designers to the site. The new online fashions are unveiled as the Common Threads: Vogue x Amazon Fashion. The brand new storefront is set to feature names like Batsheva Hay, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Edie Parker, and the Brock Collection.
In the wake of a fashion industry hard hit by COVID-19 shutdowns, something had to be done. Amazon is not alone in this endeavor. Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America are helping support the process.
Small or up-and-coming designers are in need of a platform where they can sell their existing inventory. Since their typical outlets have been shut down or postponed, it only makes sense that they would team up with a masterful selling giant like Amazon who already has logistics in place to get noticed and deliver on-demand.
The idea to offer the fashion designs as an online storefront was the creative idea of Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, CFDA. The two have been working on a way to support the fashion industry during the pandemic. They have already raised more than $4 Million through their Common Thread grant program, proving that their buyers are hungry to get their hands on the designs they crave even if it’s done online.
The first question that comes to mind when high-end trending fashion mixes with an online seller known for discount merchandise and prices to match is, will fashionistas buy the latest couture from Amazon, the same place where they buy their toilet paper or household goods? Time will tell, but Jeff Bezos has taken the first major stride in making this happen.
Designers will be able to select what inventory they sell on Amazon. In all likelihood, this will be a combination of current and past items that they have in stock. The individual designers will control the pricing and the images presented. The designers will also have the choice of using Amazon’s fulfillment platform or their own fulfillment process. Selling fees will apply, though Amazon will do away with monthly fees as well as packaging and warehouse fees.
Amazon is a household name known for offering any and everything consumers need or want to buy. On the other hand, elite individuals who look forward to the annual fashion week don’t tend to enjoy rubbing elbows with the generic Amazon clientele. The two seem very much on the opposite ends of the consumer spectrum. A few efforts have been tried in the past to bring the two worlds together. Most of these efforts fell flat fairly quickly. So, how will Common Thread be any different?
It certainly benefits everyone if the idea is to take off and become a long-term success. Only time will tell if the blending of a one-stop shopping experience with low-end pricing will blend well with top-dollar fashion.