This Fashion Week we've seen a handful of brands moving towards the "see now, buy now" model. Designers like Alexander Wang and Tom Ford announced months ago they would be abandoning the traditional fashion schedule to give their customers more immediate buying power. Now, Ralph Lauren is following suit. The designer has unveiled plans to make his Fall 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection available immediately after it walks down the runway.
"Showing clothes, then delivering them six months later . . . it’s over," Lauren told Vogue. "With the internet, social media . . . you have to change."
In the beginning it seemed that "see now, buy now" could just be a trend, but as more designers and storied brands like Ralph Lauren adopt the model, it looks like it might be the future of Fashion Week.
"I’ve always looked at the business as an evolution," Lauren said. "We’re never standing still, and we’re never chasing anyone. Everything is a new chapter."
Lauren also entered a new chapter last September when he stepped down from his position as CEO of his namesake company. He now serves as the executive chairman and chief creative officer of the brand.
He told Vogue that his latest move is an attempt to engage more with those who are actually purchasing Ralph Lauren and bring the excitement back to shopping.
"I’ve been through it before, when nothing moves," he added. "When everything is available, how do you do specialness? How do you create magic?"
This season the designer has invited a group of 200 retailers, press, and top customers to two separate runway shows that will take place on the street in front of its women’s flagship store.
The CFDA has discussed restructuring Fashion Week to make it more consumer-friendly, but any official changes have yet to be made.
