WGSN – Fashion information leader in the information age

This week your Bloggetta Veneta would like to highlight a business which is a true example of success in the Internet arena. It’s called WGSN (Worth Global Style Network), www.wgsn.com.

This is a portal updated daily, a world leader in online searches, trend analysis and news about the fashion, design and style industries. It was born in 1998 in London, founded by two brothers, Julian and Marc Worth, with the vision to be the prominent real-time information network in the fashion and related industries.  

They have 35,000 customers in the style and fashion industries across the world, covering 25 different market sectors and more than 80 countries. From the catwalks of Milan to the streets of Tokyo, they offer information and insights to designers, buyers, marketers and executives. For many brands and advertising agencies they have become the answer to their prayers.

WGSN’s editorial team is composed by more than 200 members, who travel around the globe to investigate local and global trends. They also team up with a network of photographers, journalists, researchers and trend-seekers in all the world’s relevant cities, tracking what exists of avant-garde in terms of shops, designers, brands, trends and innovations.

Last year, to celebrate its 10^th anniversary, it launched a microsite open to the general public – people who don’t have the $27,000 to pay the annual subscription fee (which boasts a renewal rate of over 90%). The microsite summarizes some of their insights in a range of topics during the last decade.

It was due to work only until December, but I just checked and it’s still working, so go there before they take it out of air! >>> www.wgsn.com/10/

How is the Internet changing the fashion shows role?

This week in Bloggetta Veneta we are going to talk about the impact the internet is having in one of the most famous symbols of the fashion industry: the catwalk shows. They have always been the most prominent elements in showing the trends and insights of the world’s best designers. And they have always been very exclusive events where only a few hundred of people would be able to attend, and the invitations for them were an important sign of prestige in the industry.

Today their importance is changing fast with the web reality. One story that gives a good example was told by Cathy Horyn from the New York Times. She talked about the time when she was excluded from the Armani presentation – she just laughed as minutes later anyone could access the collection online.

Now everyone can be front row at the fashion shows. Websites such as www.vogue.co.uk or www.net-a-porter.com present videos of the catwalk shows in a much easier way to check what is relevant than the real thing. And now some times the real thing does not even exist anymore. Last season the design duo Viktor & Rolf decided not to do a traditional catwalk show and instead opted for an internet presentation. This way people from the industry can watch the shows from their own offices, already discussing with each other the relevant aspects of each one and deciding in which way the shows will affect their business.

According to Marion Hume from www.style.com, Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-porter, believes that counting bums on seats on the night of a show has become "very 20th-century," and points out that more than two million viewers a month now log on to her site to view fashion shows. "Just because the way we see fashion is changing doesn't mean the appetite for fashion is declining."

And it is not only the internet that is changing the fashion shows reality. The current economic climate is also a strong drive for smaller and less shows, making it even more sense to do them online.

Trying on clothes online – As good as in a shop?

When I discussed the idea of shopping for clothes online in my post from 15 January (http://bloggettaveneta.blogspot.com/2009/01/asos-magazine.html), many people commented that they think it is not a good experience because you cannot try on the clothes as you do in a shop’s fitting room.

Well, this argument is not a strong one anymore. With the online tool provided by My Virtual Model (www.mvm.com), you can try on clothes online in your own avatar! It works like this: you upload your info such as type of face, body shape, height, weight, bust size and waist for women (it works for men with slightly different info). You can even upload your own picture of your face, and put different backgrounds to see for example how the outfit would look with you on the beach… The service is currently provided in the US to some brands such as H&M, Sears, Land’s End and Speedo.

One potential problem that I found when asked for some female friends to try the service is that women can tend to be a bit optimistic about their virtual model’s body… This can lead to some problems of tight clothes when they are delivered, and they will claim the guilt is with the online tool… On my side, I found my virtual model a bit weird, and the clothes not that realistic… I don’t know if I would try the tool.

The ones who have tried it before please share your experience. The ones who thought this was the main problem about buying online please tell what you think of the tool. And don’t mention about the texture feeling and the scent of the clothes, I’m pretty sure that soon you will be able to feel it online as well…