Alexander Wang Strengthens the Case for "See Now, Buy Now" Model

Alexander Wang has plans to adopt the new "see now, buy now" model.

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Complex Original

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Over the past few months we've seen a handful of brands shaking up the fashion schedule. Vetements, Tom Ford, and Burberry are just a few of those that have lead the movement towards a "see now, buy now" model. Now, Alexander Wang has announced that he too will be making his collection immediately available next fall. The designer's decision could mark the changing of tides for the traditional fashion week and prove that this isn't as much a fleeting trend as it is a lasting experiment.

Wang is set to present his Spring 2017 collection in New York this September. Alongside that collection, which won't be available until the following season as usual, Wang will showcase a selection of resort pieces. Those pieces will act as a sneak peek for customers until the images and the full collection are released in November of 2017. Wang still plans to preview the collection to buyers and press next June, but the range will remain under embargo and therefore hidden from the eyes of consumers until its released in stores. 

"For several seasons now, we have released images of our T by Alexander Wang and Men’s collections only at the time of their delivery in store,” Wang told WWD. “We have had a very positive response to this from consumers and we decided to pursue a similar strategy with our ready-to-wear pre-collections; we have found that this shortened timeline between seeing the collection and it being available in stores creates a sense of immediacy and generates excitement at the retail level."

In addition to building hype around the collection, keeping the images under wraps will help combat fast-fashion knock offs. 

Balmain's Olivier Rousteing recently said that he also plans on adopting the "see now, buy now" setup in the future. With more and more designers opting for a more direct model, it might be time for the industry to follow suit. The CFDA has previously discussed restructuring Fashion Week, but any official changes have yet to be made. These latest moves seem to add a lot of legitimacy to the new format. 

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