Top of mind for fashion-tech in the immediate future is personal, data-driven customer relationships, adapting stores for omnichannel, mixed reality, and gaming elements to increase engagement and partnerships with key tech players. That’s according to Mark Morris, SVP of digital commerce at Burberry; Michael Burke, director of branded apparel and durables at Google; and Matthew Drinkwater, head of the Fashion Innovation Agency at the London College of Fashion, who shared insights and advice during the Vogue Business and Google Summit.
Direct-to-consumer (and data)
Brands are increasingly prioritising one-to-one relationships with customers — even larger brands with a history of wholesale relationships. “This idea of DTC is misassociated with the small, digitally native, digital-disruptor brands,” Burke said. But with the shift toward digital, brands of all sizes are working to establish both direct communications and direct sales. This gives access to first-party customer data, which informs personalised interactions. Usually, mobile phones are the foundation of that, Burke said.