The new online Luxury platforms

Large E-commerce sites, sector associations and brands bet on digital solutions to give premium products and creative projects visibility.

On more than one occasion, through these pages, we have brought to light how omni-channel and digitalization strategies have become at this point essential factors for businesses in Fashion. This time, though, we will take on the theme from another perspective, highlighting also how Retail and the institutional and educational world look with growing interest to the mix between high-end fashion and digital innovation.

Amazon Luxury Stores: Jeff Bezos takes on high fashion

It all began in January 2020, when rumors about the imminent entrance of the Seattle giant into the world of Luxury began to circulate more and more insistently. We witnessed, later in September, first, its confirmation and, immediately after, its inauguration: Amazon Luxury Stores became a reality. The platform of the E-commerce colossus offers high-end beauty and fashion products and for now it is only available in the United States. At this time, only selected Prime customers can access it exclusively and only through App and invitation. In the store, the brands themselves decide products, stock, and prices, while Amazon is responsible for providing merchandising tools as well as technologies for a highly sophisticated shopping experience (such as 360° interactive views of the clothing).

Which and how many fashion houses will arrive on the platform is information details of which have yet to be released. At the same time, no one has gone so far as to declare whether the initiative will be successful. What is certain, though, is that the sale of luxury goods online is, at this point, a growing trend. For example, by the end of the summer, Zalando announced their desire to triple the weight of their own premium products by 2023. New designers to be included in the E‑commerce roster, but also a wider offering in relation to the brands already present: all within a section of the site that from “Premium” will be rebaptized “Design”. Also, an area enriched with exclusive content and campaigns created by a special team.

Extraitastyle, a virtual showcase for Italian excellence

It is not just the big players of E‑commerce to move in this direction. During last August and September as well, a time rich in announcements, interesting projects also arrived from the institutional world here in Italy. Of all of these, we would like to point out Extraitastyle, a platform whose goal is to promote the unique style of Made in Italy all over the world, with a specific focus on the United States.

The project is the idea of the ITA agency, the government body for promotion abroad and for the internationalization of Italian companies. On the website, all the brands, both the historical and up and coming ones, have a virtual boutique available to them, with 3D images and the possibility of conducting visitors on an immersive journey through captivating storytelling. An area reserved for B2B, where it is possible to present customers with catalogs and collections, completes the platform.

Remaining in Italy and in sector associations, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (National Chamber for Italian Fashion) has also created a digital area specific for the “Men’s Spring/Summer 2021 Collection”. The multi-brand virtual showroom, created in collaboration with Accenture, Microsoft, and Hevolus Innovation, takes advantage of cloud and artificial intelligence potentialities. Structured in two distinct sections, “Fashion Hub Market” and “Designers for the Planet”, the platform’s objective is to promote both emerging and sustainable brands. Here, it is possible to explore the collections by the artists in extremely high resolution and on any device, changing outfits on virtual mannequins with great ease.

Making way for youth and innovative technologies in the platforms of educational institution

The educational institutions tied to fashion and design could not be left out of this buzz. Here, in fact, the prestigious Istituto Marangoni presented its “House of Istituto Marangoni” project in late September. Developed in collaboration with Vogue Italia, the platform’s objective is providing visibility to the talent of the new generations. The last year students from the various international locations of the Institute, in fact, have an opportunity to promote their work though multimedia content and interactive events.

An immersive journey thanks to the use of new technologies, which also includes exclusive interviews, testimonials, and virtual round tables. The project also makes it possible for the students to take advantage of the guidance and advice of the professionals, selected by Vogue Italia, reviewing their portfolios and resumes.

Similarly, Custom also offers their customers professional consulting, to best face the Retail and Fashion world that is always more digital and in continuous transformation.