While reports tell of decreased sales across the fashion industry, one brand, at least, seems to be bucking the trend.
FN 2019 Designer of the Year, Amina Muaddi released an exclusive ’80s inspired collaboration with luxury online retailer Mytheresa on Wednesday. As of Friday, only two styles out of the 10-piece capsule remain — and only in two sizes at that.
In fact a representative from the e-tailor told FN that some of the shoes were completely sold out within just hours of going online.
“We had a waitlist for several of the styles before the launch and it is one of our most coveted exclusive collections to date,“ revealed Mytheresa fashion buying director Tiffany Hsu. The capsule retailed for between $575 and $1000.
This comes in diametric contrast with the current industry trend. According to a report by Contentsquare, released in France on the same day as Muaddi’s capsule, retail fashion traffic has seen a drop of 52.91% with conversions down by 59.33%. The study which gathered data from 800 websites in France, compared the period of January 6 to February 16 2020 with that of the previous year. The period in question came before the lockdown even officially began.
Similarly, a new report from market research and analytics firm Global Data released today, predicted that one-fifth of the United Kingdom’s fashion spend could be wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. This totals some $13.5 billion.
Muaddi’s capsule reinterpreted some of her brand’s signature styles including transparent PVC and glitter sandals, platform mules and ankle-tied pumps. Featuring the designer’s geometric martini heel silhouette they came in vibrant shades of pink, blue and yellow leopard print — adorned with glitter and crystal embellishments.
“It’s playful and sexy and everything you could want from Amina Muaddi,” added Hsu.
The capsule was accompanied by a dedicated editorial campaign featuring Danish influencer Pernille Teisbaek which was directed and shot in Copenhagen by photographer Polina Vinogradova.
News of the sellout collection might not comfort labels struggling to navigate the current retail environment, however, it does demonstrate that with enough buzz, success in these challenging circumstances is still achievable.
