Slippers and sneakers are trending for online shoppers at a time when comfortable work-at-home outfits are in demand and online exercise classes take off.
Fashion consultant and entrepreneur Rebecca Morter founded Lone Design Club in 2018 as a platform for ethical, independent fashion and lifestyle brands. “I see a spike in slippers, socks, pajamas and home fragrances, so at LDC we are doubling up on these categories and taking on new brands,” she said.
Going forward, she predicts shoppers might dish out money for more extravagant purchases. “Imagine in two weeks time when we’re bored at home and sick of wearing the same joggers and hoodie, we will want to feel good and look good, even if we’re just wandering around the house chatting to friends on Zoom,” she said.
Luxury brand specialist Tammy Saunders — president of Wednesday Agency, a creative company with clients such as Stuart Weitzman, Moncler, Bally and Kurt Geiger — said her partners are reporting an uptick in jeans, sweater and sneaker sales.
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By contrast, dressier items aren’t selling. “People don’t need a cocktail dress or seasonal wardrobe. There are no upcoming occasions to wear them,” she said.
While continuing to ship out samples for future shoots, Paris-based fashion PR Giorgia Viola is offering to lend evening gowns to friends who want to post their own balcony-clapping sessions on social media. Flash mobs applauding the work of front-line medics are now commonplace in Europe and picking up steam in the U.S.
“My team is working remotely, my apartment is connected to my showroom, so I am here alone. These days are hard, but we believe we all should continue to share beauty, inspire and get inspired while waiting for brighter moments,” said Viola, who also bought a disco ball to join in the popular Bob Sinclar afternoon DJ sessions on Instagram Live.
In Paris, New York and other cities, exercise (alone and close to home) is on the list of legitimate reasons to venture outdoors. So people are pounding the pavements to let off steam. In addition, all the capital’s coolest gyms and exercise gurus are going live daily on Instagram with free classes.
Julie Granger, founder and CEO of New York workout favorite The Studio, launched her first European outpost in Paris a few weeks before the virus took hold. Like many other fitness instructors, she is livestreaming free daily workouts from her apartment. “I wanted everyone to feel like they aren’t alone, so I implemented these sessions so people could move and sweat together at the same time,” she says.
As more people get involved in the classes, sneakers and gear sales are on the rise, Granger noted. “Just today I had four clients tell me they ordered a bunch of things so they could do the workouts,” she added.
Jonathan Vidor, president and founder of Google partner JVWEB, said his company in France optimizes digital ads for clients, including French running specialist i-Run, which stocks sneakers from brands like Nike and Adidas, and omnichannel concept store Lulli sur la Toile, which sells premium fashion labels such as Golden Goose, Veja, Diadora, Philippe Model and UGG.
Over the last five days, sportswear advertisements by i-Run generated the same traffic as usual, but the conversion rate was up by 10% he says. He predicts that such goods will see an increase of 20% to 25% in a couple of weeks from now because exercise is one of the few outlets that people can still enjoy.
Likewise, following an initial surge in comfort shoes and clothing, he is confident that people will start investing in more feel-good pieces. “They will want to buy things to boost their morale and to wear for video calls with friends and to post on Instagram,” he said.
