Leading With Fashion
Tip: Partner with local retailers to create a cross-merchandised display. Buy a mannequin to display their, and your, product.
Sure, you’re in the business of eyecare. But you’re also likely investing a lot of your inventory dollars in what you promote as “fashionable eyewear.”
How do you know it’s really in fashion? And, just as important, how can you communicate what’s truly au courant to consumers? Here are our up-to-the-minute answers to those questions.
WHAT’S HOT THIS MINUTE?
With Fashion Week Fall Winter 2021 ending just last week, these trends are right off the runway. Literally. Hot looks seen there include:
• Elegant layering
• Cherry red, paired with neutrals
• ‘70s looks, complete with platform boots and yellow lenses
• The Bridgerton effect…Regency/Victorian styles with punk touches
WHERE TO TRACK TRENDS
There are resources everywhere. A look at the Emmy’s, Oscars, or last week’s Golden Globes mostly virtual events give you a glance at what’s new and now. So do newsstand magazines like Us Weekly. More “expert” sources include the following:
• Newsletters like The Zoe Report (thezoereport.com/fashion)
• Publication-related websites like instyle.com/fashion, Vogue’s online fashion section (vogue.com/fashion)
• Hot shopping sites, to see what’s selling, like fwrd.com
HOW TO SHOW FASHION
Pair something similar to the styles you see at the fashion resources above with your store’s statement eyewear. Here are just a few ideas:
• Visual merchandising guru Travis Reed talks displays and lifestyle branding. “Create a window, vitrine, shadow box, or shelf display that exemplifies the lifestyle that a brand you’re displaying represents. You might need to invest some time and a little money in doing the legwork for a display project, and maybe even put on your networking cap, shake some hands, and make magic happen,” adds Reed, who is CEO of Creative Visionary Inc.
• Partner with local retailers to create a cross-merchandised display. Visit a local boutique or department store and talk with the manager of the handbag or shoe department about borrowing some merchandise—and maybe lend some frames in return. Better yet, buy a mannequin (full bodied or head only) and display their, and your, product prominently.
• Don’t forget online messaging. “Create trend boards on Pinterest, post the newest frames on your Facebook page,” says Reed, “and tweet about some celebrity or new movie showcasing something you have in stock.”
• Sunwear is a natural, and the demand is year-round. Communicate with your suppliers—both frame and lens companies–to create the most current look. Just one example of product that’s worthy of your window or vitrine…Shamir’s Attitude III Fashion lens.
How do you track and then display fashion trends at your location? Tell us about it and share in the conversation on Facebook here.
Erinn Morgan
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