Online Fashion Tips All Designers Should Apply
Online Fashion Stylist for Amazon Nadia Chaudhary is here to share great insights for designers getting into the industry.
“My fashion can be described as a constant reinvention that expresses however I’m feeling that day. “
Online Fashion is the Future of Fashion
I got into the online fashion industry to be a part of fashion’s future. Being a consumer myself, I still visit traditional brick and mortar stores, but the reason I go there is more for the experience than actually to purchase. The store is more about the merchandising, the way the store smells, to feel the fabrics, and to see the collection as a whole. If you ask me where I am actually spending my money, I would say online. More and more shoppers are taking their dollars online to be able to have a wider selection, to do price comparisons, and to be able to get special promotions. Designers are moving their collections online to reach a wider demographic and are able to reach people that aren’t close to their physical store locations, hence growing the industry. I’ve always been a progressive thinker and like to think about what things will be like in the future, and this is fashion’s future.
There Are Always Struggles of Pleasing Clients
When you are styling editorials you have the Creative Director, the Art Director, the photographer and the model, among others to please while also maintaining your creative vision. When you work in e-commerce, there are very strict style esthetics that are required to keep the look of the website cohesive which sometimes stints your own creative vision. It’s very important as a stylist to dabble in different types of styling in order to keep the creative juices flowing and be able to express them fully, whether it be working for different types of companies or coordinating personal photo shoots just for fun.
The Stylist Canceled Right Before The Show And That Started My Career In Fashion
I used to work for a fashion show called THREADshow, a curated showcase of independent designers. At the time, I was still on the fence about whether or not I was going to law school or if I was going to pursue a career in fashion so I was interning at the show to help make my decision. Anyways, at one of the shows the stylist cancelled for whatever reason.
“I was thrown backstage and had to style about 30 looks only 20 minutes before the show started. From that moment I was hooked. “
I threw law school out the window and decided to follow the route of adrenaline and creativity instead.
Here Are Four Tips For Designers Going Into Online Retail
- Start with a niche market: Create a product that speaks to a niche market. People who are into fashion are always looking for the next unique thing that will set them apart from all of the rest. This will create the buzz around your line. From there, grow outwards and create products for a larger audience.
- Create high quality product: There is nothing more disappointing than seeing something online that you love, only to receive it to find that it is made with a cheap fabric or poorly sewn together with loose threads still hanging off the seams. Use good materials so that they will want to return to purchase again.
- Don’t be cheap with your photography: When selling your products online, the only thing that the customer has to make their decision to purchase are the photos that they see. The photos should really showcase what the product is and a good stylist and photographer are imperative. When hiring them, there are 3 things that you can have – good, fast, and cheap. You get to pick 2 of those things. If you want fast and cheap, the photos won’t be good. But if you want good and fast, it won’t be cheap. Spend the money. It will make all the difference.
- Stand behind your product and offer impeccable customer service: When shopping in a physical store, you get greeted by a salesperson upon entering, offered help by the associate in the fitting room and are thanked on your way out. When shopping online, the only contact you have with a person is if you have a problem with something that you ordered and contact customer service. Stand behind your product, but if there is an issue, offer the best possible customer service so that each person is left with a great image of your company.
Bio
After gradating the University of California San Diego, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication. Nadia delved into her second passion, event management, and accepted the position of Program Director for the Del Mar Village Association, a non-profit organization that works closely with the city of Del Mar to plan and organize city events to showcase local businesses, including a plethora of fine dining restaurants, wineries, and breweries. Nadia’s role predominantly consisted of managing the execution of these events with attendance of up to 10,000 people by contracting with vendors, managing budgets, and managing a team of interns and volunteers. After her time in Del Mar, Nadia moved on to be the Events & Marketing Manager for the World Poker Tour. In this role, she traveled with the tour, both domestically and internationally to produce and execute all event and marketing strategies. She planned and executed special events at each stop to enhance the player experience, coordinated all travel plans for the entire cast and crew, as well as managed the talent of the show, Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten and the Royal Flush Girls.
