Amazon has partnered with the designer Nicola Formichetti to get London Fashion Week’s styles to Londoners’ doorsteps within an hour. The partnership is the latest iteration of the “see now, buy now” strategy, which designers have been experimenting with over the last several seasons.
Accelerated delivery, which also promises to reach customers throughout Europe within 24 hours according to City AM, is available on Formichetti’s Nicopanda line and for Amazon Prime subscribers only. The “Millennial-friendly” line features brightly colored hoodies, t-shirts, and leggings, among other items.
Amazon (AMZN) has increasingly focused on its fashion offering over the past several months, hoping to do for clothing what it has done for books. Earlier this month, the online retailer launched its own fashion line called Find, which offers fashionable designs at competitive prices, as well as a subscription-based shopping service.
Other brands at London Fashion Week, including Burberry (BURBY), Topshop, and Tommy Hilfiger, are pursuing “see now, buy now” strategies, though not at the speed of Amazon. The practice, which in its most basic form involves designers showing clothing for the current season rather than the next one, has been tried by a number of designers to mixed reviews. Advocates of the practice say it helps align the fashion industry with consumer behavior while detractors complain it’s a “logistical nightmare.”
