Why am I not surprised to see that the person at the table with the most sound arguments, the best insight into contemporary retail, consumers' choices, etc, is the youngest one? Insiders must stop obsessing with the old-fashioned or old-school way of thinking and understanding and be more open minded towards the market and the current context of the industry. Things have changed and people need to keep up with the pace in a non-judgmental way.
Too often these panels discredit young people. Don't forget that when Mary Kate and Ashley were 12-13 they were marketing themselves very similarly to Kendall and Kylie, you could call them their predecessors. The Olsen twins had one of the biggest empires we have ever known of commodity goods that included things like hair tools ie. blow-dryers, brushes etc. makeup, video games, cds, and a huge fashion range that was highly coveted by most 12 year olds. Anything they could stamp their name on and sell they would. Young kids will always want to consume mainstream commodities because this helps them feel accepted and helps them belong to society but everyone will eventually decide as they get older what 'luxury' means to them. What I'm trying to say is that this critique and disdain of the Jenners was actually done by the Olsen twins before them and won't make the generation who aspire to be like Kendall and Kylie any different than the generation who aspired to be like the Olsen twins and what those people look like today. Marshall McLuhan talked about the artist as being on the frontier and being ahead and being able to see through facades and to identify trends before everyone else, those people will always exist in society but they are not the ones who are commenting on Kylie Jenner's instagram posts, they are quieter and more subtle but just because you don't hear them does not mean that they don't exist. Your panel should really rethink how they speak about and view contemporary youth culture.
Had the same experience at Gucci on Old Bond Street: the assistant recognised that I wasn't going to buy anything but was really enthusiastic and talked to me about Alessandro and the collection.
Consumers are looking for experiences so maybe retail (bricks and mortar) will become more of an experience i.e pop up events, special guests, re-designs several times a year etc.
Love the discussion! I wish the architectural profession could learn something or two from "The Row" being that both design processes can be equated to each other.
Um what? Why do you always say all we want is technology? Our parents buy us iPhones and we'll have the same one until it's broken to pieces then upgrade. It's a 1 time purchase, buying clothes are a constant. We're the most image conscious generation, the invent of tumblr and Instagram has made teens from every corner of the globe aware of people like Tisci and Lagerfeld. We love fashion! We just don't have they money.
Well I'm 20, I buy my own clothes for the most part now. My parents will give me money occasionally to be nice and then I can really splurge. Too old to be spoiled now like before.
