While we write so much about the clothing side of fashion trends in 2008 few of the periphery trends are ever analysed. But as if straight out of Tobe’s 2008 trends report comes news that Ted Baker is living up to the year’s most important trend: Fusion Fashion Stores.
Pay attention retailers: this is the future of fashion.
Consider for a moment where you’re a regular, and why. What makes you go back there? Is it the great stock? Service? Is it ever for the experience? And if it is, how great is it really.
That’s where the Cool Fashion Store comes to pass;
We all have our favourite boutique, and it usually holds such precedence because it does something different… We fashion lovers are going to move from the shopping centre to the cool ‘destinations’ on the high street. But what will make them destinations? Their mixture of fashion boutique and lifestyle venue, mixing in anything from lounges to nail salons.
When writing that summary I compared the fashion store of the future to trendy magazine shops: part magazine shop, part cafe. Change that to part fashion store / part [insert related lifestyle addition here]. And Ted Baker‘s new concept store in Cheapside, London has made that reality.
The store aims to be a one-stop-shop for the modern man, offering an array of services alongside their clothing ranges including an in-store barber courtesy of King of Shaves Pro, a tailor for any immediate alterations, a pay-as-you-go concierge service from Cushion The Impact available through the phone boxes dotted around the store, and a shoe shine service from social enterprise Street Shine which gives people who have experienced homelessness a chance to earn a regular income. A partnership with Carphone Warehouse also sees the inclusion of The Laboratory technology lounge displaying Ted Baker branded phones in antique luggage cases.
And there you have it, the future of fashion retail: a fusion store. Not just a fashion store, or a fashion experience, but a true destination incorporating related lifestyle aspects. Consider the potential for this style of fashion shopping, particularly with luxury retailers.
Now if Ted Baker’s Australian flagship store had only opened in a similar fashion.
Fashion Trends 2008
Stay ahead of this year’s fashion, hair, and beauty trends with Fashionising.com‚Äôs constantly updated Fashion Trends 2008 bible! You’ll find more articles like this, along with a tips on key looks you should invest in and those to avoid.
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