Rachel Arthur
It might be an event dedicated to technologists first and foremost, but there’s no escaping the role of branding and marketing at SXSW Interactive these days, and the fashion industry has inserted itself well and truly as a relevant vertical within that.
From SXstyle to numerous off-schedule events, there were more dedicated fashion and retail-related panels than ever, not to mention numerous pop-up activations dedicated to the future of this area.
Whether you weren’t able to make it to Austin, or indeed were on the ground but overwhelmed by the madness (weren’t we all!), here’s a comprehensive round-up of everything that went on by way of the top stories to read. Note the absence of wearables this year by the way…
- “Data is the new oil” and more lessons from SXSW [The Business of Fashion] – This story serves as an overview on the big trends coming out of the festival (from cognitive computing to conversational commerce) and what they mean for the fashion industry
- Why virtual reality and fashion make sense [WWD] – You’ll need a subscription to read this one, but it’s worthwhile. Highlighting that VR is as much of a fad as the internet and mobile phones, it outlines its suitability for the fashion industry in terms of marketing and e-commerce, because of its ability to create interactive, immersive experiences
- The brand, the brand, the brand: 8 highlights from Under Armour’s CEO at SXSW [Fashion & Mash] – One of our own here; a recap of the best quotes from Kevin Plank who held one of the keynote talks during the festival. Spoiler: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
- Refinery 29’s School of Self Expression is a fashion-tech playground [WGSN/Insider] – This pop-up in collaboration with Neiman Marcus was one of the most popular during the week, and rightly so. As WGSN writes, it took “creativity back to the drawing board” from doodle walls, chalkboards, customised lockers and an old-school classroom, all with a healthy dose of tech splashed on top
- Why YouTube is a more important platform than Snapchat for luxury brands [AdWeek] – We might be talking about what’s new all the time, but this story serves as a good reminder of how important it is to get a decent YouTube strategy in place first in order to reach the Millennials audience
- Generation Z: 10 stats from SXSW you need to know [Forbes] – Beyond the flashy tech, the festival also highlights key consumer trends and how to better reach new target markets. A big focus this year was all around today’s teens, also known as Gen Z
- Using Google data to predict fashion trends [WWD] – From emojis to athleisure, this panel explored exactly how data is being used within the industry to shape what comes down the runway or hits retail shelves
- What do trends from SXSW 2016 mean for customer experience? [Customer Think] – Some nice bits in here on the roles virtual reality and customisation are playing in reaching and satisfying today’s consumers in new ways
- Best practices from Nordstrom, REI for mobile retail integration [Retail Customer Experience] – As it says on the tin, a couple of good examples of how reailers are making use of mobile and digital in the in-store experience
- Uri Minkoff at SXSW: focus on the customer with fash-tech [WWD] – Another nice reminder here from Rebecca Minkoff’s CEO to do away with “tech for tech’s sake” and instead employ ideas that are actually useful to customers
- Glossier’s Emily Weiss on building a beauty empire [WGSN/Insider] – This story explores how Weiss’ growing online community is built on the premise of replacing the mantra “sex sells” with “self sells”
- How NYC retailer Story is revolutionising brick and mortar by treating retail like a media channel [The Drum] – A good overview on the story of Chelsea-based Story and its quest to treat retail more like a media channel and less like a place to push products
- Why the new crop of e-commerce brands should really scare traditional retailers [AdWeek] – From Casper to Dollar Shave Club, Bonobos and Warby Parker, this story summarises a panel look at how start-ups are shaking up traditional merchants notoriously slow to embrace technology
- Why Uniqlo is selling through mobile app Spring [Fashionista] – This is probably news you didn’t spot at SXSW, but vests being handed out from a truck during the festival marked the first time the global retail giant has ever sold through a third party
- On-demand fashion economy hits SXSW with Revolve x Postmates partnership [Fashion & Mash] – There are always marketing stunts, campaigns and activations surrounding SXSW worth talking about. This time, an interesting collaboration to bring fashion to festival-goers proved particularly noteworthy
- Using tech to improve the fitting room, online and off [WWD] – Another paywalled story here, but given it’s largely about Oak’s interactive fitting rooms at Ralph Lauren, you can just as easily go and read the original story about the partnership if you don’t have access instead
- At SXSW, Obama challenges tech industry to do, be more [Vanity Fair] – And finally, in case you missed it, here’s a good recap of President Obama’s keynote address during the festival, complete with some great reminders on the role of collaboration for industry