Karl Lagerfeld Speaks His Mind On The “See Now, Buy Now” Model

The designer thinks the fashion industry is a bit of ‘a mess’ right now

Of course, Karl Lagerfeld has something to say about the “see now, buy now” movement. Backstage at the Fendi A/W16 presentation yesterday, the designer talked to Business of Fashion about the current state of the fashion industry. “It’s a mess,” he said, referring to the lack of uniformity among designers following traditional and consumer-based schedules.

While brands in New York and London embraced the “see now, buy now” calendar to keep up with the fast pace of social media and the internet, those in Milan and Paris seem hesitant to join it. In fact, France’s governing body of fashion rejected it, believing that the wait for runway to hit retail is better for business. 

“I can show my collections and sell them and give people the time to make their choice, to order them and to make them beautifully produced and editors can photograph them. If not, that’s the end of everything,” Lagerfeld told BoF. He also noted the pressure on production and that designers who don’t have retail shops will suffer. 

But Lagerfeld, a man of tradition, is keeping up with the high-paced changes in fashion in his own way. He already creates a capsule collection for Chanel that doesn’t hit runways and premieres directly in stores. He’s even mulling over the prospect of creating a special internet-only collection of about 15 items that debut directly online.

“The world is changing — not always for the best‚ but we have to follow the changes and the Internet,” he said. “But there is a way of doing it, you know? It’s not just about the talk.”

Via Harper’s Bazaar US