This week, the annual Decoded Fashion summit was hosted in London. It brought together a number of brands and influential people in the industry with one common goal: to learn from the past, improve the present and reimagine the future of fashion.
Many speakers took to the stage to share their ideas and opinions-- nearly all were introduced by the Summit Chair, Jessica Michault, Launchmetrics' SVP of Industry Relations.
Michault is a well-known fashion journalist who you’ll find at the front row of most major fashion shows around the globe. She was previously the Online Style Editor of The International Herald Tribune and worked for 16 years alongside one of the most respected journalists in the field, Suzy Menkes.
We want to give you an overview of this year's Decoded Fashion - and who better to do this than the woman who heard it all and spoke to nearly everyone?
In this article you’ll learn…
1. What 3 words would you use to describe this year's Decoded Fashion summit?
- Inspiring, informative, and engaging.
2. What were some major highlights?
- The keynote interviews with Vanessa Kingori MBE, the publisher of British GQ and Alice Temperley MBE were very interesting. Also, the #DFPOWERHOUR that focused on how AI is being used in the fashion industry was an eye opening moment. As was the final speech by Kate Baron, Head of Retail at Stylus, who laid out an amazing roadmap for the future of fashion.
3. You interviewed Vanessa Kingori, MBE, Publisher, British GQ Portfolio. Tell us a bit about it!
- She is such a warm and insightful person. She clearly has a head for business, but her heart beats for fashion. This is a very good combination. You got the feeling after her talk that a number of people in the audience would be sending her their CV. She looks to be an inspiring and collaborative boss, and who doesn't want to work with a boss like that.
4. Was there a topic discussed that you think we should hear more about?
- I am curious to see how chatbots are going to be used more to engage with consumers in the future and also how VR and 360 videos will shape how we view fashion. And, on a personal note, I can't wait to get my hands on one of Amazon's Echo Look devices to help me pick out what to wear in the morning!
5. Which speaker resonated with you the most?
- Vanessa Kingori, and I'm not saying that just because I was the one interviewing her! The audience loved what she was saying so much, that the Decoded Fashion team kept on adding more and more time to the clock so that that interview could go on longer.
6. What do you think was the most innovative product and/or company?
- I really liked the ideas behind the start up Sewbo and what Hero is doing at Harvey Nichols. Two very different tech concepts...but both of them show great potential.
7. Was there one talk or panel discussion you particularly enjoyed?
- I thought that the speech by Matthew Woolsey of Net-a-Porter was very informative and underlined just what a powerhouse the company is and will continue to be.
8. Any fangirl moments?
- I have long been a fan of Jeremy Langmead of Mr Porter.
9. What were the main takeaways from this year?
- The consumer is still very much king. That authentic connection and experience, be they digital or IRL, are what customers want more than anything...except perhaps time. They want every part of their path to purchase to be quick, easy and entertaining.
10. What topics will be featured more in the future?
- I think there will be continued interest in mobile commerce. VR is still in its infancy. I am also curious to see when shoppable video content will become mainstream.
Did you attend Decoded Fashion's London Summit this year? If so, let us know what was your favorite part in the comments below!
Header image: Marianne Dorell via Baco Luxury
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
