Bamboo Rose today announced the launch of the first of its kind Bamboo Rose House of Fashion in partnership with the Council of International Fashion Designers (CIFD), the new trade association for American apparel and accessory designers. The strategic partnership connects international designers with North American retailers, by giving CIFD’s members access to Bamboo Rose’s digital marketplace.
The Bamboo Rose House of Fashion provides CIFD designers with access to resources to grow their exposure and footprint internationally – resources they previously had no way of reaching. Designers who’ve found success domestically but want to gain footing in international markets will have the ability to instantly reach over 1,000 international retailers and set up virtual showrooms in Bamboo Rose’s marketplace. This means more opportunities to share and sell their designs to retailers in different markets worldwide.
In the Bamboo Rose House of Fashion, for example, Peruvian designers who previously had to attend yearly conferences to reach the North American market, now have a way to show their designs virtually using Bamboo Rose Marketplace.
“Fashion is a highly competitive market, and to stand out, designers need to be able to connect with broad audiences, and be able to do it fast,” said Beth Sobol, founder of CIFD. “We no longer have the luxury of time – consumers want what they see at Fashion Week available right now, no matter where it is in the world. With the Bamboo Rose House of Fashion, our designers have the opportunity to share their ideas and designs with a much broader audience, letting them ultimately get new products into the hands of the fashion-thirsty consumer wherever they are in the world, faster than ever before.”
Matching the speed of the consumer
The House of Fashion also speeds time to market for product innovations by providing real-time access to vendors, suppliers and retailers, increasing the efficiency of development. Historically, products were designed in a very linear way, which meant that consumers had to wait until clothing was on the rack to make a purchase. But a more digitally-savvy, connected consumer no longer shops in a predictable way, and instead wants the latest products near instantaneously. In recent years, designers have ramped up the process by making five to 10 pieces available for sale just after a runway show.
“The old development model – following a straight line from generating idea to a product being on the shelf – isn’t sustainable in today’s digital world,” said Sue Welch, CEO of Bamboo Rose. “In the face of much more demanding consumers, there’s no time to waste. The Bamboo Rose House of Fashion is a unique approach that connects the industry in an international fashion marketplace that allows co-creation and collaboration in real time, resulting in even more product innovation.”