2017 was, without a doubt, the year of the drop, with dozens of brands practicing this system in some way. "The idea was 'either you buy it now or you'll never be able to buy it', so it created a sense of need that became a success," they tell us via email from Dover Street Market. There they sell brands that make drops but also others that are pure luxury (Gucci, Céline, Raf Simons) and that is why they warn that, although it is more difficult for a large brand to obtain a profit with this system, almost all of them are already making "some concession in the form of of limited editions or specific releases, which is basically the same as a drop but with a different approach". Diesel, for example, recently created a very special and tongue-in-cheek limited edition that worked that was basically a variation on the drop system. The general problem? While a small brand seeks to be unique and desirable, a large one wants to maximize profit, something complicated if you limit the sale of your products so much. There is an added problem: how do you make such limited editions for a brand with hundreds of stores and many other multi-brand stores that sell them?
On Instagram there are already accounts that report these drops from different fashion brands. Spaces like @thedropdate announce exactly when the latest Nike comes out, what the latest Carhartt limited edition is, or what new pieces Champion has put in stores. Some experts affirm that the system cannot last forever and that, if it stays, it will only do so in streetwear or sneaker brands, which are more permeable to this way of shopping that is far from traditional luxury and the aspirational idea. Others believe it is the future. Designer Heron Preston pointed out at the Vogue Forces of Fashion conferences held last October that the customer "now just wants new things all the time, so the most creative brand capable of always offering them will win the battle."
The game of cool is a hard and complicated game.
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