The demand for fast fashion has led some brands to think outside the box of traditional commerce to compete with key players in the space, including Forever 21, H&M and Zara. Even luxury brands like Burberry and Tom Ford are switching things up in the fashion industry by making their collections available to consumers as they appear on the runway. Now, Nordstrom is following suit with its own “see now, buy now” approach in partnership with the Tony Awards. This year’s show is expected to draw more attention than usual thanks to the intense interest in Hamilton, which is up for a record 16 awards.
As the official sponsor of the Awards, which will be presented June 12, 2016, Nordstrom is giving customers a chance to shop for accessories worn by celebrities as they see them on TV. The retailer will be working with Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour and her staff to style the nominees and presenters.
“I think that kind of online tie-in makes sense with this kind of partnership,” said Jeffrey Kalinsky, Nordstrom’s Executive VP of Designer Merchandising in a statement. “Our customer loves to see what celebrities are wearing and, if inspired, they would like to buy it, so why not be able to sell it now?”
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The “see now, buy now” approach is becoming more and more popular in retail, especially in the fashion sector. Consumers don’t want to have to wait to purchase items for an entire season; they want to be able to wear what they’re seeing on TV and the runway as it’s shown. Amazon also has joined in on the trend with Style Code Live, a daily online show that showcases new fashion and beauty trends, which viewers can purchase in real time as they watch.
Prior to the event, Nordstrom and public relations firm KCD will be hosting a “Nordstrom Red Carpet Accessories Suite” at KCD’s NYC office, which will be stocked with items from designers such as Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Fendi. The suite will allow nominees and presenters to try on clothing and accessories for the show. The accessories will then be available for purchase on Nordstrom.com as the Tonys air live on CBS on June 12.
