The Future of Vetements
Vetements has been in the spotlight since late 2016, usually over its collaborations or its disruptive collections. However, recently there was some slander in the fashion industry stemming from a Highsnobiety article over the future of the label. The writer of the piece claimed to have talked to numerous sources, which all asked to remain anonymous, that say Vetements is not selling nearly as well as previous seasons. These anonymous buyers and retail associates all said that they are having a hard time selling through the collections and have to resort to cutting down stock or putting items on sale.
In my opinion however, I believe this all has to do with the consumers Vetements is marketed for and the clientele these retailers attract. I say this because according to an article on WWD, retailers such as Jeffery NY, Saks Fifth Ave, and MyTheresa are still stocking and selling Vetements without difficulty. If the garments are still being sold without markdowns at certain retailers, but not selling at other retailers, this would point to the consumers that the stores are marketed towards.
Image C/O @vetements_official on Instagram
Demna Gvasalia took to Instagram to post a very bold statement regarding the article while his brother, and Vetements CEO, Guram told WWD "To the disappointment of all the haters, we would like to declare that Vetements is in the strongest creative and financial state it has ever been, We are definitely not going out of business and the speculations about our sales figures are not only false and defamatory in its nature but also simply ridiculous."
Every brand in the fashion industry will lose steam or reach a demise, however, I do not believe that time is now for Vetements. In recent seasons, Vetements has even shifted its sizing, straying away from the oversized, exaggerated fits of its early seasons and offering more wearable true to size garments. David Sills, owner and buyer from Hirshleifers, stated in the WWD article “I think it [Vetements] is a brand that can sustain simply because if you look back a few seasons, although it’s been a disruptive brand since it first started, it’s evolved quite a bit since the first collection…” Reflecting on this statement, I’m hopeful that once the SS19 collection is revealed, the true identity that Vetements carries will impress its audience, adapting to the ever-changing trends in the industry.
Images: HYPEBEAST