THE INSIDERS: BRANDSCAPING – LONDON CONTOUR EXPERTS AND CONCEPTS PARIS

Brandscaping: LONDON CONTOUR EXPERTS and CONCEPTS PARIS seek to reconnect suppliers and brands with the consumer.

The bodywear industry is at the ‘mercy’ of the consumer now more than ever and traditional methods of business strategy no longer have the same guaranteed success. With a shift towards a bottom-up approach due to the impact of social media and a fragmented market as a result of COVID-19 with the ever-growing concern of a climate crisis, suppliers, brands, manufacturers and retailers now need to completely rethink their approach to success. Brandscaping is the solution according to London Contour Experts and Concepts Paris – Pamela Scott found out more. 

Brandscaping merges the expertise of Concepts Paris and the London Contour Experts Group, forming a powerhouse that pioneers inventive solutions within the industry. This collaboration offers an unprecedented opportunity for the sector, as Nichole de Carle says, “Brandscaping empowers suppliers, manufacturers, and brands to unleash their creativity and connect with new audiences in a decentralised world,” strategically leveraging cutting-edge technology. Moreover, Brandscaping extends an open invitation to fellow industry innovators and disruptors, welcoming them to join this dynamic movement as a unified force, propelling innovation and transformation together.

Concepts Paris, renowned for their expertise in body fashion trends, is advancing their consultancy approach by delving into Brandscaping alongside the supply chain. In collaboration with London Contour Experts, Concepts Paris’ founder Jos Berry and her expanding team aim to elevate the supply chain’s perspective, encouraging broader thinking. They’re cognizant that some suppliers require rejuvenation, seeking repositioning within the market, necessitating external consultants to spotlight the latest industry advancements and cultivate exclusivity within their product lines. There’s a pressing need for a fresh approach to fabric sales, centred around end-product orientation. This strategic repositioning demands an assertive marketing thrust that aligns with market demands. Additionally, a comprehensive staff training program is crucial for sales teams to articulate the language of brands effectively. The supplier’s goal is twofold: to establish a consistent business in core fabrics and foster innovation driven by customer needs.

The London Contour Experts Group business structure comprises three concurrent brands: Bodywear Lab for 3D, in-house design and manufacturing, HYSCULPT, a creative marketing, branding and PR agency, and London Contour Experts for business strategy and consultancy. Their expertise lies in the contour industry, aiming to revolutionise the sphere and support brands in creating impactful and meaningful fashion bodywear.

Led by Nichole de Carle, an esteemed contour expert with over a decade of experience within the British bodywear industry, the three-pronged business model is a thriving hub for innovation. The group welcomes brands, both established and new, and other creative businesses within the industry to come and push their creativity to the limits, guided by a wide variety of skilled specialists all under one roof. Where this approach truly flourishes is in the team’s ability to collaborate efficiently across all departments, resulting in an impeccably strong end result, whether that is restructuring a sales strategy, debuting a new 3D product line, a branding refresh or a combination of all three.

Always ahead of industry trends, news and developments, the group is embarking on a new venture in order to reinvigorate a stagnant market: Brandscaping. At its core, Brandscaping represents a seismic shift in how brands perceive, interact with, and cater to their consumers, as well as an opportunity for collaboration with other industry specialists seeking to propel the industry forward. It embodies a paradigm where the consumer’s voice holds paramount importance, pushing brands towards a more holistic understanding of their audience’s desires and needs. Central to Brandscaping is the acknowledgement that consumers aren’t merely passive recipients of marketed products; they are active participants whose voices demand recognition. This shift in perspective underscores the pivotal role of consumer feedback in shaping brands’ strategies and offerings. It’s a departure from traditional strategy, production and marketing approaches, highlighting the power of awareness-driven marketing that goes beyond mere product promotion to foster genuine connections with the market.

However, while the significance of consumer engagement and awareness is emphasised, Brandscaping also shines a light on the current shortcomings of brands that overlook broader societal issues. Some brands, in their pursuit of profit, inadvertently isolate themselves from the desires, needs and trends of their consumers by sidestepping or ignoring critical social, ethical, or environmental concerns. The London Contour Experts Group supports brands looking to disrupt the market with meaningful product offerings that answer a consumer’s need alongside creative marketing that is truly authentic to the brand, its ethics and values.

The need is greater than ever before due to the post-COVID era leaving a fragmented market with disillusioned consumers that compels brands to think expansively: to not just survive in this landscape but to thrive. Start-ups with niche concepts have surfaced and captured the attention of the market, brimming with ideas that promise to reshape the industry, offering a product range designed for fringe communities. However, a common challenge they face is the lack of industry specialists to help shape their brand and product, hindering their potential.

Simultaneously, larger established companies encounter hurdles in their quest for innovation. The space to swiftly test and develop new products becomes constrained within their corporate structures. This limitation prompts them to explore untapped territories, such as the bodywear market, previously unexplored by major players outside the lingerie and swimwear domains. This is where the London Contour Experts Group can provide space for brands to innovate and drawn on a deep pool of niche knowledge from industry experts all under one roof. Not only does the group boast a wealth of connections within the contour industry, but they seek to partner with leading companies capable of providing state-of-the-art advancements like 3D design software and intelligent fabric development, encompassing techniques such as bonding, seamless circular knitting, and performance technology. One such partnership is with Style 3D, whose cutting edge technology is spearheading product and marketing innovation. The collaboration promises exciting reveals to come at Interfiliere Paris 2024.

The greatest growth is the emergence and domination of micro multinational brands – brands that are small yet powerful, with a specific point of view for how they want to conduct business and connect with consumers. These agile and adaptable enterprises, unencumbered by the constraints of larger corporations, have the flexibility to be adventurous, push their creativity and stay true to their values, therefore resonating with a diverse market in desperate need of something new and true. These micro-multinational companies offer a compelling solution to the industry’s need for a more consumer-centric approach, one that embodies inclusivity and genuine care for their customers, fostering community and connection.

And established brands are taking note! Lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is on a comeback mission after dominating the contour space throughout the 1990s and 2000s by moving away from the unattainable goddess-like aesthetic they curated during this era and appealing to the marginalised markets that they once ignored. This is evident in their new adaptive underwear range; using model and disability advocate Bri Scalesse to capture a new consumer after witnessing the prosperity of smaller brands such as Liberare who offer similar products.

Likewise, fashion brands are recognising untapped opportunities in the body fashion industry and seizing their chance for success. Abercrombie & Fitch, known for its controversial marketing and limited size range, has been redefining its brand identity since 2017. In March 2022, they introduced ‘Your Personal Best’, an entirely new activewear line available in diverse sizes and earthy tones, suggesting a non-gendered approach. The collection has been praised for its quality and departure from previous marketing tactics. Authenticity plays a significant role in the success of smaller multinational brands, offering a refreshing contrast to the saturated marketing landscape.

Consumer-generated micro-multinational brands such as Parade, Girlfriend Collective, and ThirdLove are gaining notable traction, surpassing big brands for several reasons. Parade’s strategic move to cultivate a community even before its launch, amassing a staggering 70,000-person waitlist, showcases the power of community engagement. Their innovative sex education partnership program at the school level further reinforces their commitment to societal impact. Meanwhile, Girlfriend Collective utilises cutting-edge AI for body scanning and virtual fitting, providing consumers with a personalised and seamless experience. ThirdLove’s success lies in its dedication to body positivity and inclusivity, notably offering size-inclusive bras and half-cup sizes. Their Online FitFinder quiz ensures consumers find their best fit, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. Ultimately, these brands resonate with consumers seeking honesty, community-centric values, and inclusivity, qualities which are exemplified by these smaller contour brands listening to consumer needs and actively engaging the market; allowing consumers to feel a part of the brand story and therefore develop a deeper connection.

 

Utilising emerging technology is crucial for guiding both new and established brands towards creating enduring products that cater to satisfied consumers, as well as pushing creativity within the industry as a whole. There is a wide net of technology within the lingerie, swim and activewear sectors alone that is dramatically changing what is possible to create and not yet mainstream such as bonding, seamless, adaptive contour wear, 3D boning and wiring and underwear crafted from natural fibres like wool, eucalyptus, sugarcane, and castor bean oil.

This growing world of fashion technology in the bodywear sphere is an area not yet being explored by the bigger players in the contour industry. However, the London Contour Experts Group works with multiple vendors and companies that are highly skilled in these new technological areas and through Brandscaping can guide brands towards creating innovative bodywear solutions that blend fashion and technology seamlessly. By leveraging their network of skilled vendors and cutting-edge companies, London Contour Experts facilitate the integration of advanced technologies into bodywear, enabling brands to stay ahead in the evolving landscape of fashion tech.

Furthermore, through Brandscaping, the group is striving to explore the benefits of technology that combine the physical and digital realms; phygital technology. The influence of phygital products on creating a more sustainable supply chain is profound. Employing 3D design can slash physical samples by an impressive 50%, thereby curbing carbon emissions, minimising fabric waste, and compressing lead times. While various segments of the fashion industry are actively exploring the potential of 3D garment design and printing to craft innovative products, the bodywear sector has been progressing at a more gradual pace. This is due to the intricacies of contour design, the uncertainty of wire and cup technology advancements in 3D, and the challenges of stretch fabric with soft body technology.  We choose to practise and realise 3D design to better understand the fit challenges in bodywear as technology advances.   Nevertheless, suppliers and manufacturers specialising in contour-focused textiles are swiftly becoming catalysts for innovation within the industry.

Companies like Chanty, a lace manufacturer, are leading the way by incorporating 3D technology into its lace production, particularly focusing on the lingerie sector. With 3D technology, Chanty can custom-create lace from scratch within a mere two days and accurately replicate physical lace samples in a digital 3D environment. This intelligent technology grants Chanty’s customers full involvement in the lace’s development, empowering them to modify the lace’s colour or design with ease. The advantages of digitally fabricating materials extend beyond environmental benefits, including a significant reduction in CO² emissions, water usage, electricity consumption, and resource expenditure. Moreover, integrating 3D design technology in fabric production slashes collection production time by 50% and developmental costs by 70%. It’s a win win!

Moreover, the phygital approach fuels marketing endeavours by driving e-lookbooks, effectively substituting traditional e-commerce photoshoots, and reducing both costs and the impact on the environment.  3D product designs have multifaceted usage across a fashion brand’s business and can be used in aesthetically pleasing campaigns, used in AR and VR on social media platforms to actively engage consumers and can also be used for made-to-order purposes for B2B and B2C sales, reducing costs and environmental impact. Another great way to use 3D assets of your product is to test the market’s reaction to your product, once again circumventing unnecessary production and wastage.

The London Contour Experts Group holds an extensive grasp of market potential and boasts a comprehensive infrastructure for conceiving, sampling and producing innovative technological advancements for the industry. What amplifies their appeal as an industry catalyst is their ability to orchestrate complete 360-degree brand campaigns encompassing photography, video, and 3D. This ensures a smooth transition from product conceptualization to launch, simplifying the communication of product realisation for customers.

Additionally, contour brands are beginning to flock towards fresh digital landscapes such as DISCORD amid dwindling engagement rates on established platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Staying relevant requires active involvement in these emerging digital communities, particularly those frequented by the target demographic. Gucci, for instance, established ‘Vault by Gucci’ on Discord, a space intertwining the past, present, and future. It offers exclusive Gucci NFTs ranging from contemporary releases to vintage archive pieces and to fortify their presence, they’re crafting a roadmap and digital engagement strategy for the Vault on Discord. Concurrently, RTFKT, a trailblazer in Metaverse Fashion, has become a cherished entity within the NFT community, retailing pioneering digital wearables. Their recent acquisition by Nike has further amplified their significance in this evolving landscape.

London Contour Experts recognises that lingerie, swimwear and activewear brands must pivot their approach to digital marketing in order to stay engaged on Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, recognising the shifting tides of consumer attention. Investing in third-party technology plugins becomes imperative to maintain active participation and relevance in these dynamic spaces, and through Brandscaping, London Contour Experts can help brands streamline their online strategies saving valuable time and money. Additionally, participation in online and offline trade shows, panels, and discussions emerges as a linchpin for brands seeking to navigate this new landscape. It offers them invaluable insights, fostering collaborations, and facilitating a deeper understanding of the challenges posed by bigger sizes and stretch fabrics.

In essence, Brandscaping represents a radical departure from conventional branding practices, especially for lingerie, swimwear and activewear. It champions consumer-centricity, sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity as its cornerstones. The contour industry’s transformation through Brandscaping isn’t merely a shift in marketing and production techniques; it’s a fundamental reorientation towards a future where suppliers, brands, retailers and consumers coalesce in a harmonious exchange of values, needs, and aspirations, with the London Contour Experts Group and Concepts Paris leading the charge and offering their expertise and tools for brands, suppliers and manufacturers taking a step into the future.

Take your industry presence to the next level with Brandscaping, contact info@londoncontourexperts.com for more information. London Contour Experts will be on hand at the Interfiliere Show in Paris and Wonderland in London next month.