Fashion’s new business models: farm to closet and pre-order

We’ve had farm-to-table, so why not consider farm-to-closet? As Vogue Business writer Christina Binkley explains, fashion and food often cater to the same type of conscious customer so several brands are working on collections around the theme. This may be more than a marketing trick: both menswear brand Todd Snyder and Wrangler, with their Rooted collection, offer denim woven from so-called e3 sustainable cotton, which can be traced back to the American farm fields where it was grown. Lower chemicals and water consumption aside, this new offering is entirely manufactured in the US, meaning that sometimes the plant fibres travel just a few miles before becoming cloth.

Of course, there is more to this story, and I encourage you to read for yourself and let me know how this resonates with you.

And on the other side of a garment's life, brands are now asking themselves about the sustainability of the wholesale model, with some in favour of a more agile and responsive pre-order business model. Working particularly well for brands with low-waste as an ambition, this is an obvious choice of pivot for small to midsize brands. What I'd like to know is how will consumers respond to the wait?