What women who value luxury fashion say

Chipo Mapondera Fashion
When speaking to a group of Zimbabwean women who buy and appreciate luxury fashion, the resounding response to this question was that there is less and less appreciation for true quality. One woman explained by saying: “The market is inundated with cheaper, inferior clothing items that carry brand names, but if you compare the pirated pieces against the genuine articles the difference is immediately discernible.”

Another key point is the lack of a retail culture that includes stylists who can advise customers on putting an entire look together. Having someone to guide the customer into trying some of the more fashion-forward luxury designs sets them on the road to exploring a more elegantly fashionable route.

Another consideration is that there is a lack of infrastructure to support high-end retail ventures. Part of selling luxury is in the experience that surrounds its purchasing. Harrod’s, and Harvey Nichols in London, the Prada and Armani stores in Milan, and New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue are destinations for international travellers, because of the unparalleled levels of experience they offer to shoppers. The image of a brand is reinforced by this experience and without it you are buying just another handbag.

Locally, there is little hope of greater accessibility to luxury fashion for consumers, as our market is not yet mature enough to welcome the interest of the international brands.

To demystify this notion one must gain some insight into the world of luxury retail. To secure a licence to sell a luxury brand within a multi-brand boutique or to open a flagship store under a luxury brand name, one must secure a contract or buy a franchise.

This is only secured once the brand verifies that your proposed boutique meets international standards in its design and fittings, and furthermore this boutique must be housed in a luxury shopping centre or high-end shopping district, like we see in Hyde Park Centre, a hub of luxury retail in Johannesburg.

Furthermore, within this agreement are expectations of growth led by increased sales, and the opening of more stores in your region.

That means an increasing investment in expensive goods that must be ordered at the brand show rooms, at least 4 times a year, when new collections are released in the top fashion cities of the world.

Not to mention the duty of 40 percent on clothing and textiles, when your stock lands. With such a hefty outlay, heading to China is the only option for many retailers, especially in an extremely niche market.

Of course, style has nothing to do with brand names which is why it is refreshing to see a number of boutiques (most of whom came decades before the recent boom in brand power) that are steadfastly selling clothing that meets the desires of their clientele by offering a well-edited range of lesser-known international names that preserve the standards of quality.

As far as the Zimbabwean consumers’ willingness to invest in luxury fashion, it seems there needs to be a change of perspective regarding the worth of luxury fashion, starting with the development of luxury retail channels. However, the rest of the continent has experienced a very rapid turn-around as far as luxury markets are concerned, so let’s not count ourselves out of the race.