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Direct-to-Consumer

What’s Behind DTC’s Sudden Obsession With Indie Fashion

Warby Parker, Everlane and other brands are partnering with small, but buzzy fashion labels as an inexpensive way to find new customers, and regain some status with shoppers who have moved on.
An image of Warby Parker and Everlane's collaborations with Theophilio and Marques Almeida respectively.
Warby Parker and Everlane announced respective brand collaborations with independent designers as it remains harder to reach customers. (BoF)
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BoF PROFESSIONAL

Last year, Warby Parker released “Flippies,” two-in-one hinged sunglasses “dreamed up by Jimmy Fallon himself.” Along with the usual sales boost from a celebrity endorsement, the campaign, featuring the late-night host posing amiably in different-coloured jumpers to match the multi-hued frames, not-so-subtly reassured potential customers unfamiliar with the eyewear start-up that it was as mainstream as any pair they could pick up at Lenscrafters.

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Further Reading

Everlane Still Wants to Be a $1 Billion Brand. Is That Even Possible?

Founder Michael Preysman and his investors are back in growth mode after implementing cost cuts and changes to the product mix last year. Whether Everlane can find a new leader to make it the sales juggernaut it's always dreamt of being will be a test case for whether late-stage start-ups can escape the direct-to-consumer curse.

Why DTC Brands Aren’t Swayed by Cheaper Social Media Ads

The cost to advertise on Meta — once digital brands’ primary marketing channel — has finally come down. But start-ups will continue to decrease their reliance on social media, including investing more in offline advertising and in targeting customers on Google, where the intent to buy is higher.

The DTC Eyewear Brands Challenging Warby Parker

Warby Parker’s continued brick-and-mortar expansion has given two of its less recognisable digitally-native peers — Zenni Optical and Eyebuydirect — a chance to raise their profiles among online shoppers.

About the author
Malique Morris
Malique Morris

Malique Morris is Senior E-Commerce Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. He is based in New York and covers digital-native brands and shifts in the online shopping industry.

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