Dubai-based designer platform Fashion Forward (FFWD) will come back with an added e-commerce option in October after it took a two-year break due to ‘viability’ concerns with stakeholders, according to co-founder and CEO Bon Guerrero.
Speaking to Arabian Business, Guerrero said one of the reasons behind the two-year break was the need to reassess the format of the platform, which relied mostly on fashion shows.
“One of reasons we paused for a few seasons is that we needed to reassess the viability of the platform for our stakeholders, this why we tweaked the format. There was a lot of growing concern over timeliness and format with regards to the buying cycle of fashion globally,” he said.
“So we had to reassess and revaluate the viability of platform… [also due to a] bit of a downturn in the economy, it was a blessing in disguise that we took the time off to revaluate” Guerrero added.
The change in format comes a year and a half after co-founder Ramzi Nakad told Arabian Business that FFWD will become consumer-centric rather than industry dependent by evolving the business into a fully integrated offline and online fashion platform versus its current physically limited bi-annual event “manifestation.”
The company will continue to set up fashion shows for designers but will now offer consumers the chance to buy the collections showcased off the runway via an online platform.
Guerrero said, “We feel there’s a lot of lost opportunity when a lot of these [collections], which are not available, are magnified and the public gets to see them, but they are not available [to buy].
“So we wanted to showcase what is available. Customers in the Middle East want things now and we’re getting closer to the consumer cycle.”
Designers looking to participate in Fashion Forward’s next edition can now register at www.fashionforward.ae until June 27, though participation is subject to approval.
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