The environmental and financial responsibility that comes with the pre-order model makes it an appealing choice for conscious brand and consumers alike.

Being a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/definition-of-ethical-sustainable-fashion-fair-trade" target="_blank">conscientious consumer</a> can be overwhelming. It seems that the list of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sustainable-fashion-brands-that-upcycle" target="_blank">sustainable fashion dos and don&rsquo;ts</a>&nbsp;keeps growing, and it can be taxing&nbsp;to keep up with. Throw in a global pandemic and it&rsquo;s all the more likely you&rsquo;ll forget to verify the sourcing of your next online stress buy. Luckily, your next sustainable fashion investment does not have to be made of hemp, recycled plastic, or even <a href="https://www.lofficiel.at/en/Business/rethink-fashion-how-to-succeed-as-a-sustainable-brand" target="_blank">upcycled</a>&nbsp;materials to be better for the planet. Shopping with the environment in mind can be as easy as placing an early order.

The pre-order model of production and direct to consumer distribution is being adapted by independent brands like <a href="https://www.lofficiel.at/en/accessoires/why-the-telfar-shopping-bag-is-the-new-it-bag-and-it-comes-with-a-message" target="_blank">Telfar</a>, Kitri, and Meg by Megan Kinney. This method of making is not only better for planetary <a href="https://www.lofficiel.at/en/fashion/trend-2020-sustainable-fashion" target="_blank">sustainability</a>, but for brands&#39; financial stability too, especially now when many are struggling with decreased product demands due to the COVID-19 crisis.

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The retail&nbsp;term &ldquo;wholesale&rdquo; refers to when a brand sells their product to a large retailer at a discounted price for them to do the work of selling. From <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/who-is-pieter-mulier-new-creative-director-maison-alaia" target="_blank">major fashion houses like Prada </a>to smaller independent designers like Tokyo James, a wholesale agreement used to be a deal. However it&rsquo;s no secret that today large scale wholesale retailers are struggling. The age of the coronavirus has exposed the fiscally ineffective and environmentally wasteful nature of wholsale, and stores are suffering as a result.&nbsp;

As of July 23, 2020, just four months after widespread lockdowns, S&amp;P Global recorded that 40 retailers had filed for bankruptcy, a pace so high it rivals the financial crisis of 2008. Barneys New York, J.Crew, Ascena Retail Group, Neiman Marcus, and JCPenney are just a few of the pandemic&rsquo;s major victims. Of course bankruptcy or shuttering a few unprofitable store locations isn&rsquo;t always the end for a company, but <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/sienna-miller-personal-style-video" target="_blank">shifting customer mindsets </a>may be the nail in the coffin for these big brands.

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Even before the coronavirus began its reign of socially distanced terror back in March&nbsp;2020, wholesale&rsquo;s excessive intake and discounting cycle was grinding <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/desigual-christian-lacroix-10-year-anniversary" target="_blank">designers</a> into dust. In August, Irina Aleskander&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/06/magazine/fashion-sweatpants.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;viral article &ldquo;Sweatpants Forever,&rdquo; exposed to many the high pressure, low reward relationship wholesalers had cultivated with designers. Retail chains were demanding fresh, new products at an unceasing rate in order to discount designer items to an extent that left the actual designers with little to nothing to gain from a purchase of their work.&nbsp;

In an episode of <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510317/its-been-a-minute-with-sam-sanders" target="_blank">Sam Sanders&rsquo; NPR podcast &ldquo;It&rsquo;s Been A Minute,&rdquo;</a> The Washington Post Editor and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/alice-walker-best-quotes-the-color-purple" target="_blank">Pulitzer Prize winner</a> Robin Givhan discussed how this system actually trained customers to wait for sales. Why buy those<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/tommy-hilfiger-zendaya-2019" target="_blank"> Tommy Hilfiger jeans</a> at Urban Outfitters for full price when in two weeks they&rsquo;ll be 50 percent&nbsp;off, right? The pattern of marking down had become predictable. Designer Dries Van Noten has also been outspoken about the harmful effects of retail&nbsp;sale cycles. At <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/events/news-analysis/watch-all-the-talks-from-voices-2020-bofs-annual-gathering-for-big-thinkers" target="_blank">The Business of Fashion&rsquo;s VOICES 2020</a> event, he spoke to Founder and Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed about instances he had actually lost money by selling clothes through wholesalers.

In the wake of stay at home orders and decreased social outings, however, the desire to get those discounted <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/wide-leg-pants-fashion-trend" target="_blank">Tommy&rsquo;s</a> has been replaced by one for fewer, higher quality items.<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/fendi-fall-winter-2021-collection-kim-jones-fashion-week" target="_blank"> Luxury</a> resale websites or apps like Vestiaire Collective, Grailed, StockX, the Real Real, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/louis-vuitton-virgil-abloh-sneaker-sothebys-auction-price" target="_blank">GOAT</a>, or <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/skinny-jeans-out-gen-z-millennials-tiktok" target="_blank">Depop</a> lend to this way of consuming. But not every brand or item can be found on these sites, and not everyone wants their <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kurt-cobain-90s-grunge-style-impact" target="_blank">fashion</a> secondhand. This is where direct to consumer made-to-order or pre-order sales models enter the picture.&nbsp;

London-based brand Kitri goes about this method by making monthly collections and weekly drops of limited quantity. In New York City&#39;s&nbsp;East Village, designer Megan Kinney makes less frequent collections and uses a made-to order model for almost all of her pieces. Out in Bushwick, Brooklyn favorite <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/telfar-s-nyfw" target="_blank">Telfar Clemens</a> launched&nbsp;a &ldquo;bag security program&rdquo; last year, ensuring that anyone who wanted his internationally coveted colorful logo <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=telfar+lofficiel&amp;oq=telfar+lofficiel&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i60.8769j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">Shopping Bags</a> could snag one (or more). Each model utilizes pre-ordering as a way of dictating how much material and ultimately product they will invest in and produce. This not only saves brands&rsquo; money, but minimizes environmental waste.&nbsp;

The pre-order model also harkens back to how clothing was made before ready-to-wear&nbsp;was introduced in the 19th century. Prior to the industrial revolution and mass manufacturing, people had their clothes made-to-order, most times completely bespoke. Once ready-to-wear became the more affordable,&nbsp;and thus popular, option, made-to-order clothes became a luxury as the time and production required for bespoke garments came with a heftier price tag. While modern brands may use factories to produce their goods, even on pre-order, they have more control over the output needed and usually do prioritize quality over quantity.

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However, delays are one negative aspect of pre-ordering both <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vintage-maison-martin-margiela-collection-auction-sothebys" target="_blank">brands</a> and their customers have to wrestle with. On top of the standard wait time of having something made-to-order, supply chains&nbsp;have slowed due to varying COVID related restrictions and there are plenty of other factors the can cause delays. So in the world of fast fashion and instant gratificatiion, consumers should exercise patience and keep in mind the challenges our <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/novelty-knitwear-spring-2021-harry-styles-cardigan" target="_blank">favorite designers</a> are facing. Other brands using the pre-order model worth checking out include Khatie, Misha Nonoo, and Hood By Air. But if those aren&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gorpcore-trend-technical-wear" target="_blank">your taste</a>, write your favorite brand and let them know this is something you want to see them try. Fashion is an industry in flux, which makes new ideas, solutions, and methods more welcome than ever.&nbsp;

Telfar Clemens.

Sustainability Beyond Materiality: Why the Pre-Order Model is the Future of Fashion

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