Ikea, the multinational group of companies that designs and markets furniture and home accessories, might foray into fashion in future, according to a prediction made by the Swedish author and creative business thinker Stefan Engeseth.
As per a write-up published in the New Zealand-based fashion magazine Lucire, the business speaker believes that the fashion industry has stuck into a repetitive cycle and needs renewal while Ikea with its expertise in ready-to-assemble furniture can come in handy to give fashion a new makeover.
He suggests that the company could offer both complete apparel items and composite parts that customers could assemble or tailor themselves at home in inventive ways without the need for complex sewing.
He further explains that the method of assembling the clothes could also give the shopper the freedom to personalize, “Emotionally, this connects people to how life was in the beginning. Customers can personalize and “hack” the designs.”
For complete apparel items, the writer suggests unisex clothing which should be high-tech, low-cost and harder-wearing than the apparels found in mass-market retailers.
“We’re already seeing some shoppers go to outdoor and living stores to buy longer-lasting clothing. Ikea already sells reusable Kr 4 bags that are good and cheap; their clothes could be equally practical, as strong as work clothes. You could even extend this hard-wearing philosophy into wedding gowns,” says the writer.
Engeseth later talked about how the clothes can be marketed initially, “There are 57 million Ikea “family members” already, so let them be the only ones who can buy the clothes first. This would be the longest catwalk ever.”
He goes further, saying that those wearing Ikea clothing could qualify for greater discounts at the point of sale. “Not only will this build their tribe, it will “dress it up” to become a worldwide community.”
Fans who have furnished their homes could host ‘Ikea days’, where dressed-up fans could invite their friends to their homes, which become pop-up fan showrooms. “That could give Ikea millions of stores, and greater exposure to how homes can be designed. That would bring in sales and the company could treble its profits,” he adds.
Jack Yan, the Hong Kong-born publisher of the magazine, agrees with the author and thinks that his ideas have a lot of merit. He says, “Ikea has an international retail base and it has distribution down to a fine art. Ikea can make full use of its channels, outmanœuvring many existing fashion labels.”
Stefan Engeseth has worked as a consultant with international companies and Fortune 500 corporations. He regularly writes articles for international business magazines. He has held over 500 lectures and workshops internationally at corporations and academic institutions. He has also taken part in the Öresund Consulate’s reference group on the Öresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe.
Founded in 1943, Ikea is known for its modern architectural designs for various types of appliances and furniture, and its interior design work. (PB)
