It's been around three years since I made the switch from buying my clothes at high-street stores to shopping designer brands and Nordic streetwear (I know, I eye-rolled at myself too).
Like a lot of people, I now care about where my clothing is made, and by whom. I care about the story behind brands, how meaningful they are and what values they represent. Because nowadays it’s all about having your own personal brand and USP, and what you choose to wear can say a lot about who you are, or who you want to be. It's that whole aspirational thing.
But when I began ordering expensive stuff online, I noticed something strange: a lot of the times, the packaging really sucked. Luxury items were delivered in plain cardboard boxes, some of them with lots of useless plastic bags, no special touch, no thank you for your purchase, nothing.
I once ordered a €90 t-shirt from a luxury streetwear brand, and shook the box in disbelief, determined to find some sort of token of appreciation for having spent the equivalent of 9 packs of diapers (the fancy kind) on a t-shirt. But there was nada, not even a sticker to put on my laptop so people could see how cool I was.
Buyer’s remorse quickly kicked in. Excitement turned into emptiness. The experience felt cold, distant, disposable. I felt used, regretful, embarrassed — the joke was on me. Instead of feeling special, it was like the t-shirt was saying, "You can’t sit with us. You’re not part of this world."
Then I started to wonder, did I even want to be part of this opulent world? Is this what luxury looks like? What does luxury even mean in 2020? Is it exclusivity, glossiness and high prices, or does it have more to do with thoughtfulness, craft and intention? What matters most: quality or hype?
Exclusivity is out, it's "démodé", as my dad would say. Relatability is now key. With the rise of DTC brands (like Everlane, The Reformation, Glossier and my favourite, Everybody.World), customers are now more demanding than ever — we're interested in brands with something to say and that are capable of creating a meaningful and authentic connection. It's about the full experience, as much as it is about the actual product, and packaging plays a huge role: we definitely judge the book by its cover.
I created a questionnaire on Instagram to figure out if other people also feel offended by inconsiderate packaging. Two things stuck out from the results:
When did my friends become so rich?
Everyone feels VERY strongly about packaging.
Out of my 200 "close friends" on Instagram, 93% replied that packaging is very important to them, and 64% were disappointed by packaging from luxury brands. "Bad packaging is a big thanks for your money now fuck off", someone said.
Also, 55% of those people said that packaging presentation affected their perception of the products they ordered, and 6% said that disappointing packaging had even made them regret their purchase.
To most, it’s sustainability that matters above all, of course. Responsible packaging, besides being good for obvious reasons, aesthetically-speaking it informs the customer about the brand's ethical values — it reflects thoughtfulness, and immediately creates a warmer, more grounded experience that makes you feel reassured about what you bought. Even if it was an impulsive purchase and you don't necessarily need a Handmade birch porch broom with arenga fibre bristles.
One person stated that presentation doesn’t matter, “Should be zero packaging. Save the world.” True. This made me feel silly for discussing the blandness of boxes — I mean, should I be discussing nice wrapping when our planet is dying?
And then I started freaking out and some other questions crossed my mind: does talking about shopping experiences make sense when we’re amidst a pandemic? Is it pointless and completely out of touch to talk about fashion when the world is falling apart?
Sometimes I think so. But then I remember that fashion is the embodiment of culture, it can bring people together and ignite meaningful conversations, and has the capacity to empower positive change. I guess I just wish all brands acted this way.
All I’m really saying is, a little thank you note wouldn’t hurt.
And now for something slightly different: here are 3 very 2020 products.
1. The rise of the wine tote!!!!