It’s been far from business as usual this year when it comes to real life events, but the teams working diligently behind the scenes at Atlanta Apparel (which kicks off October 13) endeavored to pull out all the stops. The result? A one-stop-shop physical trade show with more innovative and digitally-focused elements than ever before. Ahead of the major fashion event, The Daily caught up with Morgan Ramage, Atlanta Apparel’s fashion director, to hear about what’s in store for attendees later this month.
What’s new at Atlanta Apparel this year?
We took our onsite experience and converted it to a virtual and digital format to ensure we are still reaching buyers while the traditional market experience is disrupted. We launched virtual educational programming and virtual fashion shows with exclusive imagery and video content. Our video series, presented on IGTV, covers what to expect at market as well as trend information.
Morgan Ramage (courtesy)
How did the team come together to execute these innovations?
We quickly realized we had to pivot to a new way of doing things. Team members from different departments jumped to determine what our virtual programming should look like and how we could use our resources and talents to execute on this important piece of the market experience.
What can you tell us about the virtual runway show?
While we cannot gather in person just yet, we are still bringing the key trends and top styling inspiration to our buyers for Spring Summer 2021 in a virtual runway show paired with a digital look book. This resource will provide our attendees with on demand access to Spring Summer trend content and a resource to shop the show for this season’s key items.
What is the purpose of the fashion illustrations this year?
While 2020 has changed the shopping habits/trends of consumers, we have relevant trend and styling information that we want to convey to our attendees to best set them up for success when buying for their stores.
What has changed compared to other years?
While a digital component of our markets was important in the past, they became vital in 2020. Our pivot to virtual educational programming and fashion events have allowed us to stay connected with our buyers during this difficult time.
How will all of these innovations help Atlanta Apparel to be more memorable than ever before/enhance the experience?
During such a turbulent year for so many in our industry, we have been right there with them every step of the way. We have pivoted and provided necessary, inspirational, and educational content and will continue to do so no matter the format. We are excited to continue to incorporate and expand upon our virtual programming even as things progress back to a normal format and look to keep this new channel as a way to reach our attendees.
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