Customization, a new luxury where the customer becomes his own designer

"Personalization is not a passing trend but a fundamental movement, even a revolution - and it has already begun" affirmed several experts during a Lectra – Nelly Rodi round table, which was held in March 2019 .

"Personalization is redefining fashion" say the experts

"The impetus came from the consumers themselves" noted these experts. “The consumption patterns driven by the new generations are upsetting the rules of the fashion industry,” underlined Marie Dupin, Fashion Director of the Nelly Rodi trend cabinet. "The consumer, more and more demanding, is seduced by the possibility of co-creating his look", analyzed, for his part, Pierre-François Le Louët. President of the French Federation of Women's Ready-to-Wear before adding: "He is also starting to accept slightly longer deadlines to obtain a garment perfectly adapted to his morphology and his expectations. "

Environmental considerations reinforce this attraction for personalization. "Producing on demand avoids the destruction of unsold items, which is shocking to the public, while sparing brands and distributors the hell of a discount," said Sébastien Manceau of the Roland Berger firm.

Manufacturers have solutions designed according to the principles of Industry 4.0 to adapt cutting rooms to on-demand production. "Thus, Fashion On Demand by Lectra supports fashion players to help them meet consumer expectations, while improving their productivity. (...) Our offer gives them the possibility of launching the production of a personalized garment a few seconds after taking an order online or in store, or waiting to receive several orders using the same fabric to optimize its cutting" explained Daniel Harari, Chairman and CEO of Lectra.

"It's an extraordinary growth vector for brands"

Personalization is no longer reserved for shops alone, it is available on e-commerce. For Henri Foucaud, one of the co-founders of the company Hapticmedia developing customizable objects online, it is "above all a basic trend demanded by consumers, more particularly in the luxury sector, consumers are buying a share of dreams and a very personal object. The emotional link with the object where the luxury garment is associated with a need for singularity, the object becomes an extension of the consumer, a mode of expression and a means of distinguishing oneself. (. ..)

What is changing profoundly today is that this personalization experience is now accessible to everyone thanks to new technologies and 4.0 luxury. (...) Economically customization is very profitable, the additional prices that the consumer is ready to pay oscillate between + 20 and + 50% of the initial price of the product, this is an extraordinary growth vector for brands. (...) This is why Hapticmedia develops interactive 3D experiences to serve these customizable products. The consumer will see the product in 3D, will be able to manipulate it as if he had it in hand and modify the object according to his wishes, then share it with his friends on social networks.

Morphological customizations for more comfort

All sectors are concerned but some customizations are oriented on morphology. Sculpteo, specialist in online 3D printing, has teamed up with Netlooks, specialist in bespoke and personalized artisanal frames, to create 3D printed glasses allowing customers, with the help of the optician, to test the frame, to adapt it to their morphology and to choose from millions of combinations. This personalization includes the engravings, the colors, the shapes of the branches and the faces, the style and the textures (horn, translucent, neon, etc.). With these 3D test glasses, the customer checks that the chosen model suits him in terms of size and comfort (size of the face and bridge, and length of the temple).

Withings, a French specialist in connected health objects, offers its Withings Move on its site, a connected watch Made in France in its Manufacture in Issy-les-Moulineaux. For its founder Eric Carreel "allowing users to appropriate the design and style of their connected watch is an essential development". The personalization workshop allows you to create your watch with a wide choice of colors for straps, cases and hands. It is also possible to select various patterns for printing the dial. This service offers over 5,800 possible combinations.

The Habillez-moi brand by Béatrice Delpierre guides its clients in their search for looks and directs them to outfits that suit them via an individual morphological diagnosis carried out by appointment. Personalized advice is given on the shapes adapted to the silhouette, the choice of materials and colors: colorimetry test, morphological assessment, advice on style, sorting of the wardrobe. Same principle with the Les Jupons de Louison brand from Marine Monloubou offering skirts adapted to the length of the legs by coupling variations in length to variations in size.

Aesthetic customizations for a handmade touch

Other brands offer the possibility of becoming your own stylist. The French interior slipper brand Edith & Marcel offers this service for two of its collections: the Couture line allows embroidery with gold or silver thread but also the addition of delicate wild or peacock feathers. The Démesure line, for its part, makes it possible to adorn the slipper on order with materials of excellence: exotic leather, embossing, embroidery or jewellery...

Océane Castanet, the founder of Amrose, has been developing since July 2017 a collection of sneakers embroidered by Kurdish women according to an ancestral tradition. Each model is unique and handmade. Each embroidery tells a story illustrated by a watercolor drawing. Amrose participates in "Women Empowerment" through an ethical and responsible cooperative. For the spring-summer 2019 season, she collaborated with the Lebanese designer Mira Mikati. Known for her Kawaï inspirations and her colorful pop universe, she has designed three limited-edition pairs. Customizable, they are sold exclusively at Le Bon Marché as part of the "A Babord Tout" exhibition until June 23.

On the jewelry side, the Goossens house has personalized three rings in 24-carat yellow gold gilded brass (Mini-Stone, Stone or Cabochons) in its square or oval version. All you have to do is select a setting, choose a stone according to its color, its brilliance and its nuances, then the ring is set in the workshops located in Pantin. The iconic Boucle bracelet can be personalized with an engraved message, word or initials. The possibilities are endless: two widths (6 mm and 1.5 cm), three finishes, yellow gold, palladium or pink gold, and five typographies. A delay of one week is necessary for the engraving. The "Bar à Bagues" is located in the Parisian boutique at 416, rue Saint-Honoré.

Same principle at Castorette Paris with jewelry to create and personalize, made on demand thanks to 3D printing, in noble or precious materials. On the Happy Bulle site, personalization can be done from children's drawings.! Finally, Gas Bijoux is customizing three models of the iconic Ancien Greek Sandals Hellenic sandals, by adding shell charms to the rivets (at Bon Marché in May, then in By Marie boutiques from June).

As for the Les Provinciaux brand, it has produced a range of T-shirts personalized with the names of the various French departments.