Are shoppable videos the future of fashion?

The fashion world is made of trendsetters, early adopters, and well, we’ll just skip all the rest. Without us, sneakers would be for gym use only and wearing white after Labour Day would still be considered taboo. When it comes to technology, recent developments (Opening Ceremony’s collabo with Intel for one) have shined a light on our innovative knack as well. But amidst all this forward thinking, one element still has a big question mark hanging over its head: video. First came the fashion week livestream. Then came the fashion film craze. Now, there’s another burgeoning fad: the shoppable video. What does it all mean for fashion’s tech future?



In 2012, Ssense launched the “world’s first shoppable music video” starring Iggy Azealia, Diplo and Fki in the shopping site’s designer wares. Since, its been tried by Gucci, Juicy Couture and last year, added as a functionality on Youtube. And while one would think this technology would have major retail implications (if someone had given me the direct path to Gwen Stefani’s bindi, lord knows I would have traded my life’s savings), the shoppable video still seems like somewhat of an enigma. Are people actually clicking?



According to Google, 1 in 3 shoppers use Youtube to shop for apparel and 4 out of 10 people who watch a shoppable video will check the items out online or in-person.



Recently, Sport Chek partnered with YouTube for a shoppable video featuring Team Canada athletes Jon Montgomery, Maëlle Ricker and Meaghan Mikkelson in Olympic performance wear. “Our goal was to create an online experience that combines our brand messaging and product support in a more dynamic way for the customer,” says Frederick Lecoq, VP marketing and e-commerce at FGL Sports Limited (The umbrella of Sport Chek). “Our use of experiential videos was so successful that we’re already looking for the next evolution of shoppable integration–one that creates an even more seamless connection between Sport Chek’s brand and the products we sell.” Did it work? “Canadians have responded well to the shoppable video and it has surpassed our expectations from a measurement perspective—three times the average click through rate of the average digital media banner,” he says.



Adding fuel to the fire, LVMH-owned content site Nowness launched a balletic shopping video this week featuring dancers moving through looks by LVMH-owned brands Maison Martin Margiela, Haider Ackermann, Kenzo and Louis Vuitton. It’s a creative feat that gives readers insights into fit amongst other vibe-y qualities. It’s also a pretty slick way of tying it all back to monetization, while keeping things interesting.



So, are there silver screen fashion automats coming to a mall near you? With so many big named businesses behind the shoppable video, its rise seems inevitable. However, as demand for high quality video production also rise, it remains to be seen whether such intricate works of tech art will become mainstream.



If the future is defined by the past, here’s hoping Clueless is shoppable.