Made to Order - the order customized and thus customer-specific products - is the new one megatrend in the fashion cosmos. Here are the most important key facts:
- Made to Order means that a product is only made after the customer has ordered it
- Customized fashion hits the nerve of an increasingly individualized society
- Made to Order has the potential to produce huge amounts of materials, CO₂ and save wastewater
The term made to order means that companies only manufacture products after the customer has placed an order. A trend that is becoming increasingly important in the fashion industry. While contract manufacturing in the form of exclusive bespoke tailoring was limited to suit fashion and haute couture for a long time, they are now offering more and more Fashion labels Made to Order and Customized - i.e. customer-specific - products. Today can from Nike Sneakers over handbags to Burberry Trench coats countless items of clothing and accessories can be individually tailored to their buyer.
The advantages of Made to Order - Individual and agile
One reason for the popularity of Made to Order fashion is the high degree of customization. Wearers of made-to-order pieces stand out clearly and confidently from the crowd, while customized fashion makes it clear that off-the-shelf goods are a thing of the past. Millennials in particular tend to reject one-size-fits-all solutions and develop their own personal style.
Made-to-order strategies also make it easier for manufacturers to avoid fast-moving trends in the fashion world. If part of the collection is customized and can therefore be adapted to the needs of the buyer, timeless individual pieces are produced that are not quite as cheap to manufacture but are definitely worth the investment due to their uniqueness and durability.
Environmentally friendly: Less CO₂, wastewater, dead stock thanks to Made to Order - Customized - Mode
Last but not least, Made to Order has the potential to make the fashion industry more sustainable. If clothing, accessories and shoes are personalized, companies save hundreds of thousands of tons of materials, CO₂ and wastewater. It also reduces the likelihood that the manufacturer will get stuck on a mountain of unsaleable dead stock. Made to Order offers great advantages for both manufacturers and end users.
Zeitgeist: The Made to Order x Upcycling Label One / Of
A prime example of this promising fashion movement is One / Of. A sustainable high-end label that exclusively offers Made to Order. It was founded by Patricia Voto, who previously worked for well-known sustainability labels such as Gabriela Hearst. Driven by the desire to find a solution for fast fashion, exuberant consumption and the throw-away mentality, that was not enough for her and launched One / Of as a made to order statement. Fashion that consumers really want and need.
One / Of offers tailor-made, high-quality and timeless individual parts, the production of which only begins after several fittings in the studio. Voto guarantees the perfect, individual fit. And the fabrics are also unique: they are upgecycelt - partly from factories that are behind LVMH. Each piece is an exclusive one-off with an it-factor: At the Met Gala 2021, for example, Voto will equip Madison Beer with an evening gown inspired by old Hollywood.
