Fast fashion and seasonal discount wars go hand in hand. Many fashion labels offer their products for only one season and, as soon as the end of the season approaches, sell them as quickly and cheaply as possible. Sustainable fashion labels also have good reasons to lower their prices. We'd like to show you why NIKIN is also reducing the prices of certain products. And how you can benefit from these price advantages without feeling guilty.
The logic of fast fashion
Major fast-fashion labels launch new collections every week. Some even offer new products as sale items, designed to entice bargain hunters to buy. The fact that resources are invested in each garment is completely forgotten. Such products often lack durability, meaning they end up in the trash after a maximum of one season. Today, celebrity looks are often copied and cheaply reproduced. Just a few days after a celebrity wears a certain look, the outfit can be found in stores. The textile industry refers to this as "quick response." Manufacturers hope this way to always meet customer needs. However, it also means that certain looks only last a few weeks.
How NIKIN develops collections
While fast-fashion brands, as already mentioned, design and launch collections at a horrendous pace, we at NIKIN take a different approach. We put a lot of love into every new product, tinkering with new ideas for months, and paying attention to every detail. The finished product is the sum of many steps and the involvement of many people – both inside and outside of NIKIN. This remains the same even if you purchase the product at a reduced price.
Our product team begins developing their new treasures six months to a year before release. They collaborate with the marketing team, source materials, discuss with manufacturers, develop designs, discuss colors, decide on sizes, and so on. Until the finished product is available in our online shop, practically the entire NIKIN team is involved in the process, giving their all to offer the best possible product.
The downside of the long development process
The long path from idea to finished product is necessary to meet our own standards and produce as sustainably as possible. The downside, however, is that we cannot react as flexibly to current developments. This means, for example, that our winter hats sell less than expected in warm winters. Calculating marginal sizes is also particularly difficult. And we admit that we occasionally overestimate or underestimate our customers' demand.
Sustainable design too
NIKIN has always favored simple designs and colors. Of course, we could also incorporate crazy cuts, wild patterns, or the latest trend colors into our collections—our product team would be creative enough for that. However, NIKIN has consciously decided against that. We want our products to be wearable for as long as possible. To achieve this, it's important that they never go out of style. That's why our products are timeless classics and can be used for a long time, even by trend-conscious individuals.
Not just discounts
Throwing things away isn't an option for us. That's why products we can't sell at a discount don't end up in the bin. We sell these products at our outlet sales, pass them on to outlet partners, or donate them. Discounts aren't the only way for us to meaningfully distribute leftover products.
Slow fashion must also make financial sense
Of course, we could donate all the products we don't sell to those in need. But NIKIN also has to operate and function sustainably as a company. Our employees expect fair wages, the rent for our premises must be paid on time, and supplier invoices must also be settled on time. When we donate products, we incur a loss because our purchasing costs are not covered. We're happy to do this occasionally, but for financial reasons, we can't do it all the time.
From T-shirt to a more sustainable life
We're aware that sustainable fashion comes at a price. Even though we can make sustainable fashion affordable, our products are still more expensive than the cheap wares of some major fashion houses. Discounts are a great way for lower-income earners and students to experience fair and sustainable fashion for the first time without putting too much strain on their wallets. And our experience shows that some customers start with a TreeShirt, learn more about NIKIN and a more sustainable lifestyle, and take small but steady steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle. We therefore believe that discount wars make little sense. However, targeted price reductions without forgetting the resources and labor behind the product can certainly make sense.
