Why Mannequins Will Matter To Generation Z
To listen to some people, it may be imagined that younger consumers now do all their shopping online and that generational change will lead to the final demise of the high street as a place for retail, leaving only food and hospitality behind.
However, Vogue Business reports, that is far from the truth. Although Generation Z is the most technologically adept yet, young people are also more likely to feel lonely and want to get away from their screens, especially after all the relentless focus on online activities during the pandemic.
A Kearney Survey found 81 per cent like to visit stores. This means physical retailers need to offer an experience for youngsters as they show up. Clearly, therefore, the clothes shop mannequin has a future.
The next question is what kind of future. It is not just about the mannequins being designed to fit body shapes or help produce a flattering look for the most contemporary styles; it is also, the article notes, about sensory engagement and helping people focus on one product at a time - essentially slowing down life when it has been running far too fast.
Steve Ubsdell, the chief executive of UK interior design studio Checkland Kindleysides, told the magazine: “For Gen Z shoppers, physical retail spaces are all about escaping the algorithm, to see things outside your filter bubble.” He suggested more flexibility and variety is needed in stores. Perhaps the same could be true for the size, shape and poses of mannequins?
Last month, Engineering and Technology suggested a shape-shifting mannequin could make the fashion industry more sustainable, as it could be remodelled to suit every occasion, form of clothing or pose.
It may be that this is one - though not necessary all - of the solutions, providing a more sustainable yet physical representation in stores, appealing both to the desire for sustainability among those who will live with the decisions we make affecting the environment today, as well as their wish to engage more meaningfully with the physical world.