In a more advantageous position now are those who have higher localization of production. However, they also experience problems. The GATE31 company has a local production, but nevertheless, it purchases fabrics from abroad. “On March 1, we received the Italian fabric. The entire delivery was paid for on February 1, and we only paid for the delivery at the new rate. This fabric is enough for us for 2.5 months of tailoring. We will buy some fabrics now, and things from them will already be more expensive. Now we are adjusting production plans, looking at our stock of materials in a new way and looking for new ways to work with the purchase of fabrics,” says Denis Shevchenko, head of the GATE31 brand, who opened his thirteenth store in Russia.
Many Russian brands have announced price increases. Representatives of the Russian brand - CITY STAR, commented on this as follows: “Our company faces the most difficult task: to survive, to save jobs. In order to optimize costs, we will shrink on all fronts, but we will not reduce the quality of products and will not buy fabric of worse quality. We did a survey on what to do in this situation, and many wrote that we need to look for fabric suppliers in Russia. Of course, we have already ordered test samples from many factories in Russia, but I would like to inform you that these suppliers produce fabrics from foreign raw materials, and their price for fabric is also in dollars.”
Predicting trends
The main thing that is needed now is time, experts agree. In order to rebuild logistics and master the new rules of the game, it will take at least several months. Unstable times also affect fashion. “The most noticeable trends will be in the design of collections, says Alena Akhmadullina, founder of the Akhmadullina Dreams brand, “When a critical situation in the economy comes, fashion and beauty go by the wayside, and the main function of clothing comes to the fore - utilitarian: to provide a person with comfortable conditions in in terms of temperature, protection from precipitation, wind, etc. We are working to enhance these elements in the Akhmadullina Dreams collections with designs and innovative fabrics.” In addition to the utilitarian function, the trend towards conscious consumption will intensify, says Anna Chernykh, the founder of the Design Workshops CMIT. “Now everyone looked at their wardrobe and realized that they have everything. In my opinion, we expect a significant decline in sales. Someone saves, someone does not want to look for an alternative to the usual, and prefers not to buy anything. Now reasonable consumption will become the main trend, as well as the market for secondary use and secondary sales.”
Business to business
Many developers have announced that they are ready to assist the development of Russian brands. For example, one of the first to make such a statement was the Crocus Group. For this purpose, a special program has been launched on the territory of VEGAS Crocus City. Local brands of clothing, footwear, accessories are offered special conditions for renting retail space and marketing support at the launch of new outlets. Accommodation under special conditions is possible both in the format of a stand-alone single-brand boutique and on the site of the new Vegas Multibrand project, which will bring together Russian designers and manufacturers in one area.
According to Crocus Group Vice President Emin Agalarov, in a situation where some international brands have suspended