During my studies at the renowned Instiuto Marangoni in Milan we organized a very special exhibition:
Fashion Victims’ Weekend Buying Habits:
Surprising results from a research performed by its own subjects
They are between 20 and 30 years old, live in Milan, and are madly passionate about fashion. This is the profile of the target researched by Istituto Marangoni students, who have followed and meticulously documented 70 hours in the lives of 55 young fashion victims. Not only does the research discover the latest trends; it also reveals the secret habits of fashion victims whilst simultaneously discrediting many common suppositions
Why this research?
High market competition, economic fluctuations, and fast-changing tastes force the fashion industry to get to know potential consumers very closely in order to offer them the right products, at the right time and in the right format.
Don’t young people frequent happy hours more than nightclubs? In this case, it’s useless to propose glittering extravagance to them. Don’t they love to socialize in a simple way? No exaggerated transgressions. Who / what are their references, moral values, and hidden desires?
The research done by the Istituto Marangoni students is an x-ray attempting to reveal to the fashion industry the needs of the chosen target along with the requisites a product must meet in order to be desirable.
This exercise, performed by the future fashion strategists themselves, also reveals which atmospheres and sensations fashion communication should leverage in order to be effective
Creative Saving
During the whole weekend, an average of 250 Euros was spent per person, out of which approximately 39% was spent on clothing.
How do they put together a Prada or Gucci total look whilst spending so little? They don’t need to spend a fortune on Via Montenapoleone. On the contrary, they shop at medium to low priced stores and markets to buy basic wear, which they then mix together with a fashion luxury brand accessory, thus transforming their outfit into a total look.
They eat at home or…
They fill their refrigerators with an average of 25 Euros each and they don’t go to restaurants very often, unless it is to a trendy one where they go to be seen. Otherwise, they go to fast-food restaurants to satisfy their hunger.
No to nightclubs, yes to lounge bars and happy hour!
Almost all of them go to happy hour where they can socialize and have dinner with appetizers offered by the Milanese bars during the aperitif hour. An insignificant percentage of the target group examined actually went to nightclubs.
Public transport? Yes, please.
Most of the target group move around Milan by metro or tram. Few use taxis and almost none travel by car.
No cigarettes, but alcohol…
They spend only 0.18% on cigarettes. However, alcohol consumption is one of the items they spend most money on. An average of 27.50 Euros per person, with a peak of 5 drinks per night.
Emails and chat to feel closer…
From the moment they wake up in the morning until they come back home in the early evening before going out, the computer is always on, enabling them to stay in touch with the world...
This exhibition is a market research, carried out from a sociological perspective. However, it is also an invitation to enter into the lives of these young people and discover their secrets.
Orea Malia, via Marghera 18, Milan
