It never fails to astound me. The amount of etailers who spend so much of their budget, time and effort, on creating a memorable e-commerce presence only to render it forgettable by neglecting the one element that brings their offer to life – photography.
Image is everything in fashion retailing. And images are everything in fashion e-tailing.
Whether still or animated, flatlay or ghost mannequin, images are the only touch point between your garments and virtual customers.
Yet, so often photography is an afterthought for apparel e-commerce sites. This is akin to doing a stunning retail fit-out of a premises in the best part of town only to ‘display’ your wares in crumpled heaps all over the shop floor.
I cannot emphasise enough the power a beautifully styled, fantastically shot gallery of your garments and accessories has to turn online browsers into buyers.
The cardinal rule is to give your virtual customers everything they need. Don’t keep them guessing on the likes of how the clothes will actually fit them: their colour, texture or styling details. Your site’s product display must get as close to replicating the experience of walking into a shop and holding a garment against their body, as is virtually possible.
There are a number of elements you need to get right:
• Lighting is crucial. Badly lit shoots won’t display the correct colour of the garment or pick up its texture and nuance.
• Poor styling will result in a lifeless depiction of the garments with no hints on how they fold and form around an actual body.
• Unprofessional retouching is a bit like using just the undercoat to paint a wall. You’ll be left with images containing lots of imperfections and a site looking like it’s been done ‘once over lightly’.
• Using the best quality photography and retouching you can afford is an investment not a cost
Here are six options to suit every budget, to best display your wares online.
Ideal for etailers on a limited budget. As the name suggests just the garment (or accessory) photographed in 2D. As above, crucial to be shot, lit, colour corrected and retouched to the best level of professionalism you can afford. Apart from the relative cost (investment) savings, a big advantage of flatlay is the quick turnaround. All you need is a decent photographer, space and retoucher and you’re away.
The modern way of showcasing a collection. Garments are ‘worn’ by invisible mannequins to give online customers an unfettered sense of the shape, fit, fall and detail. Nothing else in the shot impedes the customer’s view of the garment. This technique is an industry favourite of magazines too, if you have your collection shot this way, the images are ready for your PR company to send to press. If a magazine has access to your images without having to shoot it themselves, nine times out of 10 they are going to run with them
There’s nothing quite like having an actual person in the clothes to demonstrate how the clothes will look. Can be a more expensive and time-consuming option but well worth it when done correctly with the right body. A good trick is to crop from the nose down. Not only does this save on hair and make-up but it will mean you can value add by using the shots in your lookbooks and catalogues, plus your not paying the talent agencies to use the model’s face!
Mark Scarrott is founding principal and creative director at fashion e-commerce specialist studio Design Identity. www.designidentity.com.au.