As an Image Consultant and personal shopper, who works with people on their visual communication, fashion and shopping have been integral to my conversations and business. While there was a subtle shift happening even before the current circumstance, I feel a dramatic change in the mindset of both, the consumer and the designers now.

According to my understanding, various inputs from designer friends and the many webinars I have attended on fashion, largely, I think the consumer will act in 3 ways:

1.    Turn conscious of the environmental baggage that has been created and reduce the quantity but improve the quality of the purchase.

2.    Turn even more towards cheap, high endurance clothes considering how zapped the pockets have been.

3.    Create a surge in demand in initial few weeks due to forced retail detox and then be indifferent and go back to old habits in a few months.

Buying pattern:

1.    Buying local will increase even if it means spending extra.

2.   There will be an initial surge in fast fashion brands mainly due to online platforms and easy access but they will have to change strategy to stay relevant in their customer base.

3.    Aggregators and e-com marketplace will be preferred for safety, shared marketing costs and low operational costs. Local brands should think of getting online asap.

4.    Luxury brands will be out of fashion for some time.

5.    Sustainable fashion, local, up-styling, functional and vegan will be the all in vogue.

Inputs also from: Kasheesh Bhatia Garg, Kasheesh K. Atelier, Ahmedabad and

Webinar Fashion business during and post Covid, by @IIMAhmedabad.