In an increasingly globalised and connected world dominated by ‘fast fashion’ and by massification, standing out from the crowd and expressing your own personality seem to have become increasingly important requirements, also when it comes to clothing choices. At the same time, it’s no coincidence that the number of brands and projects using personalisation as their own distinct and successful trademark on the market are multiplying.
One example in the sector of accessories is the newly launched PLUS brand created by a team of dynamic and creative youths, who were moved by a desire to give shape to self-expression through a proposal of personalised accessories capable of reflecting the personality of the wearer, from head to toe. From this, arrives also the name of the brand: ‘Plus’ understood as an added value that the process of personalisation can convey to any sneaker, jacket, or accessory, obtained through a combination of artisanal techniques and digital applications.
100% handmade in Italy, once Plus sneakers have been assembled, they become ‘Plusers’, that is to say accessories, which have been personalised through technical solutions and avant-garde screen-printing: digital and screen-printing techniques entirely designed and constructed in-house, combined with special applications that give life to exclusive metallic, velvet, and glitter effects, both coloured and with drip effect.
Even an established and top-of-the-line brand like Golden Goose went done the pathway of personalisation in 2019 (even if it placed a greater emphasis on the experiential aspect), inaugurating in its Milan flagship store the first Golden Goose Lab: a workshop where customers have the possibility of enjoying an exclusive ‘closed door’ experience, thanks to the assistance of a master artisan who accompanies them in discovering the creative process of a shoe, with the possibility of personalising it by selecting different kinds of finishes and exclusive accessories.
Personalisation is always at the centre of the new Stringart Limited Edition project, which this past September at Micam presented a sandal with a vegetable-tanned leather outsole that was proposed to the event’s public in a kit with 4 interchangeable upper covers of their choice, thereby allowing customers to change their look in accordance with a specific mood or occasion.
Finally, of great interest in terms of personalisation is the FLOW project, born from the collaboration between the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano and VANS, which is aimed at personalising the products of this extremely popular brand of American skate shoes. A project that was first kicked off this past May and which should continue through the end of the year, offering customers a unique and fun opportunity to personalise their own shoes, through special Kits designed by the students of Politecnico (who are also the designers of tomorrow). The kits can be used both at home, independently, or in the store, and have been conceived to facilitate and democratize the customisation of the brand’s products. At home, with the basic kit you can use a mix of markers and blending to create a tie-dye effect on your shoes, or you can choose to transfer a marbled texture quickly and easily with the thermo-transfer of the intermediate kit. If you prefer the in-store experience, Politecnico designers will be on hand to support users in customising their products with foam and colour in order to create unique wearable textures.