Sì Sposaitalia Collezioni launches a new programme of discussion, debate and training geared at taking a look at the present situation and looking towards the future of the international bridal scene, through a series of webinars dedicated to the most current sector issues. The first one, called “The 2021 Bridal Boutique Trend”, has just concluded and directly involved the main players of the Sì Sposaitalia Collezioni community. Proving to be a great success, it will undoubtedly be repeated, following a calendar of ongoing events throughout the year. This is a project that really helped to strengthen the sense of community and that promotes an internal debate necessary for the synergistic relaunch of the entire supply chain.

Here are the most salient points that came out during the first webinar, “The 2021 Bridal Boutique Trend”, which saw the participation of Carlo Marco Cavallo (CEO of Nicole Fashion Group), Emanuela Franzese (teacher and VM of the Aeffe Group), Marco Milan (Visual Team Leader for Italy of Hugo Boss), Massimiliano Mincone (Head of Visual Merchandising at Rinascente), Gino Signore (CEO Maison Signore) and Roberta Valentini (Owner of Penelope Sposa), in the presence of Emanuele Guido, Exhibition Director of Business Unit Lifestyle, Fiera Milano and all put together by Silvia Paoli.

The world of the bridal boutique has been drastically changed by the health emergency, which undermined its characteristics as a social event to be enjoyed by completely altering the buying experience. In which direction are the changes heading and what are the strategies and driving forces that can be focused on in the future?

At the centre of everything is the bride and groom, for whom the wish to have an unforgettable wedding day remains. This starts, as it always has, from a customer experience where empathy is the most fundamental element. New professional figures have to be called upon to work alongside the traditional wedding planner: a personal stylist or a visual consultant, both in the store and following through the various phases in the organisational process.

And if a connection on a human level is important, so it is in relation to the point of sale, by turning the connections made into something active and fruitful: it is the phenomenon known as ‘phygital’, an expert fusion of physical and digital that has recently proved to be fundamental. Just think about all the consultations that have taken place via Whatsapp over the recent months. It should never be overlooked however, that this is a potent medium to be used with care in order to be able to transmit a sense of the richness of the real world via a screen, by giving it a soul and more importantly a vital heritage; that thing that makes all the difference at the time of purchase. And it is true to say that virtual showrooms have been a successful experiment, but a return to normality is desirable and really quite fundamental in the wedding sector as well.

If the world of the bride moves towards a multichannel thinking, it is clear that digital can enhance the concepts of Made in Italy and its storytelling with the right amount of emotion, while always bearing in mind that “there is a difference between exhibiting and proposing”. So, even the choice of dress needs to imply a logic in motion, the same features as a physical purchase, where the digital platform has the task of guiding and not disorienting, which is a risk that has frequently arisen. “The space in which a dress is offered acts to enhance the item on display, much like with a work of art at a museum”. When a bride is preparing to choose a dress, she must be welcomed in an immersive atmosphere.

The final thoughts of the webinar focused on the dress itself, in a precise analysis that made the phygital evolution of the market the heart of a new approach in the future, the effects of which are already being seen. This goes from consulting on Whatsapp to prepare for the experience in a boutique and arrives at the risk analysis of a tool that, if not used properly, can lead to a distortion of reality and expectation.

But what will the dress of the future be like? The respondents have no doubts: from 2021 there will be a powerful return of made to measure creations, with models literally sewn on to the bride and groom, in a triumph of all-Italian creativity that we are all chomping at the bit to see!

For more info: www.sposaitaliacollezioni.it/en/