Every challenge has an opportunity waiting to be discovered and that is certainly how new kid on the block, StyleMode, read the business playbook, when deciding to choose the tail-end of Covid-19 in lockdown South Africa, to launch an online fashion business.
Officially taking to the digital fashion runway today, StyleMode will provide savvy shoppers (male and female) with even more choice on how to dress with flair. Powered by Loot.co.za, StyleMode enters the market with a range of brands across, apparel, footwear and accessories, and at a price point that will suit most pockets.
Whilst South Africa may still be a fledgling in the digital eCommerce space, the scope for business in this sector is excellent, with Statista.com predicting that South Africa’s fashion scene will grow by 12.8% year on year. eCommerce will take a significant portion of this growth, especially given the accelerated shift to online retail necessitated by the buying public being housebound in 2020. Forecasts also suggest that online will amount to 8% of the total market revenue by 2023.
Greg Le Roux, CEO of Loot.co.za said: “StyleMode has been on the cards for a while now, as there has long been a gap in the market for an additional fashion platform to challenge the established players in this space. Although Covid-19 has slowed down certain aspects of the economy, we have been heartened by the rapid transition of the South African buying public to online retail brought about by enforced lockdowns, which augurs well for this new business.
“Choosing to launch StyleMode now is not only about creating a commercial advantage for the upcoming summer season, but a commitment to the brands and suppliers we have formed relationships with over the months of developing the business and building the platform, and who deserve the support, in what is still, a challenging economic environment.”
StyleMode comes with an expert fashion pedigree too, having been developed and curated by Shereen Conrad and Nishai Sookdhew, both respected and experienced professionals in the fashion eCommerce world.
Conrad cut her teeth in high-street fashion before being part of the launch team of two of South Africa’s currently dominant fashion platforms and will head up the StyleMode fashion squad. Sookdhew, an award-winning designer in her own right, will oversee the design and manufacturing aspects of the private labels – her particular expertise.
StyleMode differentiates itself by also being the first fashion platform in South Africa to launch with its own private label collection, not one, but four of them – StyleMode the label, Miss Mode, La Mode, and ModeCurve – which will be manufactured in Cape Town, by predominantly women-owned businesses.
The platform launches with a carefully curated capsule collection, which will be significantly expanded in the first quarter of 2021. The platform also makes searching for a product easier, as it can be discovered by size, price, brand and even colour. More user-friendly functionalities are also expected early next year.
Watch the video below to see some of the exciting new fashion range:
Commenting on the Herculean task of developing the platform and bringing it to market during a pandemic, Le Roux remarked: “I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the team for their exceptional work in getting StyleMode to this point – if effort equals output, then I know this will be a success from the get go and I look forward to seeing the platform become an established contributor to the fashion scene, in a very short space of time.”
Loot, which itself has seen a sharp increase in traffic and sales in 2020, will provide the backbone, infrastructure and payment options for the new platform, including direct deposit for those without credit card or online activated debit cards. StyleMode will also utilise Loot’s warehousing and logistics and its marketing expertise.