Weaving stories and substance into the fabric of fashion content

During my previous years at Elle magazine, it was all about finding and elevating stories. There was never a mere fashion show but a room full of imagination and unstoppable creative force. Like there never was another fashion designer, but a human being with unique ambition and inspiring vision - and typically a story or two from backstage.

In commercial content design, there’s much to learn from top-quality fashion journalism. Most importantly, it’s not simply buying what people are after but fulfilling some basic human needs, such as learning, belonging, and shaping identity. 

Here, I’ll explore some essential angles when aiming for more engaging and compelling fashion content.

Curate the fashion hubbub for your audience

Fashion brands have become publishers. Everyone is creating content today and will do it tomorrow, too.

However, the world doesn’t need more noise. The fashion sector is already crowded with emerging brands, social media influencers, and other bold players. Therefore, well-crafted content that inspires people and provides relevant information takes your company far beyond making products available.

The key to success is insightful storytelling combined with a fluent user journey, which shines a light on your brand's value.

So, what does insightful storytelling mean in fashion? For me, it means both powerful stories and ambitious, educating content that goes beyond the obvious. 

The story side encapsulates emotions and experiences, inviting customers to buy into a lifestyle. Just like the high-class fashion editorials are always more than the sum of individual products. They mirror the vision of their creators, providing people with an immersive piece of fantasy.

However — on top of fascinating narratives — positioning yourself as a trustful curator demands you to draw lines from single fashion trends to a broader context. For example, if you’re selling lipsticks, why not educate people not only on trends but also about the most crucial ingredients of the lasting red? Or taking them on a tour of a lipstick factory? Maybe even discussing the relationship between cosmetics and economics by a famous lipstick effect. (Yes, lipstick sales do increase during a recession.)

Also from the sustainability angle, it matters to address the larger issues behind individual fashion triggers. Responsible players create content that helps people connect the dots and make more sustainable choices. Educating your audience, for example, on materials or clothes care, can significantly help build a durable connection with them.

By connecting intriguing storytelling with smart, meaningful fashion content and seamless user journeys, you clear a space for showcasing your brand's strengths. And all this before even trying to sell one thing.

Level up the personalization 

In just a few years, digital shopping has taken huge leaps. Relationships with fashion brands have become more personal, and potential buyers' lines are constantly open. Everyone strives to stand out and get their message through.

In such a setup, personalization is worth leveling once you have relevant data on your fashion folks. Ideally, content creators would have constantly evolving content libraries that they could effortlessly utilize while supplementing content pieces with human tone and deep fashion know-how. This way, data-driven content automation can significantly improve your chances of delighting and engaging.

Additionally, it pays off to rely on research regarding metadata and taxonomies. Often, it's not that the content itself would be wrong but how you serve it in the digital space. 

Consider, for example, the difference between talking about rodeo heiresses or leather boots and denim bottoms. The first one lifts you to an inspirational level, while the latter serves SEO and overall clarity. So, it's a discreet dance of maintaining an elevating appeal and staying findable. When you know the language your customers use, you'll get more out of the assets you have.

Scale up your fashion content with a steady strategy 

Even amid an AI whirlwind, innovative fashion content doesn't emerge by itself. It's never just a question of producing compelling content that users want to consume. The best scale-ups rely on well-working content strategies that support business priorities above the need to "just keep producing". Indeed, the right content capabilities can set you apart from many competitors that focus on mere sprints without a thorough strategy.

Content strategies are worth investing in, as they serve the business in the long run. They relieve the pressure of having to do everything all the time, at every channel. Instead, a professionally done content strategy provides a steady basis for effective and meaningful content creation — especially critical when meeting the needs and desires of a diverse and digitally fluent fashion audience.