All images courtesy That Looks.
If you’re on TikTok you’ll know that Gen Z is obsessed with Y2K Fashion and ‘90s culture. However, while current trends may be nostalgic, our shopping habits are not. Overconsumption is on the rise, with experts predicting that by 2050, the fashion industry will be responsible for 26% of human CO2 emissions.
For one brand, New Zealand-based e-shop That Looks, the “throwback” is less about reviving a specific style and more about reviving a truly momentous era in fashion history: the catalogue shop. The brand’s founder, Becca Haeger, is creating a “shoppable portfolio” by compiling a meticulous selection of pieces for a forward-thinking closet — in other words, a catalogue shopping experience for a new tech-savvy audience.
Currently, the 16-look collection is made in collaboration with independent and emerging brands and designers, hoping to provide their audience with styling suggestions for timeless pieces that are “made to last”. While you can purchase the outfit as a set, you can also buy individual pieces.
I always wished I could get the whole look, as I saw it, and realised that nothing like that really existed.
“I have always loved browsing magazines and online, and been fascinated with the way outfits are put together”, explains Haeger. “I always wished I could get the whole look, as I saw it, and realised that nothing like that really existed”. She says while the initial idea for That Looks was born from this idea of creating an intimately curated shoppable portfolio, she subsequently discovered it could also be a way to introduce people to the makers of their clothes and highlight small businesses.
Intentionally reinventing catalogue shopping was not the aim for Haeger, who noted that she was too young to experience it in its heyday, but was inspired by magazines nonetheless. The purpose was to take “the hard work out of shopping” by having everything you see in an editorial image for sale. Each That Looks collection is curated and collaborated on with Haeger’s friends, beginning with a theme and building the collection from there. With the last collection, ‘That Looks Cosy’ an emphasis was placed on creating garments that embodied both warmth and comfort whilst New Zealand went through lockdown last year.
The process is slow by design, with sustainability at the forefront of the brand’s focus. Haeger says many of her designers offer made-to-order items or use vintage and deadstock fabrics. “I also offer samples and past season items, which I think challenges the idea of ‘trends’ and ‘seasons’”, she says. “I have always shopped a lot of second-hand and small designer brands, and I am forever conscious and aware of my impacts on this earth, so I hope to encourage the idea of a “forever wardrobe”, buying quality, and cherishing and taking care of the items we truly love”.
The online retail experience is missing the story-telling element that catalogues once upheld.
Haeger says her dream would be to create a travelling overseas showroom space, hyperaware that in-person retail has taken a backseat since the onset of online shopping — this trajectory has only been amplified due to Covid. “I see the future of shopping becoming a lot more personalised, the market is so saturated and attention spans are short, so it does take something special to draw people in”. She asserts that “people really do like to invest in an experience, and something curated for them. I hope to see a rise in made-to-order brands, which reduces waste and makes things a lot more special.”
Erza Nicaj, Culture Editor at trend forecasting agency Fashion Snoops, concurs with the suggestion that there is a general growing interest in slow fashion. “In addition to stronger eco-behaviours, the pandemic left us seeking the pleasures of simpler times, one characterised by mood boards and playfulness”. Honing in on the crux of the issue, Nicaj believes that “the online retail experience is missing the story-telling element that catalogues once upheld”. She predicts that brands aligning with new “eco-virtuous consumers” will succeed in the post-Covid retail landscape. Guiding customers to recontextualise past-season items by pairing them with something new, gears the relationship for the long-term.
While there’s no denying that the way we shop has changed for good, with e-commerce sales predicted to reach 14.4% of all U.S. retail spending this year and 19.2% by 2024, we’re also currently consuming and discarding more outfits than ever before. In fact, the fashion industry is predicted to be responsible for a quarter of the earth’s climate budget by 2050 if it continues its projected growth. With this in mind, will more personalised shopping experiences like That Looks aid fashion in addressing its ecological issues?
Aja Barber, a writer and consultant focusing on fashion’s intersections with feminism, race, and colonisation, thinks made-to-measure clothing will play an integral role in creating a more sustainable future. “There’s less waste involved and it’s a great way to be inclusive of many different shapes and sizes”, she says. For Barber, made-to-measure orders give her that same satisfaction of receiving such an intentional purchase.“I do personally miss catalogue shopping. I miss the delayed satisfaction of waiting excitedly for your much-anticipated purchase”.
It’s clear our current model of overconsumption won’t be fixed by one trend or store alone, however, it’s also evident that the planet would improve if the growing interest in slow fashion took us back to a consumption model before single-use Instagram outfits. That Looks proves that shopping with longer-term intentions can look appealing and there’s no doubt that it won’t be the last venture to try and add more storytelling and personalisation to the fashion industry. For the sake of the planet, we can only hope it’s just the start of a full-on catalogue and made-to-order shopping revival.
Explore the current collections available via That Looks’ shopping portfolio here.