It’s never been more important for young designers to have strong e-commerce sites, and those that succeed will have an enormous opportunity for growth at a critical survival point.
“AI and misinformation have us questioning everything, consumer trust in the quality of product [has eroded], and e-commerce wholesalers are no longer a reliable partner,” says Tony Wang, former brand strategy director at Ssense, who founded consulting firm and venture fund Office of Applied Strategy in 2020. “Laying the foundations for a successful DTC business should be young designers’ top priority right now.”