The new craftsmanship: How retailers can benefit from it

In an age where speed and scalability have long been the norm, the need for something different is growing: attention, craftsmanship and meaning. This new craftsmanship is not a nostalgic throwback. It is a contemporary movement that seamlessly ties in with what consumers are looking for today. They don’t just want a product, they want a story. Not just convenience, but an experience.

The new craftsmanship touches emotions, trust and the appreciation for quality. This is exactly the sweet spot where brands make the difference. It therefore acts as a strong lever for a distinctive customer experience and, what is important today, for sustainability. There is a unique opportunity for fashion retailers: those who cleverly integrate craftsmanship into service, storytelling and the shopping experience build strong customer relationships and lasting relevance.

What exactly is the new craftsmanship?

This movement in the consumer landscape occurred between 2000 and 2010 in response to decades of mass production of cheap and short-lived products. The movement gained additional momentum around the economic crisis of 2008 and later during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. The reason for this was the public reassessment of sustainability, local production and the more conscious investment in long-lasting products. An example of this is the call to ‘buy local’, which has been repeated many times during the pandemic.

In addition, the digital revolution acted as an accelerator. Online platforms like Etsy and social media like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok made it easy for makers to promote and sell their handmade creations. This created a strong attraction. The “new craftsmanship” has now developed into a serious, high-volume movement that is best recognized by the following key aspects:

The combination of old and new

Craftsmen and designers combine traditional methods with digital techniques and innovative materials. A fashion designer who has interwoven the centuries-old craft of high fashion with cutting-edge high-tech to achieve great success is the Dutch Iris van Herpen. She made her breakthrough back in 2010 with the very first 3D printed dress on the international haute couture catwalk.

In 2011 she opened her first museum exhibition under the now evocative name ‘The New Craft’. In it she presented the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and innovative technology, also called ‘Craftolution’, as her way of working. This became her signature through which she built a strong and relevant haute couture brand. And this at a time when haute couture was increasingly being pushed out of the spotlight by ready-to-wear. Ready-to-wear gained greater reach with the emergence of dazzling social media influencers along the catwalks.

Sustainability and quality

The new craftsmanship movement invites conscious choices, longer life and an appreciation for quality. This fits perfectly with our current pursuit of sustainability. A good example of a brand that embraces this aspect of new craftsmanship is the US company Patagonia.

With a real following, the brand is known for producing high-quality, long-lasting outdoor clothing that doesn’t come at the expense of nature. After all, your mission is: “We are in business to save our home planet”. They combine traditional tailoring with innovative, environmentally friendly materials such as recycled polyester from fishing nets, also called NetPlus, hemp and organic cotton.

Their ‘Worn Wear’ program and focus on repairability significantly extends the life of their products. Patagonia is not only the preferred outdoor brand for its customers and fans, but also a rock of trust in their pursuit of a sustainable world.

Experience and personalization

Consumers are increasingly looking for unique, custom-made items. This ranges from artisanal foods in nostalgic jars to handcrafted furniture. The new craftsmanship with its focus on authenticity and personal attention cleverly alludes to this. It’s all about the story: that of the manufacturer, the manufacturing process, the materials and their origin. All of this is brought to life in an aesthetic framework with emotional and sensory stimuli.

In the boutique of the US luxury leather brand Shinola in Chicago, the product presentation provides an impressive insight into the new craftsmanship. The leather goods are carefully arranged in a walnut salon, and the scent of the leather underlines the high quality of the products. Each purchase can also be personalized.

Shinola was founded in Detroit in 2011, amid a deep financial crisis that drove the city into bankruptcy. The aim was to help the local community rebuild economically. As part of an employment program, people were retrained to become skilled workers who produce high-quality watches and leather goods in a former General Motors industrial building.

With the slogan “Built in Detroit” Shinola emphasizes that the design, manual assembly and the leather goods, which often come from American tanneries, are done locally. The products are very well known and are worn by former US presidents and Hollywood stars, among others.

The new craftsmanship on the shopping street

The new craftsmanship is also visible on the shopping street as a successful formula or as a shopping experience. As a fashion retailer or brand, you can learn valuable lessons from this. Better yet, I share them here with examples:

• The Boardroom as an example of an overall concept based on new craftsmanship. Five years ago, the young Melvin Keijzer opened his men’s boutique The Boardroom in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam. In what he calls “This House of Crafts and Friendship,” he sells luxurious custom-made clothing. He shares his infectious passion for quality and craftsmanship, especially tailored clothing, with his tens of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram. As “Melvin de Tailor” he gives insights into the tailoring trade. These range from in-store encounters, including taking measurements and fittings, to product presentations and entertaining anecdotes outside the store. Always dressed in a colorful tailored suit, he embodies a new generation of tailors. The content is well received by the large online audience. People spontaneously come into the store for a photo or a conversation, and sales are also booming. Although the clothing is still traditionally made in a Portuguese atelier and the personal tailoring service takes place in an eventful salon, the marketing engine is running at full speed in the digital universe. This is a nice mix of old craftsmanship in a new, digital guise.

• Zara Home Madrid with new craftsmanship as a product line and furnishings. At Zara Home’s flagship store in Madrid’s Salamanca district, new craftsmanship has been translated into multiple lifestyle product lines and a minimalist, futuristic studio atmosphere. It’s a visual treat and the products invite you to pick them up and find a place for them in your home. Given the rush in the store, Zara Home has managed to seduce consumers with this shopping experience.

• Chiltern Street in the London district of Marylebone as an example of an entire shopping street dedicated to new craftsmanship. Here you will find men’s fashion stores that are characterized by both exquisite handcrafted products and personal service. There is also a women’s shoe shop with handmade shoes from Turkey; a women’s boutique with naturally dyed jackets made from recycled fabrics; Ateliers featuring artisanal lifestyle and home products, as well as handcrafted jewelry, leather goods, trunks and even artisan distilled whiskey.

All of these are artisan jewels in a new guise. They are either packaged in a modern shopping experience or know how to attract viral algorithms to their side with their digital flagships. A successful approach to becoming part of a place where visitors enjoy immersing themselves in the world of new crafts is to use a retail space in a central location such as Chiltern Street. Alternatively, a new point of contact can be created together with other retailers in the neighborhood who share a love of new craftsmanship. This can be achieved, for example, by building an online community that attracts visitors to the stores, or by organizing recurring events such as a “New Craft Fair”.

All of these retailers are successfully integrating the new craftsmanship into their product, service, storytelling and shopping experience. As a movement, it has already firmly established itself on the shopping streets. It is therefore an indispensable answer to our desire for quality, sustainability and sincere attention.