In 2020, the textile sector had to transform itself to overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. With shops closed, consumers at home, companies bankrupt and people unemployed, businessmen put aside, for a while, the production of seasonal clothing and adjusted their machinery to create protective items and clothing for both the sector doctor as well as for the consumer who needed to feel safe and protected on the street.

It was a temporary departure that allowed large employers and hundreds of small brands and entrepreneurs to stay afloat during the most difficult months of the pandemic. As the measures to contain the contagion lengthened, they had to make the leap to digital to sell online and there was greater consumer interest in local. E-commerce skyrocketed and became a new ally.

“The experiences in the store were more careful and personalized, and there were cases of adaptation from electronic commerce to the exclusivity of a personal shopper. Local selling strategies were highlighted, with a growing number of retailers rethinking their strategies to sell locally focused merchandise and investing in recruitment and community development initiatives, employment opportunities and entrepreneurship. As more people face hardship, retailers must look for new ways to minimize waste and increase connection to local communities,” explained Rosalina Villanueva, futures expert at trend forecasting company WGSN.

Although the transformations and creations of new business lines focused on biosafety worked as a lifeline, they were not enough for the sector to close 2020 with good numbers.

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According to Camilo Herrera, founder of the firm Raddar, specialized in measuring consumption in Colombia, Colombian households had to make decisions: have a closet without clothes or an empty fridge. “The sector will not be saved this year despite incentives such as days without VAT. Commerce is expected to recover its 2019 sales levels, but the fashion category will not recover those sales levels in 2021, despite having positive growth due to the decrease in 2020”.

However, the reactivation of the economy gave hope to the national textile-clothing sector. The openings allowed the numbers to improve. “In April the market size of the sector decreased 45% and fell to $1.1 trillion, while in the same month of 2019 it was $2 trillion. But by November it improved and closed with sales of $2.1 billion. However, it will close with a decrease of -13%. Our industry is marked by consumption and household spending, and after months of supply purchases, revenge purchases arrived,” said Juan Fernando Loaiza, an economic research specialist at the Inexmoda Fashion Observatory.

In other words, after a few difficult months, people sought to purchase products for pleasure to satisfy their desires and feel in the “new normal”. Thus, November and December were key months, as they represented 20% of annual fashion sales in recent years. For this reason, it was essential to generate consumer trust through a safe shopping experience and compliance with biosafety protocols.

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“It is important that people understand that the pandemic is not going to go away and the vaccine is not going to arrive in January or for everyone at the same time. In the new normality we must learn to live with all the security measures and work hand in hand with other industries to take care of ourselves”, adds Loaiza. For 2021, fashion spending is expected to grow by 4%.

In addition, the pandemic accelerated conversations that had been taking place in the industry, such as digitization, in which the sector grew 15% in 2020, and sustainability in its different dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. These issues will continue to dictate the sector's agenda next year.

For example, consumers are expected to question brands more: who made their clothes, where, under what conditions, how they treat their employees, etc. However, it is important that people do not get seduced by the sustainability boom, as some companies are joining the trend as a marketing strategy to captivate consumers and not for a true commitment.

From WSGN they forecast changes in the fashion market that will serve as resilience strategies, such as the acceleration of technologies integrated into garments and other items, the longevity of products and the collective sense.

On the other hand, Flavia Santoro, president of Procolombia, hopes that the reactivation of the industry will continue to take place on a national and international scale. “2021 will be the year of economic recovery, in which international organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank estimate growth for Colombia between 4% and 5%. There are several opportunities to materialize in electronic commerce in markets such as Canada and the United States, and in public purchases. Likewise, the demand for biosafety and protection products must be monitored, in which the fashion sector has great potential”.

From the Colombian Chamber of Clothing and Related Products, a union that has asked the Government for support and President Iván Duque to fulfill his campaign promises, they hope to implement three proposals: “tariff measures that benefit the national industry and growth economy of the manufacturing sector, a differential VAT for the clothing sector and continue the fight against smuggling," said Camilo Rodríguez, president of the union.

Fashion trends for 2021

According to Diana Gómez, fashion communicator, the arrival times of the vaccine in countries will have a great influence on fashion trends because “many consumers consider vaccination as the opportunity to 'return to life as before', that is, to resume social, work and leisure routines that had stopped during the quarantines”.

The formal fashion, footwear and leather goods categories will have opportunities, as consumers will choose special garments as “a symbolic gesture of a new beginning”.

Gómez pointed out that the fact that vaccination privileges the first world and long waits are reported, even until 2022 for mass vaccination in poorer countries, "will not only increase socioeconomic gaps but also fashion stories."

In the case of Colombia, where measures such as teleworking and isolation will remain, local trends will be slower and comfort fashion and clothes to be at home, such as joggers, sweatshirts and jackets, will continue to be used. In addition, with increased daily online activity formal upper body garments for video calls and work conferences will gain momentum. “It is an opportunity for the added value of design: fabrics in fresh fibers, that do not need much care, that do not require ironing and offer different ways of use,” said Gómez.

Experts agree that fear of the virus will not stop the Colombian mass consumer, who goes to the mall or store because they see it as a form of entertainment. Even the late arrival of the vaccine will not stop it. "In all this time we have verified how the rage and emotion to buy has never been out of the spirit of society in Latin American countries," added Villanueva.

The textile sector in 2021 will continue to adjust to respond to changes, as it has done throughout history. Given the possibility of new isolations, both homes and businesses will be prepared and will not be as aggressive as in 2020. The unions and experts call on companies to comply with the protocols, to continue innovating with textiles to generate value and for Colombians to continue self-care and support the local industry.