Fashion (finally) finds its place in cyber space
There’s no denying that the digital revolution has rapidly changed the face of many an industry. The entertainment sector has intrinsically and internally transformed its landscape to meet the needs of its receptors, as have various communication and media outlets. Ever superior, fashion seemed to be the only remaining industry to refrain from cyber activity, clinging onto its conventional and antiquated roots.
However times are a-changing and last season, fashion stalwarts such as Dolce and Gabanna appeared to finally fully embrace the digital age by streaming their shows live . This season, everyone from seasoned power house Marc Jacobs to up-and-comer Alexander Wang are following suit. Even our own capital is taking the phenomenon seriously, with London Fashion Week’s very first digital schedule . British heritage heavyweights, Burberry, are taking the phenomenon one step further, by showing their ever-spectacular production in 3D to screens at parties across the globe.
As a mere mortal amongst the fashion glitterati, these new developments are, in a word, amazing. No longer will I have to hustle my way into Somerset House, eager to get a first look at Marios Schwab’s latest offerings, only to struggle to catch even a glimpse what with my petite proportions and back row ranking. That’s assuming that the Fashion Week heavies would even let little old me in. This week, laptop poised and in the comfort of my own bedroom, I will be studying and scrutinising each and every sartorial detail with crystal clear viewing pleasure.
Yet feeding my ever-growing appetite for fashion is an insignificant part of the story. Looking at the bigger picture, such progress is revolutionary to the industry as a whole. Opening up the shows to a global audience speaks volumes about the designers’ shift of perceptions, overtly sidestepping conventional fashion media and directly targeting the consumer. This comes as no surprise as the global recession rages on, pushing fashion houses to seek a wider audience to increase diminishing sales.
But what of the fashion veterans, accustomed to being the influential forces of the industry? It comes as no surprise that the editorial elite were less than impressed to see the likes of Tavi Gevinson blogging away on the front row last season, trumping fashion’s vanguard and even the celebrity sect. The mere presence, and sheer significance, of said teeny tiny blogger – and other online stalwarts such as Susie Bubble and Bryan Boy - only reinforces these notions that savvy designers are looking to other outlets to filter their message to the masses. Could it be that the high priestess of couture, the all-powerful Anna Wintour, is being usurped by a 13 year old schoolgirl with a penchant for huge headwear?
Anyway I digress – the conversation of social media infiltrating the fashion industry is for another time and another blog post. To put it bluntly, the effects of online streaming threaten to put an end to the necessity of attending shows in person, and consequentially an end to those eight celestial weeks of pure fashion mayhem every February and September. Snap-happy serial voyeur, The Sartorialist, believes the eventual effects of online live streaming will lead to the doors of Bryant Park and beyond being opened to the general public, as a profit-making exercise. The other possibility, however, is the notion that the runway shows may ultimately be scrapped altogether.
Personally, I hope this is just fashion folklore. Although I love the fact that I can now instantaneously access the latest collections at the click of a button, I also love the idea of attending an awe-inspiring show in the flesh. The runway shows are, in essence, the spectacle that supports the clothing in an unparalleled way. Nobody understood this better than the late, great Alexander McQueen. His visionary capabilities transformed the fashion show from a mere platform of showcasing garments to a vehicle demonstrating the true creativity and spectacle that fashion has the potential to embody. Witnessing his final, awe-inspiring ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ on the live stream provided by SHOWstudio, I couldn’t help but wish I was actually there to observe the McQueen brilliance. In reality, this is the reason why couture gracing the catwalk will never be obsolete or irrelevant - even with all these astounding technological innovations taking place.
