During New York Fashion Week (February 15), a digital fashion show was launched. It was a platform designed to deliver fashion to buyers and press members – online-only!
The shows were pre-taped and viewable by anyone with a username and password. The shows were scheduled to be launched at a certain time but obviously viewable anytime after that original time. Being resourceful, the digital experience hopefully offered a creative way of offering a front row experience to more than just a few elite people.
Could this be the answer and way of the future? As a replacement to the runway show – probably not – but rather seen as an additional service in the industry. The industry has been known to be digi-phobic but digital fashion shows are definitely a viable solution to the crazy amounts of scheduling conflicts that Fashion Week creates as well as the dreadful “bad seat”. We should expect that Fashion Week will continue to grow each year which will only compound the conflicts. The change represents a substitution to the current live runway shows. Change is never easy even harder to deal with when it is necessary. We may easily recognize the benefits – but for most, change is just plain difficult.
When the announcement was made to the industry about the new digital alternative, it definitely created lots of questions along with chaos (as change normally does). Some designers believe the runway show is the biggest branding tool as well as primary fashion experience. On the other side of the spectrum though, a digital show would allow the designer to give every little detail and say exactly what they want to about every single piece of their collection. An example might be on the runway a shortened version or just a name is the only thing you have time to say i.e.
LIVE runway show: “twisted denim”
ONLINE: “comfortable- stretchy cotton, dyed to perfection in a spectrum of hues or ditsy floral, from peg leg ankle length
to super skinny heel huggers…pair these with flowing tops or boyfriend blazers”.
You may ask – is this more cost effect? That depends. It totally depends on the pre-taped show and just how much goes into the production level and the standards that are used. The press covering such an event will definitely not have to be worried about hotel and limo expenses which are definitely a huge cost savings for them. But in all honesty, the thought behind it would not be all about money. Rather the thought was to save time. There is also the obvious thought that this would create jobs in the industry and possibly just lead to more shows!
It’s definitely an ambitious project. The creators will have to try to maintain integrity of the fashion industry, while figuring out a way to accommodate the generation of younger people who have grown up in the digital world. Will this revolutionize the way fashion is seen?
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