“It’s a phenomenally powerful channel” Nina Garcia, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, said about social media at the “Style Goes Viral” panel discussion during SXSW this year. There’s no debating that social media, as well as ever advancing technologies, has begun to change how we view fashion. At the most recent London Fashion Week, Google and the popular brand TopShop teamed up to offer live streaming that Nina described as “an experience that was unprecedented.” What was once an elite place to be, the runway, and a place even more VIP, backstage, was now available to be viewed by virtually anyone with an Internet connection.
These live streaming videos showed a fashion show from not only the viewpoint of someone in the audience, but from the viewpoint of everyone involved. Millions of viewers watched the fashion show, getting a sense of what it would be like to be there in person as a makeup artist or even a model. While this certainly seems like a breakthrough for the little girl living in podunk town, USA dreaming of one day being involved in fashion, the advances in social media also bring up certain questions about the future of fashion and what this means for brands.
Features Director at Marie Claire and moderator of the Style Goes Viral panel, Lea Goldman, asked Nina Garcia and Randi Zuckerberg (Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media) “How is fashion still fashion with social media?” It’s true that the history of fashion has definitely always had a sense of “elitism.” Fashion magazines usually show the “best of the best” designers, and to the typical consumer it can feel rather unattainable. To someone like myself who works in the fashion industry not in New York or Paris but rather in Austin, I’ve sometimes wondered if someone like Alexander Wang (a designer not much older than myself) even breathes the same air as I do. But more and more, social media is bridging the stylish gap and making the world of high end fashion seem more like a subway train ride away, rather than light years ahead. This has changed how the game of fashion is played and brings up new challenges, as well as new opportunities for brands.
Nina Garcia explained that a luxury brand, such as Chanel, can now use social media and technology to communicate the history of the brand, thus creating desire from the consumer. But how does a luxury brand like Chanel still maintain a certain level of “elite” status when social media makes it feel more attainable? There’s a reason why you can’t find a Chanel bag online (besides a place like eBay). “Limiting the availability increases desire” says Nina.
But maybe an even bigger challenge that growing social media gives to higher end brands, is the idea of “fast fashion.” Until fairly recently, the designs shown at events like New York Fashion Week, would take months to trickle down to the average consumer. Today brands like Zara and H&M can copy what they see on the runways in literally just 2 weeks. Technology is always increasing how an idea or a message is communicated, and fashion is no exception. Trends come and go much more quickly today than they have in the past. Nina Garcia explained that for luxury brands to compete in this new fast paced market, “quality” will always be the key difference. The consensus of the Style Viral panel was that growing technology and growing social media would not hurt fashion, but that it would be the companies which offer real solutions through technology that would be the leaders in this new fast-paced fashionable world.
This year Austin Fashion Week is hopping on the technology curve and offering “text to buy” during their runway shows. As an attendee you will be able to register your phone number with Austin Fashion Week’s system. Any piece you see walk down the runway that you are interested in buying, you can text a unique code and will hear back from the designer in a few days. It’s not as quick as swiping your credit card, but it’s an interesting new idea that is just another attempt at bridging the gap between consumer and designer. As Austin is one of the top tech saavy cities, it only makes sense that our fashion week should be initializing real use of innovations such as this.
This of course is just a scratch on the surface. I hope we begin to see more technological advances like these at Austin Fashion Week in the future. Perhaps this is a way to make Austin a potential leader in the fashion world. Or in the very least, maybe this is one way even Austinites wearing t-shirts with funny sayings on them and flip flops can become interested in our week dedicated to fashion.
Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish