INTELLIGENCE

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BY PATRICIA RIVERA 10 APRIL 2014

The ultimate challenge for all luxury brands is to go digital without losing their key attributes of individuality and identity,
writes the illustrious Suzy Menkes, style editor of The New York
Times.
As we approach the futuristic world once only envisioned 10 or 20
years ago, one can only stand back and marvel at how far weve
come as a technologically-advanced society. Whether or not you
choose to acknowledge it, we are all slaves to the digital age. We
live in a decade where we spend so much time in a virtual world
that giving a new meaning to the term virtual reality. The
fashion industry has followed suit, with brands finding new and
innovative ways to keep up with the times and maintain a pristine
21st century image.
When it comes to the ever-evolving landscape of fashion branding,
so much has changed in recent years. Technology has allowed
brands to push boundaries and connect with consumers in such a
way that has never been done before. Granted, giving consumers
an inclusive, interactive experience is an excellent way to sell your
brand identity But perhaps you would have to draw the line
eventually. ..
Although, some may say that mass appeal is casting a shadow
over the idea of exclusivity in fashion. I cant help but wonder
whether this traditional ideology - that is, fashion being
synonymous for elite, highly-valued and unattainable to the
masses - is dying out? ..The old making way for the newwhich
begs the question, is it effective or simply too gimmicky?
What with the influx of social media, being able to engage with the
public has been easier than ever. capitalise on our innate need
as humans to connect and relate The internet and in particular,
social media, has proven to be a powerful tool used by fashion
brands to interact with the public. No doubt its a fast-paced world
we live in; within the industry, its a constant effort to keep afloat

and remain fresh, modern, and relevant. Even established fashion

houses and luxury brands have endeavoured to go digital and
some even go to the extent of rebranding and almost fully
revamping their image to cater to todays younger mass market
crowd.
preservation of a fashion house and its history and aesthetic
2012 saw the appointment of Hedi Slimane as the new creative
director at Yves Saint Laurent, following the departure of its
previous director, Stefano Pilati. Within the months that followed,
Slimane made the decision to rebrand YSL as Saint Laurent Paris,
not only changing the brands logo but also directing its appeal to
a younger
Social networking has been on the rise in the last few years and it
seems has no plans of slowing down. Most brands have been
clever enough to take advantage of this, with many having a
Facebook page and user accounts elsewhere.
With the growing popularity of the photo-sharing (and now, also
video-sharing!) app Instagram, anyone with the said app can have
a coveted front-row, though sometimes blurry, runway experience.
Though its not as good as it sounds, seeing through a
blogger/buyer/editors iPhone is probably the closest most people
can get to attending a show at fashion week. Anyway, actual,
physical vision is overrated these days. Why go through the effort
when you can simply scroll through Instagram on your device and
see photos from a show in real time with a delay of mere seconds.
Not to mention its a clever little marketing tool that saves a
brand the money or effort.
The hashtag (#) symbol, popularised by its use as a search tag on
Twitter,
Similarly, some runway shows have been available to stream in
real time. Topshop Uniques Spring/Summer 2012 show was
broadcast live on their website and on the websites of more than
200 media partners. After it had ended, a video of the 10- to 15minute runway show was immediately put up on the site,
attracting more than two million people from over 100 countries
within three hours. And to add to that, Topshop offered its fans a
personalised, interactive live stream experience. Viewers could
capture screenshots and video clips which they could share
instantly on social media sites.
As looks would come down the runway, they could not only click
on clothes and accessories to view different colour options but
also pre-order items straight from the runway, to be then

delivered in six to eight weeks - before items from the collection

were even sold in Topshop stores. Within an hour, several looks
sold out. Amazing, isnt it? The future is truly here. It goes to show
what can be achieved with the help of technology, opening the
doors to even more possibilities.
A growing trend is guerilla marketing, which refers to new and
innovative methods that break away from traditional forms of
advertising. Its defining feature is that there are little to no costs
involved. In other words, its a marketing stunt that sells itself.
One such example is a recent video mysteriously uploaded to
YouTube, titled First Kiss, quickly soared to viral status overnight.
The three-and-a-half minute film was uploaded by amateur
filmmaker Tatia Pilieva with little context.
In it, we see ten pairs of complete strangers being filmed in black
and white asked to kiss for the first time. It was very well-received
and gained over two million views overnight. The film elicited
some criticism, with some speculating that it was fake and set up
and that the strangers featured were actually actors, models, and
musicians modelling clothes for a clothing line. As it turns out, it
was a subtle advertising tactic commissioned by the clothing
company Wren.

First Kiss video tweeted by Wren Studio | Source: Dont Party

According to its founder, Melissa Coker, the label operates on a

shoestring budget, and the video was an inexpensive means to
promote Wren apparel. Sure enough, it worked very well in their
favour with sales increasing significantly within the same week. In
spite of the backlash, the video was no doubt an instant global hit.
She gets better attention here than an actual fashion show during
fashion week, said Andr Leon Talley, the former editor-at-large of
Vogue. You cant reach 40 million viewers in an 11- to 15-minute
fashion runway presentation.

With a reaction so widespread and a view count so large, it makes

you question whether Advertising these days is blatant and
open
runway shows have become more instantaneously available with
the help of the internet. some brands offer livestream broadcasts
of their runway show on their website or through their Facebook
page, with the incentive of first liking the page to get access to
the livestream . some have comment sections allowing viewers to
interact and form discussions around the event.
with the growing popularity of the social app Instagram, the
experience of a runway show can be shared within seconds