London Fashion Week To Stream Shows Live

When people think of February some think of Valentines’ day, others Shrove Tuesday but for the fashion pack, it is the official launch of the global fashion weeks. This week marks the official launch of  London Fashion Week where the elite fashion set from all over the world will  report and take notes on the trends that we are all destined to be wearing next season.  Those that aren’t fashion insiders need not worry as this year The British Fashion Council has strengthened its’ digital portfolio with a Digital Schedule that includes streaming of the official fashion shows live.

Fashion week is commonly associated with VIP areas, secure guest list, celebrities and top fashion industry members.  The shows attract fashion experts from all over the world so tickets are limited, which is why streaming the event live is fantastic for those that aren’t able to attend.  With bloggers arguably becoming the new age journalists, watching the show without needing to be present is ideal.   Bryan Boy, Tavi Gevinson and Gala Gonzalez are just some of the bloggers that have recently been featured on the front row of exclusive shows reporting on collections and behind the scenes. Introducing live streaming to the London shows will give access to other individuals, allowing them to report on the shows themselves and post directly on their’ own blogs and various social media networks, rather than through the ‘elite’. This will lower the barrier of entry enabling The British Fashion Council to reach a wider audience, a solution that Flumotion can also provide with its’ advanced streaming technology.  So, if you’re enthusiastic and eager to see the collection you will no longer have to  wait until the collection gets posted from a mobile phone on YouTube, you can simply view it yourself, which makes the experience more exciting and real.

Designers have fully embraced social media, as the article Social Media: The New Front Row of Fashion in WWD Media has reported,  and they are now tweeting live from the shows and using Facebook to promote their collections. Marc Jacobs has taken an interesting turn this season by not inviting celebrities to his show,  opting to have brand president Robert Duffy tweeting from front row instead. Last year,   the late Alexander McQueen streamed his Spring/Summer collection live via Showstudio although the stream crashed after receiving a huge volume in traffic, allegedly after Lady Gaga´s  tweeted that her new single ‘Bad Romance’ will be premiering at the show.

Brands are becoming more receptive about engaging and retaining their audience in different ways. With the recent success of  the fashion website Fashionair, co-founded by Simon Fuller and Sojin Lee and launched in September last year, this digital evolution makes perfect sense. Fashionair presents fashion as entertainment, acting as a channel with a vigorous and highly crafted TV schedule.  Video is incorporated seamlessly and this is further heightened with the site being an interactive shopping site and linking to Ecommerce channels, helping users to shop on-line.

Burberry has also announced that they will be streaming their show next week but in 3D. Not only will they be showcasing their’ collection live, but have decided to take advantage of the whole event by streaming interviews on the red carpet beforehand and behind the scenes footage.  With all these online developments growing in the fashion industry it seems strange that we have had to wait so long to have the show streamed directly.  I am sure there will be more enhancements with players when it comes to streaming this kind of content. Wouldn’t it be great if we could watch the show live, add a garment to a wish list and get notified when and where you could buy it? Or am I just impatient and lazy?

You’ll find the shows and videos at londonfashionweek.co.uk/digitalschedule