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FBC LECTURE ONE

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Opinion: Consumers have transformed the catwalk into a real-time runway | Opinion | Retail Week. Designers aim for even faster fashion. Image copyright Reuters US designers are adopting the "show-now, shop-now" trend during New York fashion week that allows consumers to buy designs straight from the catwalk. Tom Ford and Tommy Hilfiger are among those that have followed British fashion house Burberry in making new styles available to buy immediately. Most shows are now live-streamed and featured on social media. That has prompted some labels to show designs for the coming autumn/winter rather than next year's summer ranges.

Not having to wait for glossy fashion magazines to feature the latest designs has helped to make consumers less content to accept delays of several months before they can buy them. Tom Ford is showing an autumn/winter 2016 collection for both men and women at New York fashion week rather than items for spring/summer next year. Image copyright Getty Images Graeme Moran, head of content for fashion and features at Drapers magazine, said: "The whole industry is in flux. "I think it is very positive. Ralph Lauren embraces the American West _ and fast fashion. By Associated Press Published: 04:16 GMT, 15 September 2016 | Updated: 04:16 GMT, 15 September 2016 NEW YORK (AP) — Call it "fast fashion," ''runway-to-retail," or "see now-buy now. " No matter the term, it's the unmistakable trend in fashion, and Ralph Lauren embraced it fully — presenting his New York Fashion Week collection on the street outside his store, then inviting guests inside to buy what they'd just seen.

"Today I am proud to share with you, for the first time ever, my new women's collection right off the runway and into your lives," the venerable designer wrote in a statement. "You are changing the way you live and the way you want to shop, and we are changing with you and for you. " Lauren's runway show Wednesday evening had the added cachet of literally stopping traffic — the block of Madison Avenue fronting his store was closed off for the glamorous event, held in a temporary glass structure that resembled a greenhouse.

But it wasn't plants people came to see. Zara Is the Latest Fast Fashion Retailer to Launch an Eco-Friendly Line. Zara’s owner Amancio Ortega is the second richest man in the world, according to Forbes, with a $67 billion dollar net worth. And someone who’s made such a killing off a fast fashion clothing brand certainly knows that his wealth doesn’t come without a cost to the environment. Next to oil, the fast fashion industry has been noted as the second most polluting industry in the world, and with this information, it’s up to leaders in the business to do something about it. Luckily, Zara is following the lead of other fast fashion retailers like H&M, launching the Join Life collection, an eco-friendly range of clothing crafted from materials like Tencel, recycled wool, and organic cotton. “The collection embraces a woman who looks into a more sustainable future,” Zara explained in a post to Instagram. Zara has rolled out environmentally friendly initiatives before.

Forget Brexit blues, British fashion goes from strength to strength.