The flexibility of digital content has opened up the possibilities of ongoing editing Radiohead wiped out its entire online presence only to debut a new single a couple of days later. DKNY erased both its Instagram and Twitter history as the fashion house headed into a new creative direction. In the wake of Hedi Slimane’s departure, Yves Saint Laurent deleted all posts from its Instagram account save for one photo of incoming creative director Anthony Vaccarello. Because the flexibility of digital content allows for ongoing editing, brands of all stripes – spanning from musicians to fashion labels – are increasingly using their online presences to reflect big changes and reinvention by wiping the slate clean. In this day and age, a brand’s online presence is equally important as – and in some cases even more so than – its offline one, argues Marta Sundac, senior editor at Highsnobiety, a fashion and culture news website. Nowadays, a well-implemented online strategy can help a brand build a sense of community, ensure customer satisfaction and create a sense of loyalty.
Jaden Smith for Louis Vuitton: The New Man in a Skirt Translation: This is the natural end stage of the fashion revolution started in the 1960s and ’70s when women took off their aprons and girdles and appropriated jeans. This posits millennials as the real heirs to the Me Generation, though it’s questionable whether many of Mr. Smith’s 2.4 million Instagram followers are also actual Vuitton customers. But whatever the motivation of both parties, and however pure (or not), the result has its own substance. It’s not unisex. And therein lies the rub. But while runways, even in the age of social media, are largely for the fashion-centric few, global ad campaigns have a wider reach. That could be overstating the matter, but there’s no question clothes are one way we order the world. How will we know what floors to shop on? The fear of semiological chaos (and the force of historical convention) explains in part why clothing norms have held on so long. Happy new year. Continue reading the main story
Google Glass aims for high fashion with DVF collection Two months after Google Glass announced a deal with eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, it's made another foray into the fashion world with a exclusive Net-a-Porter collection designed by Diane von Furstenberg. "I'm old enough to have danced at Studio 54 and young enough not to have missed the digital revolution," the 68-year-old designer said in an Elle interview as she announced the collection, which includes five new frames and eight new shades. This marks the first time a third-party retailer (in this case, Net-a-Porter and Mr Porter) has been licensed to sell Glass, which was previously only available from Google. Von Furstenberg is something of a Google cheerleader in the fashion world. Will this finally make Glass fashionable? Between toxic tales of Glassholes recording people without their consent and Glass users being attacked by strangers, there's not much Glass could do to make its product less desirable at this stage.
Placing Sustainability at the Heart of Kering | Opinion, #BoF500, Essay | BoF PARIS, France — Sustainability is embedded in the very concept of luxury. A cornerstone of luxury is the long-lasting endurance of an item. And if one of the key roles of our industry is to beautify the world, we have no greater responsibility than to do so ethically and sustainably. We may have short-term goals, like setting trends or designing new products. In recognition of this, over the last decade, sustainability has become increasingly integrated into businesses across many industries. But let’s be honest. The next step is to set smart targets that can help you measure your progress and then designing the solutions and actions to meet these targets. (L) Stella McCartney (R) Gucci handbag | Source: Courtesy Change is challenging at the best of times and implementing sustainability strategies will demand some degree of change across the company, which in turn, demands strong leadership. Let’s focus on three of our unique characteristics that we can leverage.
Luxury brands get tougher with counterfeiters — and Alibaba Shutterstock/Everett Collection Luxury brands are getting more aggressive about taking suspected counterfeiters to court. After years of debate in the luxury industry about how to publicly tackle counterfeit goods, a growing number of high-end names from Gucci to Moncler and Alexander Wang are suing sellers of fakes, both in China and the West. The legal action comes as brands grapple with an explosion of fake goods on e-commerce and social-media platforms. Fashion brand Alexander Wang, which sued the owners of 459 websites believed to be selling counterfeit handbags, footwear and clothing last year, won a $90 million judgement this month in a New York district court. The lawsuits are a “strategic change” for companies who haven’t always been vocal or public about their battle against fake goods, said Paolo Beconcino, a Beijing-based consultant for Squire Patton Boggs law firm, who represents half a dozen Western brands in lawsuits against counterfeiters.
Burberry uses first ever Snapcode to let in-store customers unlock online Snapchat content The Snapcode allows in-store shoppers to scan a barcode using their mobile device to unlock content from Burberry’s new campaign for male fragrance Mr Burberry. Burberry is running the content on Snapchat’s Discover channel, offering access to style and fragrance content, including tailoring and grooming tips. The channel will also feature the full-length director’s cut and behind-the-scenes content from the campaign. The content will be available for two months. READ MORE: Burberry in Snapchat first as it premieres new fashion collection online Launching today (4 April) and directed by Oscar-winner Steve McQueen, the ad tells the story of a couple madly in love. From 25 April, there will be scent-dispensing posters in Knightsbridge, London, which will spray the fragrance directly onto the user’s wrist when inserted underneath the sensor. Customers are able to personalise their Mr. This is not the first time that the brand has used Snapchat and personalisation to engage consumers.
Fashion Brands, Social Media and Real Time Live Streaming «FMM Alexander McQueen A few announcements in the past couple of weeks have made me ponder the place that real-time social media plays in fashion events. During Toronto Fashion Week, all social media was forbidden during events and shows; organizers blamed weak ticket sales for this shortsighted decision. The media (traditional and “new”) and readers agreed that wasn’t the way to go and some critics even went as far as to say it set the industry back several years. As we discussed in “Fashionably Late to the Party“, it’s only to a brand’s, retailer’s or event’s advantage to leverage the power and the speed with which information is spread across social networks. The fear of relinquishing control of the brand message is what continues to fuel rejection of social mediums. Alexander McQueen made a bold decision during NYFW S/S 2010 to live stream his show straight from the runways. 1. 2. 3. 4. Twitter: Alexander McQueen Consumer Trends How McQueen could have made the experience even better:
How should luxury brands navigate creative shift on social media? As fashion houses make the transition from one creative director to another, the opportunity at a fresh start presents itself in both design and social media presence. Brands including Brioni, Saint Laurent and DKNY have literally wiped the slate clean as they welcomed a new artistic vision into their brand, deleting all trace of their former creative directors or brand managers on Instagram or Twitter. While this enables brands to focus on creating a cohesive presence under a new vision, this tactic destroys elements of a brand's history. "New creative directors are hired to bring a new creative vision to a brand, and in that sense, their job is to wipe the slate clean," said Ana Andjelic, senior vice president and global strategy director at Havas LuxHub. "They are brought in to make a brand more culturally relevant, more appealing to consumers and/or more financially successful. "But brands’ communication teams seem to have taken this too literally," she said. After Mr. Mr.
London fashion week: why technology is in fashion | Media Network At London fashion week the multibillion dollar worlds of tech and fashion are colliding like never before. For many, the launch of Apple’s new watch, announced this week with impeccable timing to coincide with the global fashion weeks, will mark an important turning point for fashion tech, a new sector with huge potential for growth. While Apple’s entry into the market is almost guaranteed to boost the industry’s profile, in reality the fashion industry has been driving fashion tech for years. Fashion tech is much more than just tech inside a timepiece, and nowhere is this more apparent than in London. In 2010, London Fashion Week was the first in the world to grant access to the masses by live streaming the runways. Now, everyone has their smartphone camera primed, ready to make their contribution to the zeitgeist. The next generation of high tech fashionistas are already emerging. Two rising stars from this growing trend are Kate Unsworth and Roberta Lucca.
How Premium Fashion Brands Are Maximizing Their Social Media ROI Social media and digital technology have forever changed the retail industry. In 2011, brands and retailers have reached a tipping point, digital innovations have decentralized commerce, and real-time consumer demand for designer merchandise has forever changed retail production cycles. Many fashion brands, mocked for their inability to move with the web because of a fear of accessibility, are no longer fighting the flow. Through their embrace of social media and social commerce, fashion brands are now innovating and profiting from their online marketing strategies. Luxury and premium brands are starting to lead the way for all retailers looking to connect with their customers and build online revenue channels. Fashion Brands and Social Commerce Online shopping is becoming a socially connected event. During the past year, the luxury market experienced a digital tipping point, with many brands rolling out new e-commerce sites, social media campaigns and mobile applications.
Raf Simons Confirmed at Calvin Klein – WWD Finally! Calvin Klein today confirmed what has been fashion’s worst-kept secret for months, naming Raf Simons as creative director of all of its women’s and men’s brands. The appointment ends more than nine months of speculation. Simons will lead the creative strategy of the Calvin Klein brand globally. The company said the appointment of Simons marks the implementation of Calvin Klein’s new global creative strategy that was noted in April. The company said that the Calvin Klein brand “looks to grow [the business] to $10 billion in global retail sales,” and that the new leadership is intended to further strengthen the brand’s premium positioning worldwide and pave the way for long-term global growth. Steve Shiffman, chief executive officer of Calvin Klein Inc., said, “Not since Mr. The company also said it hired Simons’ longtime associate Pieter Mulier as creative director. RELATED STORY: PVH Said Near to Naming Raf Simons at Calvin Klein >>
Fashion meets technology at #WWTO this week “If wearable tech is going to succeed, it needs to be worn,” says We Are Wearables Founder and BetaKit senior editor Tom Emrich. The ‘wearability’ of wearable tech is the main focus of this month’s We Are Wearables Toronto, lovingly called #WWTO, which has partnered up with Best Buy Canada for a fashion tech event. The event, which takes place at MaRS Discovery District Centre on Wednesday evening, will explore smart textiles, connected accessories, and the increasing influence of fashion on technology and vice versa. “If wearable tech is going to succeed, it needs to be worn.” – Tom Emrich, WWTO Among the companies participating at the event are Fossil, Garmin, Muse, Sensoria and Toronto’s Myant, a world-renowned innovation hub for designing, developing, and producing connected textile-based products, which recently produced a fashion show featuring its connected clothing at Toronto Men’s Fashion Week. BetaKit is a proud media sponsor of We Are Wearables Toronto
China Slowdown Reveals Luxury’s Online Shortcomings, Study Says | News & Analysis BEIJING, China — Last month’s yuan devaluation dealt a blow to luxury-goods makers, and those that fail to become more Web- savvy risk further damage to their business, according to a report published Thursday. From e-mails to e-commerce, expensive brands generally fall short of customer expectations online, said Isabelle Harvie- Watt, head of Luxhub, the fashion unit of advertising company Havas SA that produced the report on how the wealthy shop. With the Web playing a part in more than 40 percent of purchases, deficiencies there equate to missed sales, she said. Before China devalued the yuan on Aug. 11, that didn’t really matter. “They’re going to be forced to look inwards at how they’re running their companies,” she said by phone. Areas where brands can improve range from installing Wi-Fi connectivity in stores to offering customers a more personalized experience, she said. By Andrew Roberts; editors: Matthew Boyle, Paul Jarvis.