London Fashion Week: The Digital Revolution
Social Media Driving New Fashion-Tech Industry
Once the reserve of the fashionista and trade-only elite, thanks to social media expansion London Fashion Week now offers you an all-access pass and front row seats to the catwalks without having to leave your sofa.Arguable more so than in Paris or New York, London is seeing the multibillion pound worlds of tech and fashion colliding, not least signalled by the timely arrival of the Apple watch last week, which marks an interesting and innovative advance on the burgeoning fashion tech sector.
It’s not just on the catwalks where competition is tough – aggressive social media strategies are employed specifically for the week. Last year, Burberry came up trumps with nearly 300,000 mentions in social media posts (more than LFW itself), and this year the brand is tipped to be one of the first fashion houses to trial a new pay-by-tweet feature at their show. It was at New York’s Fashion Week in February this year that Marc Jacobs introduced his innovative Tweet Shop – no cash was necessary, just an active Twitter account to exchange positive Tweets for the brand’s popular Daisy products. London Fashion Week, or should we say #LFW, is about teaming up with tech companies to digitally showcase exclusive launches and new products.
This week will see fervent Tweeting, Instagramming and Facebooking, hoping to top last year’s results of a quarter-of-a-million #LFW mentions and 75,000 Instagram images over the five days.
Iain Matthews, head of planning at social media agency Jam, says that LFW is now less about the fashion itself and more about the social media hype: ‘London Fashion Week has the potent combination necessary to drive a huge volume of online conversation: a young engaged audience, a bucket-load of celebs and brands that are willing to experiment with the latest digital technology to hawk their wares.’
What was once a trade show has now become an experimental event in mass digital participation.
This week will see fervent Tweeting, Instagramming and Facebooking, hoping to top last year’s results of a quarter-of-a-million #LFW mentions and 75,000 Instagram images over the five days.
Iain Matthews, head of planning at social media agency Jam, says that LFW is now less about the fashion itself and more about the social media hype: ‘London Fashion Week has the potent combination necessary to drive a huge volume of online conversation: a young engaged audience, a bucket-load of celebs and brands that are willing to experiment with the latest digital technology to hawk their wares.’
What was once a trade show has now become an experimental event in mass digital participation.
Topshop is a particularly ardent fan of using social media to involve fans in the event. A spokesperson told The Drum that ‘there is so much excitement around London Fashion Week and social media is crucial not just as a marketing tool but an incredibly good way to democratise the event and see how our customers respond’.
Fashion Week has historically been a prestigious, exclusive event for industry insiders, but with the advent of blogging and online journalism, social media has transformed its significance. Social networks have democratised and lifted the veil on the week, so that any fashion enthusiast can take a peek into the shows as they happen, and this increased exposure is beneficial to both the audience and forward-thinking brands.
Social media is changing the nature and delivery of fashion week events; no longer is it just about coverage, but more about creating an event of the event. That sounds appropriately fashionista, right?
Recent graduate and now interning as content editor, when she's not writing articles Katie can quite likely be found festival-ing, holiday-ing or reading a book (dedicated English student that she is). Follow her @KatieAtSMF.
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info http://socialmediacambridge.co.uk/.
London Fashion Week: The Digital Revolution
![]()
Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Rating:
Anonymous
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.