Last Tuesday, I hopped a cab from work down to Thor bar at the Hotel Rivington on the Lower East Side. I was headed down there to attend a panel about Fashion “going digital,” as part of the events of Social Media Week here in New York City.

Panelists hailed from Ideeli.com and MyItThings, among others, and sat down in close quarters to talk about their take on the role of social media in the fashion industry and vice versa.

In light of Fashion Week beginning this week, I will briefly discuss a topic that arose regarding the streaming of runway shows. Will designers start streaming their runway shows instead of showing live? Marc Jacobs is already livestreaming his show this year in conjunction with the live event.

Perhaps they will, but I do not see this having the potential to debunk Fashion Week. There is a thrill that passes through the air during a live runway show that cannot be experienced digitally. To hear the music live, see the clothes parade before you as the physical manifestation of each designer’s vision is a visceral experience.

However, let’s not forget that Fashion Week is in fact a trade event. This is for members of the industry, despite the consumer, social and celebrity interest it garners. For most worshippers, respectful admirers and even students of fashion, a ticket to the tents at Bryant Park is unattainable – but with an accompanying live, streaming video, the shows can receive a greater audience. As someone who religiously follows the fashion industry, I have to say I would love to see the shows streamed live. It is not the authentic experience of course, but I do think that should be left to the actual industry professionals.

Another interesting subject that becomes an issue when these shows pop up on the internet live, is the instant and rapid spread of trends. The trends reach mainstream audiences so quickly that shoppers want to get these looks before they’ve even hit the storeroom floors. Trends have been viewed 80 plus times, passed between the hands of countless blogs and feel old and tired before they’ve even been unveiled. I wonder how the fashion industry will tackle this issue.

All in all, it was an interesting forum and the fashion industry certainly stands at an interesting crossroads, as it cannot seem to avoid the influence of social media, whether it likes it or not. Sentiments seemed mixed, and I myself am, I confess, ambivalent.

-Kristin

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Fashion Goes Digital?