Burberry Autumn/Winter 2010 | Source: Burberry

LONDON, United Kingdom — It was billed as the world’s first truly global fashion show, taking place on the penultimate day of London Fashion Week, beamed live in 3D to five global cities, and streamed to the rest of the world via 73 websites, including Vogue, Grazia and CNN, which all picked up the video feed in a global simulcast. It was undoubtedly the  most widely distributed fashion show a luxury brand has ever staged, potentially reaching an audience of more than 100 million users, according to Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts.

At first, I was disappointed that BoF had not been invited to attend the real event at London’s Chelsea College of Art, but in the end I’m glad to have experienced Burberry’s live internet stream. It all felt very 2010, especially as I ducked into the Regent Street Apple Store to watch the show after a late lunch. It was a fashion moment.

The stream began just after 4 pm with what Cathy Horyn of The New York Times described as an “info com” comprised of a pre-recorded presentation from Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey, as well as live interviews with Angela Ahrendts, models backstage and celebrity guests arriving at the show venue. “Grave doubts about this prelude of a model chatting backstage, now Twiggy arriving. A bit naff,” tweeted Ms Horyn. “Want the show to start. It’s like watching paint dry.”

Then, the lights finally went down and a series of seriously slick shearling jackets clomped down the runway, eliciting bursts of excitement from editors tweeting from the front row and viewers watching around the world. For the clothes alone, it was worth the wait.

“First look: cropped shearling,” described Joe Zee, Creative Director of Elle, who along with Bryanboy, had been given control of Burberry’s Twitter account for the Autumn/Winter 2010 show. “OMG!! Reverse shearling!!! It’s just as good inside out. Sold!!!” he raved.

Cathy Horyn, watching the 3D stream from New York’s Skylight Studios, agreed. “The shearling jackets were so ample, fluffy and round, the trousers and narrow skirts so spindly that at times on Tuesday the Burberry show resembled a lane of dandelions gone to seed,” she wrote later on her New York Times blog, On the Runway. “To be sure, Christopher Bailey’s outerwear for the British label was especially strong, with those romantic flight jackets spreading or curling at the collar and the pomp of officer coats.”

During the show Burberry appeared as one of the top ten trending topics on Twitter, but some of these tweets complained of problems with the live feed. Comments from users scrolling below the Burberry stream itself also came fast and furious. The words “Amazing” and “Love” appeared over and over again, with viewers sometimes shouting out their city of origin — Montreal, Sao Paolo, Los Angeles — underscoring the truly global nature of the event. The comments were 100% positive or neutral.

After a few minutes, my own feed crashed. I refreshed it several times, and then it crashed again. But below the black screen, comments continued to provide second-by-second commentary on the show — still overwhelmingly positive. Was nobody else experiencing the issues I was? Or was Burberry filtering out comments that were unfavorable to their global event? To explore the issue further, I entered a comment indicating that I was experiencing trouble with the feed, but it never appeared with the rest of the comments. This left me thinking.

THOUGHTS:

Expectations? My expectations were high. I’ve been calling Burberry the world’s first truly digital luxury brand, and as the leading brand in the space I fully expected Burberry to set the standard for the rest of the industry, in terms of strategy, concept and execution.

First impressions? The show was indeed amazing. It was well-orchestrated, well-publicised and generally well-executed. The issues with the live feed were frustrating at times, but these are kinks that can be ironed out in seasons to come and a brand like Burberry clearly has the technical prowess and determination to get this new phase of digital fashion communication right. It requires guts and audaciousness to attempt and achieve something no brand has done before. For this, Burberry deserves many kudos.

Most potential? The ability to buy the covetable shearing jackets straight off the runway for 72 hours after the show was a master stroke. While many brands have talked about doing this, no brand has actually put the concept into practice the way Burberry has — strategically identifying a product as a key item, ensuring it was featured front-and-centre at the fashion show, and selling the jackets at the peak of consumer interest, right after the show had finished. By limiting sales to a 72 hour window, Burberry also ensured sales opportunities for its wholesale partners down the road, while creating a sense of urgency for consumers to purchase right away if they so choose. Best of all, with the insights gleaned from which products sold fastest on the internet directly after the show, Burberry will have real consumer data upon which to base orders for normal delivery to its stores around the world — every merchandiser’s dream.

What’s missing? Greater authenticity. While maintaining the spirit and standards of the Burberry brand must have been of paramount importance, so is providing an authentic and real experience for all the participants. Since when was it acceptable for a CEO and creative director to give a PR pitch before a fashion show starts? Unfortunately, the pre-show promotion felt rehearsed and forced, and detracted from this otherwise brilliant initiative. And if Burberry was indeed filtering live comments from their internet viewers to ensure only positive feedback appeared, in my eyes this also takes away from the authenticity of the experience.

Imran Amed is Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion

LONDON, United Kingdom — As the fashion industry continues its march into the digital age, London — always known for its raw creativity and emerging talent — can now add digital innovation to that list.

This is no overnight story. To the contrary, it’s taken ten years for fashion players here to plant seeds which are only beginning to bear fruit now, as fashion’s digital tsunami really begins to take hold.

The British capital, after all, is home to revolutionary fashion website SHOWStudio, e-commerce pioneer Net-a-Porter, and online hub of youth culture Dazed Digital — all of which were founded many years ago. These seminal businesses have created a foundational and fertile seedbed for other digital businesses and attracted and developed digital talent that has gone on to shape and inspire other online companies here including mywardrobe.com, Fashionair and farfetch.com. And, while American Vogue is in the midst of setting up its website now, British Vogue has had its own website for fifteen years.

London-based mega-brand Burberry, widely considered to be the most innovative fashion company in the digital space, was one of the first to stream its catwalk show live on the Internet last season. Having decided to show in London again this time around, Burberry is not content with resting on its digital laurels. A few weeks ago, the iconic British brand announced its plans to stream its show in 3D to a host of cities around the world, from Dubai and Tokyo to Paris and New York, creating the world’s first truly global fashion show.

But it’s not just big brands and websites that a digital capital make. The East End of London is a hotbed of fashion creativity and digital innovation. Emerging fashion creatives like Ruth Hogben, digital art directors like Jaime Perlman, and independent film production studios like Pundersons Gardens, have been working with independent designers like Gareth Pugh and Richard Nicoll to show the fashion world what is possible when creativity meets digital technology.

And, the British Fashion Council is the first of the major organising bodies in fashion to fully embrace digital technology, having set up its own digital schedule for fashion films and live-streams of selected on-schedule shows, accompanied by live commentary using curated tweets from fashion insiders and fans alike via Starworks Conversations.

As for the designers themselves, they are going digital too. Following in the footsteps of that giant of fashion whose shadow is looming over this London fashion week, designers like Mary Katrantzou and Erdem Moralioglu are using digital techniques to create out-of-this world prints, which have become defining, technology-based signatures of their work.

As Naomi Attwoods said in her review of Katrantzou’s A/W 2010 collection shown on Saturday, “Katrantzou’s strength is her eye for a print. The digital technology that has revolutionised and regenerated the trend for colourful, printed clothes gives designers so many possibilities but with Miss Katrantzou’s pieces, the source material is clearly visible and this sets her apart.”

And so, as London Fashion Week hits full tilt on Monday and Tuesday, the city seems poised to leapfrog Milan, Paris and New York as the definitive digital fashion capital, furthering the nascent comeback of London Fashion Week after years of struggling in the shadow of its fashion capital brethren.

Imran Amed is Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion

Peter Pilotto, Holly Fulton and Marios Schwab, A/W 09

LONDON, United Kingdom — Today marks the start of London Fashion Week, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the British Fashion Council and heralding the return of big brands like Burberry and Pringle and star talents who had left the city to show elsewhere, like Jonathan Saunders and Matthew Williamson.

But the strength of London has always been its emerging designers, whose creativity is born out of the unrivaled energy, top fashion schools and international fabric that make up London’s recipe for truly innovative fashion design. So, while it’s great to have the big brands back, we are also looking forward to seeing what’s in store from the newest crop of young designers.

The first place to look is Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East, which has an uncanny track record of picking out London’s future fashion stars. This season’s line up includes Heikki Salonen, who previously worked as Assistant Designer at Erdem, Central Saint Martins MA alumnus, Michael van der Ham, and Holly Fulton, who is showing for the second season under the Fashion East banner.

Fulton is excited about the coming season. “The intention is to continue the signature elements established within my first collection in order to consolidate my label. To create an association with the name which represents my design ethos,” she says.

Her key concept for Spring/Summer 2010 centres around the Eduardo Paolozzi image ‘Wittgenstein in New York’,  “when I saw this picture, it perfectly encapsulated the ideas and imagery within my head. The use of vibrant colour, skyscrapers and an homage to Art Deco.”

“There is constantly such an exciting array of designers coming out of London and over the last couple of years, they have been at the forefront of innovative print design,” says Thea Basiliou of Blonde Venus in Brisbane, Australia. “Designers like Mary Katrantzou and the amazing Peter Pilotto have been creating prints and designs that will always identify with fashion of our time.”

Katrantzou, who wowed the fashion flock with her Autumn/Winter 2009 collection of above-the-knee dresses with bold necklace motifs, delivered an aggressive feminine vision, steeped in modernity and graphic foreplay. Her collection was not for the faint of heart.

“I think print allows you to be bold. It’s more daring,” Katrantzou affirms. “Because of the recession, every piece you invest in should either be a great timeless garment or make a strong statement. A print will do that for you, it’s free spirited.” Katrantzou will show her new collection tomorrow, featuring prints inspired by “blown glass and the intensity of sound-waves.”

Print specialists Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, who met whilst studying at Antwerp’s influential Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2000, will open Tuesday’s shows. “We like a modern wardrobe to be sort of timeless,” they say. “It is the woman’s spirit that attracts her to mix colour and prints.”

And finally, challenging notions of traditional knitwear has become the forte of designers like Louise Goldin, known for her short, body hugging knit dresses and swimwear, and most recently the Canadian designer Mark Fast.

“I believe that there is a growing attention to craftsmanship in fashion these days, as opposed to quick-fix disposable pieces. I am focusing on timeless classics,” says Fast.

And with that we look forward to what is shaping up to be the most promising London Fashion Week in years — for both the big brands and the up-and-coming talent — giving London a new creative and commercial edge that, with the right results, could place the city firmly back on the fashion map. Stay tuned.

Sojin Lee, Co-Founder, Fashionair.com

LONDON, United Kingdom — Over the last decade, the internet and the mp3 have revolutionised the way people access and consume music, fundamentally threatening the system of controlled distribution that traditional record companies had built. Now a similar digital tidal wave is giving consumers unprecedented access to the once closed, “insider” world of fashion.

The rapid pace of chance is causing disruption across the industry and calling into question the logic of the current fashion calendar, where consumers have access to collections online months before they arrive at retail and fast fashion copycats create and market look-a-like merchandise faster and cheaper.

In the context of these underlying shifts, Sojin Lee, former chief buyer for Net-a-Porter, has teamed up with multi-millionaire and founder of 19 Entertainment, Simon Fuller, whose impressive track record in the music industry includes managing the Spice Girls through the peak of their success. Together, they have launched Fashionair, a new platform for “fashion entertainment” that’s both digital and democratic.

Fashionair packages fashion for a more mainstream audience, blending accessible interactive shopping with consumer-friendly content. Given Mr. Fuller’s success with TV franchise Pop Idol, it’s not surprising that Fashionair’s content takes many of its cues from television. The site features a series of online video programs like Fashion Insider, which offers portraits of some of today’s top designers, make-up artists, photographers and stylists; 7 Days of Chic, which chronicles the lives of fashionable young women; Chic Fix, which presents a weekly update on fashion news, shops, restaurants and exhibitions; and Style Profile, which takes viewers inside the homes of influential fashion personalities.

With popular interest in fashion higher than ever and a month of launch events planned at London department store Selfridges, BoF caught up with Sojin Lee via email to talk about Fashionair and learn what it means to produce “fashion entertainment” for all.

BoF: You used to work at Net-a-Porter. How did you get involved with Simon Fuller?

I wanted to explore the next conception of the fashion experience online and Roland Mouret, who is a great friend, introduced me to Simon. Simon is our biggest supporter, as well as being our business partner and co-founder of Fashionair. His brilliance and focus as a pioneer in entertainment and music has given us the freedom to develop Fashionair and we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have him as our partner.

BoF: Historically, the fashion world has been cautious in its approach to the internet. What makes now the right time to launch something like Fashionair? Do you think there’s been or will be a seismic change in the way the industry thinks of digital?

The time is right because the internet is stable, the technology is right and consumer behaviour demands it. I felt there was a gap in the online marketplace in terms of format and depth of experience. There was a huge opportunity to create a site that creates deeper emotional connections and enhances the experience of fashion with new storytelling formats and original video content.

Fashion was still being siloed and we understood that was simply not how consumers behave, online or off. Our positioning makes us unique; the site has always been about the democracy of fashion and being inclusive. Our sources of information are so very diverse. The industry is definitely shifting. And Fashionair exists because there is that shift.

BoF: By shifting you mean becoming more open and democratic? Fashionair is often described as a website for “fashion entertainment.” What does that description mean to you?

Entertainment is escapist; it’s colourful, emotional and creative. All the things that I think fashion embodies. “Fashion entertainment” means bringing that to life for the end consumer

BoF: Fashionair features a lot of high definition video content that was shot at a TV studio. It also features a daily schedule of programs. Is video the future of fashion online? And what has Fashionair borrowed or learnt from television?

For me the films and videos we’re doing are really important. Video is the medium that best brings the emotional creativity and colour of fashion to life. We’re trying to make fashion feel more personal, whether that means following an unknown girl for seven days to see how she chooses her wardrobe or offering a peek into the world of Sophia Neophitou, the editor of 10 magazine. The medium itself is not new, but how we use it is different.

Fundamentally, we are creating something that is consumer facing. If consumers respond and relate to celebrities because it is emotional, I see no reason why we can’t make celebrities of people in our industry. There are some amazing people, so if we can help create that emotional connection with the public and vice versa that’s great. I’m a huge consumer of TV and film myself, so I think the more we can bring that type of high production programming to fashion and online the better. Fashion content can’t all be user-generated! Why create TV programming just for TV? I say, create it for online as well and give fashion the quality it deserves.

BoF: Fashionair aims to include a “wide range of fashion voices” and “offer a unique editorial perspective without an editorial bias.” What is Fashionair’s editorial point of view and who defines or guides it?

Our voice is inclusive, celebratory and fun and that will always manifest itself in every piece of content we produce. It’s driven by how we can best spotlight the personality of our subjects. It’s always collaborative.

BoF: Sites like Fashionair are finally fusing editorial content with online commerce. Why do you think it’s taken the industry so long?

I think it’s taken so long because the leaders in content and commerce have existed in silos. I think bringing them together as a part of the consumer experience is mandatory now, because that’s how people use the internet: Googling everything, multiple tabbing.

BoF: One might say that part of fashion’s appeal is its exclusivity or inaccessibility. But Fashionair breaks down the latest look trends and inspirations and provides quick shopping links for all. When everything is easily digestible and accessible, what happens to the mystique of fashion?

I think it’s a mistake to assume that accessible and inclusive immediately mean dissection. This is still fashion so we still have to be aspirational, but it has to be more relevant, useful and helpful. What is the mystique of fashion anyway? I think the fantasy, the moment, the thrill can still be achieved without being inaccessible.

BoF: You’re launching Fashionair with a month of events and activities at Selfridges. What have you got planned?

Selfridges’ democratic approach to fashion is perfectly in tune with the Fashionair ethos. And this gives us the opportunity to extend the Fashionair experience offline. There are a number of ways people can participate, including the opportunity to enter in a series of open castings to be a Fashionair presenter, which we’re really excited about.

The castings will take place in our exclusive video booth at Selfridges and at start at 5pm on Thursday with Brix Start-Smith on hand to offer style tips, and continue through September with Brix also appearing on Saturday 19th & 26th between 2-3pm. The final videos will be judged by Roland Mouret, Suzy Menkes and Sarah Doukas. We also have our team roaming the store, seeking out stylish guys and girls, and asking them what inspires them. The most inspiring sound bites will secure a star spot in the windows at Selfridges!

Vikram Alexei Kansara is a digital strategist and writer based in New York. CEO Talk is an ongoing series of discussions with fashion entrepreneurs and business leaders. Previous interviews are listed below:

• Natalie Massenet, Chairman and Founder, Net-a-Porter
• Camilla Skovgaard, Shoe designer and Entrepreneur
• Susan Lyne, Chief Executive Officer, Gilt Groupe
• Priya Kishore, Founder and Creative Director, Bombay Electric
• Alex Bolen, Chief Executive Officer, Oscar de la Renta
• Jeffrey Kapelman, Chief Executive Officer, Hilldun Corporation
• Bonnie Takhar, Chief Executive Officer and President, Halston
• Sara Ferrero, Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Group
• Paolo Fontanelli, Chief Executive Officer, Furla
• Stella Iishi, President and Founder, The News Inc.
• Greg Furman, Founder and Chairman, Luxury Marketing Council
• Sarah Curran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, my-wardrobe.com
• Brian Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Aritzia
• José Neves, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, farfetch.com
• CEO Talk | Federico Marchetti, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, YOOX Group

LONDON, United Kingdom — After months of speculation and almost a year of going without a head designer, Halston announced in May that it had appointed Marios Schwab, the half-Austrian half-Greek Lond0n-based designer, as its new Creative Director.

Many in the industry breathed a sigh of relief. Amongst the various names that had been bandied around in the rumour mill, including Olivier Theyskens (apparently the strong choice of Anna Wintour), Schwab’s name was the one that seemed to create the most excitement amongst fashion insiders for his potential to develop commercially viable collections in the spirit of the brand’s DNA.

Making the final cut was no easy task. Amongst others, Schwab had to pass the muster of board members including Bonnie Takhar, Halston’s CEO, Harvey Weinstein, the notoriously demanding Hollywood heavyweight and investor in the Halston brand, and Tamara Mellon, Founder and President of Jimmy Choo. With a vested stake in the Halston brand, each of these big guns also knew that their decision would directly impact the bottom line at a critical time for the newly-relaunched label.

I caught up recently with Marios on a sunny day at London’s Shoreditch House to learn more about his decision to join Halston, his plans for balancing two labels, and his advice for young designers just starting out in the business of fashion.

BoF: With your own label to manage and so many other opportunities available to you, why did you accept the Halston role, and why now?

MS: Working with a brand in America was always one of my dreams. I was ready for a new challenge and felt an instant chemistry with Halston; it came naturally to me. It’s very challenging to take on a role like this, maybe more challenging than ever before, especially in times like these. All of this was very attractive to me.

When Halston started his label, he created something completely different from anything else available at the time — it was almost anti-fashion. People didn’t want to go for fittings in Paris. They wanted to have something comfortable. Halston came at the right time and he created something beautiful and timeless, that every woman could make her own, to bring out her own personality.

The Halston woman is not a seasonal, trendy girl. She has a contemporary outlook on fashion and wants something more relaxed than what I do in my own collection. Halston is about a lifestyle that people want. It’s innovative and has the fun fantasy side of fashion that I think people are really looking for now.

The collaboration and combination of these two roles is both good for me and for Halston. They get the energy of a young designer and I will benefit from the experience of working in a larger, more structured company. It’s a win-win situation.

MS: Coming from Greece, obviously there was the element of being surrounded by a culture that to me, in some aspects, is still humble. There is some sort of ancient element in the characters that you meet on an island. As a kid, I [could never go] to a beautiful gallery to see new things. I probably had two to three magazines that I would buy monthly. [I] didn’t have the internet, obviously.

Once I came to Berlin, and then to London, it was a completely mindblowing situation…especially London because you see the mixture and the diversity. This is mainly why I was so appreciative of all this information. I like diversity and I think once you have seen lots of things, touched lots of things like textures, your vision grows and you are highly more versatile. And, that’s what fashion needs at the moment as well. You need to adapt to certain situations.

BoF: Can you tell me a bit about what the business of fashion is for you?

MS: Personally, I like the risk of creating something and making it successful. For example, creating something that people are unaware of and may not be familiar with…something they need to observe and then accept. This is something that fascinates me. This is what a creator should be…challenging himself to create something that people want to observe and learn more about. It’s not just fashion, it’s also an object that they want to invest in and own, have, look at.

So, I think it’s very important that through learning about the business aspects of the fashion industry that you remain true to your creativity. This is what fashion is about. It should move forward. It’s an evolution. As our personalities evolve through popular culture and music, we need to do the same in the way we clothe and portray ourselves.

BoF: Finally, what advice would you offer to young designers who are just setting up their own businesses?

MS: The younger generation seems to have different expectations about fashion. When students come to work for us, they often come with this notion that fashion is about glamour. They don’t research enough. They don’t touch things enough. How can you design a building without knowing how to construct it? The same is also true for fashion. For young designers, I would say make sure you understand the technical aspects of a design.

I would also say that you must be very organised, and you need to carefully balance the business side and the creative side. Find the parts of the business you like and focus on them and for the other things, make sure you find people to work with you. You just can’t do everything yourself.

RSS and Email subscribers: To see a video excerpt of the interview with Marios Schwab, click here.

Images from SHOWstudio's "Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down"

Last time we surveyed the rapidly changing landscape of digital fashion media. Today, in the second part of our series on the future of fashion magazines, we explore the experimental approach that online pioneers like Jefferson Hack and Nick Knight are using to create unique content and experiences that truly bring fashion magazines into the digital age.

LONDON, United Kingdom — The internet’s ability to transmit information immediately, impossible in print and too expensive on television, has changed the way in which we create and consume content perhaps more than anything else. “Print magazines will never be the first to break any news,” said fashion blogger Diane Pernet, whose influential website, A Shaded View on Fashion, has been reporting live from fashion weeks, showrooms and studios around the world, capturing and transmitting the moment almost instantaneously with inexpensive camera phones and laptops.

In response, forward thinking magazines have done two things. Web pioneers like Dazed Digital, a fashion and culture platform launched in November 2006 by the publishers of Dazed & Confused magazine, have begun “live blogging” themselves, posting realtime reports from fashion shows in Paris, London, New York and Milan. But they’ve also learned to focus less on what’s new, a commodity that’s instantly available everywhere, and more on a unique point of view and reader experience that aren’t easily replicated. “It’s got to be more about experiencing the fashion; a stylistic point of view. It’s less and less about information,” said Jefferson Hack, founder and co-publisher at Dazed Group.

Indeed, the success of physical magazines like Purple Fashion and Katie Grand’s new venture Love, which sold-out on newsstands within days of its release, proves that an original point of view and well-crafted reader experience are important, no matter what the medium. But online, where information is easily and instantly exchanged, originality and experience are even more essential in attracting and keeping readers. “Where so many sites are aggregating content or acting as filters, it’s important that all the content on Dazed Digital is originated by us,” underscored Mr. Hack.

The immediacy of the internet has also given readers unprecedented access to the behind the scenes of the fashion industry. “Before, fashion shows were a closed affair for only a handful of professionals around the world. Now the news is dispersed instantly. Fashion is no longer the domain of a very few,” said blogger Diane Pernet. Indeed, amplified by the fashion world’s enthusiastic adoption of Twitter last season, consumer interest in the people and process behind the scenes of fashion is exploding and expectations are rising for fashion media to deliver.

Magazines have responded in some interesting ways. Olivier Zahm of Purple has launched a website called Purple Diary. Using the “micro-blogging” platform Tumblr, the site lets Mr. Zahm and his contributors chronicle their lives in realtime and post instant, and often intimate, updates directly to readers from fashion parties, runway shows, art happenings and photo shoots around the world.

Photographer Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio, which calls itself a “fashion website” rather than a magazine, has gone one step further, allowing its audience immediate and unparalleled access to the entire creative process of making fashion editorials for magazines like V and British Vogue. “The philosophy of the site is based on Nick’s belief that showing the entire creative process – from conception to completion – is beneficial for the artist, the audience and the art itself,” said Alex Fury, fashion director of SHOWstudio.

What’s more, on SHOWstudio the audience is encouraged to respond and contribute to projects that feature some of the most influential names in fashion like Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh and Kate Moss. For example, a project called “24 HRS” let viewers influence the narrative of a short film for the launch of Stefano Pilati’s “Edition 24″ collection for Yves Saint Laurent. Directed by Nick Knight, the entire shoot was broadcast live online, while model Jessica Miller acted out treatments submitted by SHOWstudio viewers. Another project, “Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down,” let viewers style model Liberty Ross for a photo shoot. “In a virtual chatroom, viewers posted their ideas for styling outfits for Liberty and forty ‘Stylists’ were chosen from the chatroom to style Liberty in their looks, live, via chatroom instructions,” said Alex Fury.

“Digital is breaking down the boundaries between artist, curator and consumer,” observed Ken Miller, a freelance editor and contributor to V, V Man and Interview magazines. “It’s become much more about the creative experience for all of the participants.”

Dazed Digital has also been experimenting with new ways to let readers participate in the creation of content. In April, Dazed became the first fashion magazine to stage a “twinterview,” giving readers the chance to interview Nathan Howdeshell and Hannah Blilie from The Gossip (Beth Ditto also joined at the last minute) live via Twitter. Dazed has also been using photo sharing site Flickr to source new talent, showcasing young photographers from their Flickr group on Dazed Digital and sometimes commissioning them to shoot for the print edition. “Social networking sites have played a big role in allowing users to participate in the magazine’s development,” said Jefferson Hack.

But perhaps more than anything else, fashion magazines are about fresh and provocative imagery. For decades, that largely meant still photography. But in recent seasons, that’s begun to change. “We are in the midst of a revolution in fashion imagery, moving away from illustration and stills photography,” said Nick Knight, director of SHOWstudio.

Read Part One – A Changing Landscape here and Part Three – The move to fashion film here.

Next time, in our third and final installment, we explore the biggest online fashion force of all — the growing dominance of the online fashion film.

Vikram Alexei Kansara is a digital strategist and writer based in New York.

Behnaz Kanani

LONDON, United Kingdom — Behnaz Kanani is the name to know for buyers in search of a shoe designer with an age-old emphasis on craftsmanship paired with a modern eye. This month, our BoF logo showcases her aesthetic which mixes contrasting colours, exotic skins, and luxe leathers in immaculately-constructed shoes that are designed to catch a bit of attention.

After graduating from Cordwainers College in London in 1997, Kanani set her sights on Italy’s traditional shoe industry at Bruno Magli in Bologna to get the kind of old-world training that money can’t buy. With that technical foundation in place, she flexed her design muscle working with Sandra Choi, Creative Director at Jimmy Choo, just as the brand was starting to take off and reach uber-hot status. Then, in 2006, with brother and business partner Reza by her side, she launched her own label and has experienced promising success in the first few years of her business.

When I last met with Behnaz a few months ago, we discussed the signature she was developing for her collection. Christian Louboutin has his red sole, Roger Vivier has his chip buckle, so what would Behnaz Kanani have? I was pleased to read last month in Footwear News that she has followed through with her idea.

“For Fall ’09, I have introduced a marine fossil logo that’s featured as a metal tab on the heel of every shoe,” she said in a profile describing her as one of the shoeworld’s fastest-rising stars. We wholeheartedly agree and are pleased to have her in The Spotlight this month.

Incidentally, Behnaz is not the only Spotlight designer making headlines. Outgoing Spotlight designer Justin Giunta was honoured this month as winner of the CFDA Swarovski, while his chain woven brooch graced our masthead. Congratulations Justin!

Marine fossil signature

The Spotlight is BoF’s showcase for emerging talent employing creativity and business acumen to make their mark in the fashion business.

Uniqlo visual merchandising

LONDON, United Kingdom — “Men’s and women’s polo t-shirts in 25 colours from £12.99!” Ads announcing this Uniqlo promotion have been plastered alongside London buses this month, as well as being featured front-and-centre in Uniqlo shops everywhere. Same-store sales rose 18.3 percent in May 2009 over last year for the Japanese retailer, and the company’s stock hit five-year record highs.

Over at American Apparel, which uses a similar merchandising approach, total retail sales increased 16.5 percent to $78 million for the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. It would seem that both American Apparel and Uniqlo have managed to accurately address the mood of the market, hitting a sweet spot in an otherwise suffering sector. Although many factors play into these high street success stories, it is worth having a closer look at the merchandising strategy shared by both, offering a functional item in a variety of colours and encouraging the purchase of multiple units.

Strategic merchandising starts right from collection design and then to ensuring responsive production with quick-access to distribution channels and presenting finished products in a visually enticing manner at the point-of-sale. It requires intimate knowledge of the consumer, her spending habits and her wardrobe needs. A good merchandising strategy increases sales, boosts margins and helps reduce excess inventory. In simple terms, if a consumer needs four tops, one bottom and two dresses to renew her wardrobe in a given season, the collection’s assortment should reflect these ratios.

The luxe ready-to-wear market continues to suffer in this crisis of consumer confidence and credit crunches. Already a segment with limited margins compared to handbags or accessories, further markdowns and poor performances are hurting luxury brands everywhere. And yet, merchandising responses to tough economic times have been as basic as presenting entirely black and white collections — as witnessed in the pre-Fall offering of a few brands.

Traditionally, high-end fashion collections are designed around an elaborate theme and planning is reserved for production and distribution only. Given the current economic climate and changing consumer behaviour however, now might not be a bad time to consider integrating a more responsive merchandising strategy into the design process. If luxury brands have been listening to their consumers of late, they would have heard terms such as “investment piece”, “value”, and “function” several times by now.

By no means should luxury brands abandon the emphasis on design or remove the conceptual elements of the process. Nor should they walk away from those special, limited-edition pieces that reflect the creative essence of a collection. But choosing a few key items and offering them in a small variety of colours to match the season’s theme could go a long way in maximising floor space and boosting sales. Visually merchandised correctly at the point-of-sale, it might even encourage the purchase of multiple items.

The idea of presenting key items alongside a full conceptual collection is not new. Ralph Lauren, the master of merchandising from the level of collection planning all the way through to visual presentation, has long benefited from this two-tiered strategy and would serve as an interesting example for other luxury brands in the high-end ready-to-wear segment today.

At its best, the art of merchandising involves striking that magical balance between giving consumers not just what they want, but also what they need. At this difficult juncture in the world of luxe fashion, brands who successfully imagine the luxury equivalent of American Apparel leggings or the Uniqlo polo in 25 colours might just be the ones that emerge on the other side of this economic crisis stronger and in touch with its changed consumer.

Meeta Roy is a luxury brand consultant.

LONDON, United Kingdom — London, of course, is widely known in the fashion world for its unbridled creativity and superb emerging fashion talent. But, increasingly, it could also be described as fashion’s Silicon Valley, with a growing number of innovative fashion ecommerce startups sprouting in the city, following in the footsteps of the ultimate luxury e-tailing pioneer, Net-a-Porter.com.

During my visit to Vienna for the 9 Festival for Fashion & Photography, I had the privilege of hosting a discussion amongst some of the newest fashion e-tailers on the London scene, bringing together Sarah Curran, CEO of my-wardrobe.com, José Neves, CEO of farfetch.com and Stephanie Phair, Director of theoutnet.com.

Thanks to our easy-to-use Flip Video Mino, we managed to capture some of the most poignant responses from our illustrious panel and are pleased to share them with you in the coming weeks. First up: How are your clients changing their shopping habits in the downturn?

RSS and email subscribers, click here to watch the video.

Matthew Williamson for H&M, courtesy of H&M

H&M’s 8% April Comparable Sales Gain Breaks Trend (WSJ)
“Fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB Friday said April sales in comparable stores rose for the first time since July, indicating that it may be recovering from the global trend of consumers reining in spending amid the economic slowdown.”

Dior Jumps on the Viral-Video Bandwagon (NYMag.com)
“The House of Dior will release a short film on May 20, directed by Oliver Dahan and starring the ever-lovely Marion Cotillard,” featuring artistic shots of stockings, Lady Dior handbags, clothes by John Galliano, the Eiffel Tower, and gangsters. To whet our appetites, Dior has released a 30 second trailer. (see video here)

Esprit says to open more stores, meet target (The Guardian)
“Esprit Holdings, the world’s No.6 fashion brand, said on Thursday it will continue to open new stores and is confident of meeting its target of adding 110 outlets in the fiscal year ending in June.”

Richard Prince Wraps Hong Kong Museum For Vuitton (WWD)
“The installation, which takes its theme from Prince’s ‘After Dark’ series, heralds a significant exhibition of paintings, photographs and video installations collectively called ‘Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation’ that will be displayed inside the Museum of Art from May 22 to August 9 as part of Hong Kong’s annual French May Arts Festival.”

De La Renta to Open Stores in the Gulf Region (WWD)
“Not about to be mired down by the U.S. economy, Oscar de la Renta Ltd. is heading to the Arabian Gulf region to increase international sales.” (Subscription required)