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

Jaime Perlman | Source: Jermaine Francis.

LONDON, United Kingdom — “Everyone knows that editorial content is going to change,” says Jaime Perlman, Art Director of British Vogue. As web magazines, fashion films and a new generation of bloggers continue to capture the collective imagination of industry insiders and end consumers alike, there’s no doubt that fashion media is embracing digital technology like never before and becoming more immediate, transparent and multi-sensory in the process.

But where many in the magazine industry see a seismic threat, Ms. Perlman saw a creative opportunity. Last September, she launched an experimental fashion site called Test that embraces the collaborative energy, speed and democratic spirit of the internet and — true to its name — provides a platform for a new generation of fashion creatives to test the digital waters.

Jaime got her start in fashion as an assistant to Fabien Baron at American Harpers Bazaar, before moving on to become Associate Art Director at American Vogue. After a chance encounter with Robin Derrick, she was offered the job of Art Director at British Vogue and jumped ship for London, where she’s lived for the last five years.

BoF recently caught up with Jaime to talk about Test, the convergence of film and stills, moving to London, and the new inclusive fashion universe.

BoF: Since your roles at Harpers Bazaaar and American Vogue, you’ve become Art Director of British Vogue, worked with photographers like Tim Walker and Nick Knight, and launched a fashion website called Test. Is there something special about London that gives you the creative freedom and energy to do it all?

I definitely feel like London is buzzing with a creative energy I’ve felt nowhere else. I’ve also found the aesthetic here to be quite different to America, a bit more experimental and avant garde. It’s been a great place to try things out visually. I’ve felt much less self-conscious here about making a visual statement and feel privileged to have worked with talents like Nick Knight, Tim Walker and Corinne Day, all of whom have essentially popularised their own unique aesthetics that new generations of photographers follow.

BoF: How does the idea of a “test shoot” inform the underlying concept and the way you run Test?

I began Test as a place to experiment. Throughout my career, I’d met photographers and stylists that inspired me, but whom I had no opportunity to work with “professionally,” so I created this platform. The name Test is indeed derived from the term “test shoot,” for which photographers, stylists, models, and hair and makeup teams come together to demonstrate the best of their abilities. It’s a place to flush out new ideas and try out new collaborations.

But most importantly, Test has been a place for photographers to play around with moving image. Almost every photographer I know feels pressure to master film and video right now, and they’re keen to make a reel. It’s an exciting time, as it feels like a transitional period in media — stills photographers with no training in film are clumsily picking up their ‘high-def’ cameras for the first time and tinkering around with Final Cut Pro. It’s a race to keep up with new technology and evolving expectations. Advertising agencies don’t want to hire photographers anymore, they want to hire photographers who can also direct. It’s a skill that’s necessary for survival.

BoF: Because they incorporate sound and movement, do you think films are more emotionally charged than stills? Will fashion film become the dominant editorial format?

I wouldn’t argue that films are more emotionally charged than stills. In fact, I think there’s something incredibly powerful about capturing a single moment in still photography. You lose that in film. But I don’t think it’s a question of one or the other. With the growth of online magazines and new innovations like the Apple tablet, I think it’s about how film and photography will be used together. Increasingly, the creation and consumption of stills shoots and fashion films will be one in the same. Remember, with the Red camera, directors can shoot a moving image piece and select stills which can be pulled out as fashion photographs.

BoF: In most fashion magazines, only the photographer and stylist are credited. But with Test, you’ve taken a more democratic approach, crediting the entire creative team. What’s the philosophy behind this?

A rigidly hierarchical environment is somewhat outdated in fashion. Previously you assisted someone for years and years with no creative input and were totally hidden behind the scenes. When I first began going to shoots, it struck me just how many people were involved in producing the images you see, working their butts off, but never being credited.

Now, with the internet and blogs, people at all levels have a voice. I felt it was quite natural for Test to embrace this new, digitally-driven ethos and credit everyone involved with the shoots. Test is about the process as much as the product and I wanted to inform the audience about everyone’s role in the shoots we do. Ultimately, these are the people who may one day be credited at the tops of magazine mastheads. I’ve seen so many kids move up in the business from the very bottom, and I think everyone that’s dedicated enough to their craft has the possibility to achieve great things.

BoF: You said that Test was about the process as much as the finished product. How do you think a more transparent creative process will impact fashion?

Everything is getting more accessible these days, whether it’s fashion or celebrity. Now everything is within our reach, which is why consumers are becoming fascinated with the process. It’s something that was previously hidden away.

Within the industry, the majority of my friends and colleagues have blogs. People are always fascinated by what inspires other people and often borrow inspiration for themselves. On both levels, I think what we’re seeing is a move towards a more inclusive and open fashion universe.

BoF: Is Test ever a “testing area” for ideas or concepts that make their way into your work for British Vogue?

Test and British Vogue are two separate entities. But as an art director, I find they complement each other. A few of the artists who have worked with Test — such as Norbert Schoerner, Jacob Sutton, Catherine Servel, and Jermaine Francis — have already contributed to Vogue. But Test also allows me to work with artists who are less established and may not have had the opportunity to work for Vogue at this stage in their careers. In that sense, it’s opened my eyes to people who are potential contenders and allows me to mark people in the industry as “ones to watch” who might grace the pages of Vogue in the future.

Visit Test at testmag.co.uk or follow Test on Twitter @testmagtweet