Dolce & Gabbana: #MFW’s social media winner

I started this post with every intention of writing only about the beautiful videos Dolce & Gabbana has been posting on Vine surrounding its Milan Fashion Week show this week. Three in particular stand out – each of them zooming in on the intricate detail of the brand’s autumn/winter 2013/14 collection; the Byzantine and Venetian mosaic dresses, the elaborate jewellery and the beautifully beaded accessories.

Alas, those six-second loops are only viewable within the app itself and not on the brand’s Twitter or Facebook pages where they could also have been posted. On those instead however, is such a wealth of rich and relevant content on the collection otherwise, that it still seemed worth highlighting.

The craftsmanship and the inspiration behind the line – that would be the golden mosaics of Sicily’s Cathedral of Monreale – are the focus.

“It’s all in the details: the shoes of the Mosaics Collection are as intricate as the clothes,” reads a photo album dedicated to footwear images on Facebook. It was posted less than 12 hours ago and already has 30,000 likes and over 5,000 shares. The shot below by itself, meanwhile, has 7,000 likes, nearly 2,500 shares and over 500 comments.

There are also albums dedicated specifically to the collection as a whole, the handbags individually, and the action backstage at the show. Each were originally posted on Swide.com, the Italian brand’s editorial property, which also hosts pages all about the sunglasses, the jewellery and the textures, not to mention the architecture and the mosaics of the cathedral itself.

For record – albeit a little repetitive by this point – there are also multiple posts on the brand’s Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr pages.

A pre-show video meanwhile documents in a beautiful 30-seconds the artisans at work on their “slow and precise” mosaic-making. “The Mosaics Collection is perhaps one of the most intricate yet by Dolce & Gabbana which makes the video and crafts displayed all the more special,” reads the write-up.

And that’s the point here – the craftsmanship, talent and beauty of fashion is what so often makes it speak for itself if you just push the content out in the right direction. You don’t even have to like this collection to see why it works so wonderfully on social media.

 

Burberry personalising new collection with embedded digital content

This article first appeared on Mashable

Personalisation just got a whole lot smarter thanks to a new initiative from Burberry, which is launching as part of its London Fashion Week show on Monday.

The British heritage brand is embedding digital chips that will unlock bespoke content in its new season’s coats and bags in a bid to entice consumers to pre-order them immediately after they hit the catwalk.

The chips will activate short films (as demonstrated below) to bring the product in question to life, telling the story of its creation, from sketches to runway edits. They will also show video of the customer’s name being engraved on metal nameplates — also new this season — that are stitched into the lining of the coats and bags.

Users will be able to see the videos when their items are put in contact with smartphone or tablet devices logged into Burberry.com thanks to a new technology the company will reveal more information about at the delivery date (expected within nine weeks). For consumers in London who are able to visit the brand’s digitally integrated Regent Street flagship store, the same chips will prompt the videos to appear on its large-scale mirrors, which turn into screens.

While this “Smart Personalisation” concept demonstrates how technology can benefit Burberry shoppers, the brand also has plans to connect with its broader fanbase using social media. On the day after the show, Burberry will invite followers to tweet with the hashtag #madefor, so they can receive personalized images of their own bespoke nameplate, for example.

The show will also be live-streamed within Burberry’s Twitter feed for the first time, as well as online and in the Regent Street store. Additional access will be provided through two Instagram accounts: @Burberry will share images from backstage, the red carpet and the runway, while @Burberry_Live will take more detailed images of the collection to feed into Burberry.com’s dashboard.

Where Topshop launched a model cam for its show on Sunday, Burberry is also promoting backstage interaction with its models. The “Burberry Beauty Booth” will share images taken by models with the brand’s followers in real-time, when they tweet with the #BeautyBooth hashtag.

All the digital highlights from #NYFW: 360° live-streams to Twitter trolls

It might have been the season that everyone played with Twitter’s new vide0-sharing app, Vine, but so too were there numerous other digital happenings around this New York Fashion Week. Here are the highlights:

• Kenneth Cole reminded the audience to turn their smartphones ON during his show, pledging to donate a dollar to AIDS research foundation amfAR for every tweet with the #KCRUNWAY hashtag

• He also turned the cameras on the crowd when he sent models out during the finale clad with their own phones (see pic above)

• Tommy Hilfiger hosted a display featuring real-time updates from backstage, as posted on Twitter here and here

• Rebecca Minkoff was the victim of Twitter trolls. A huge learning in this one

• Kimberly Ovitz sent 3D-printed jewellery down the runway alongside her autumn/winter 2013/14 collection

• The Y-3 collection featured a 360° and interactive live-stream, including four different views of the runway and backstage on one screen

• Still to come tomorrow is Michael Kors’ All Access – All Angles initiative, another 360° live-stream experience, and the postponed Marc Jacobs show featuring pre-coverage with model Jessica Stam

Digital snippets: Donna Karan, Kate Spade, Natalie Massenet, Tommy Hilfiger, Alexander Wang

Some more great stories from around the web surrounding all things fashion and digital over the past week:

• Anjelica Huston gets behind the camera for Donna Karan hosiery film (as pictured) [Telegraph Fashion]

• Kate Spade’s digital play [WWD]

• British fashion gets a web dynamo: Natalie Massenet [NY Times]

• Tommy Hilfiger launches “le voyage seafarious” campaign, first ever webisode [Vogue.it]

• T by Alexander Wang taps Bon Qui Qui for spring video [AdAge]

• Rachel Roy opts for digital runway show [WWD]

• Whistles launches new website [Whistles]

• Milk Made’s top 10 Instagrams to follow for NYFW [Milk Made]

• How Pose became the ‘Instagram of fashion’ [Mashable]

• Here’s Net-a-Porter’s new magazine The Edit [Fashionista]

• Pinterest’s retail problem [AdWeek]

• Ebay in agency talks over fashion project [Campaign]

• Seven apps perfect for fashion week (or any week) [Refinery29]

• Branded mini-movies as China marketing tool: boom or bust? [JingDaily]

KCD’s Digital Fashion Shows open to the public

The Digital Fashion Shows initiative launched by PR agency KCD in 2012 as an invite-only online catwalk series for press and buyers, will be open to the public for the first time this season.

Kickstarting for autumn/winter 2013/14 during New York Fashion Week, the virtual runway shows aim to provide fans with the same “front row experience” as industry insiders. A slicker version than live-streamed affairs, however, they incorporate a pre-recorded catwalk presentation, high res images ready for download, detailed notes about the collection, and even beauty shots.

“The log-in response from non-invitees was tremendous and as it continued to grow with each digital show it became necessary to respond to our client’s request to open the platform’s doors wider for greater exposure,” said Rachna Shah, KCD’s digital managing director.

Accordingly, the now open nature of the platform will also enable users to share each show via email and social media for the first time this season, as well as invite friends to watch.

Designers Peter Som and Pierre Balmain have already announced participation, hosting their runways on the site on Wednesday, February 13 at 9am EST, and Friday, February 8 at 9am EST, respectively.

Som said: “The eye goes through an added process designing for the digital runway. You see the looks more dimensionally and more cinematically which is an inspiring new challenge.” He explained that the format will provide “an opportunity to try out a new platform that can reach a lot of people. The show will tap right into the digital and online presence of my brand and it will allow me to try something new creatively.” It is being shot at Made at Milk in New York and wil feature eight models.

Pierre Balmain meanwhile is using DFS for the second season, previously with a show recorded in Beijing, this time in Paris. Menswear brand Alexander Plokhov will also show on the site on Saturday, February 9 at 10am EST. Further announcements will follow for Paris.

2012: a designer meets digital year in review

Well what a year it’s been…

From designer musical chairs to the launch of the Nike FuelBand, not to mention Facebook’s overhyped IPO, the increasing use of animated GIFs in online communications, and Burberry as our ever-present tech powerhouse, one thing after another has rapidly impacted the role of innovation in this niche fashion x digital space.

Below, then, are the 10 posts you loved the most on fashion & mash this year. It’s an interesting collection, seemingly tied together by tangible experiences over purely inspirational concepts. We’re talking physical pop-up platforms, real-time shoppable integrations, heavily interactive images and of course, wearable technology hitting the catwalk.

Thank you for reading and look out for a very exciting update from us early on in 2013!

• C&A Brazil puts Facebook likes on store hangers to push Mother’s Day collection

• DVF introduces Google Glass to NYFW catwalk

• Topshop #LFW show to offer customisable, instantly shoppable looks online

• Physical Pinterest board pops up at Westfield UTC mall

• ThingLink’s interactive Twitter images could be a natural fit for fashion brands

• Levi’s launches first brand magazine on Flipboard

• Asos partners with Aurasma on scan to shop app

• Chloé launches digital archive for 60-year celebration

• Harrods launches Pinterest contest for Queen’s Diamond Jubilee windows

• Shoppable films: fad or future?

Fashion Hazard offers industry’s first action-fuelled catwalk game

Forget playing dress-up, forget virtual shopping malls, forget anything too girly or flirty, a new mobile game called Fashion Hazard has just hit the app store from Condé Nast that’s all about action.

Set on the catwalks of New York, London, Milan and Paris, it requires players to swipe, tilt and tap their way through all manner of obstacles to collect virtual currency, known as “bling”.

Competing to begin with as a naïve model called Ellie, there is everything from hissing snakes (a not-so-subtle metaphor for fashion industry types, says AdWeek) and retro stereos to contend with, not to mention the occasional can of red paint as though straight from a live PETA demonstration. As you progress, a more experienced model becomes available to play as.

“Begin as a model new to the world of high fashion and at the bottom of Fashion Week’s totem pole. Make a runway round-trip before the clock runs out without tripping, losing balance, or taking the ultimate spill,” reads the write-up.

“From New York through Europe, the rewards get bigger, the stakes get higher and staying on top gets harder. Stay in time, stay in line, stay in season…or become a Fashion Hazard.”

The idea for the game came from Juliana Stock, Condé Nast’s senior director of business and product development for its Interactive Product Group (IPG), whose 11-year-old daughter enjoys action games such as Temple Run).

“When we started to look at action and adventure with her interests in mind, which are girly, we didn’t find any,” she explained. “There was a need in the market to create an action game that was challenging, and yet still feminine and visually appealing to this demographic.”

It is currently available for the iPhone and iPad with an Android version due to follow, and costs 99c in the app store.

It also provides options for additional purchases including wallpaper and ringtones, suggesting future advertising opportunities could follow. It launches with a cross-promotional initiative with Frenzoo, developer of the Me Girl series.

Gucci video offers exclusive insight to AW12/13 collection through Giannini’s eyes

This is a great idea for a video short: the new Gucci collection as seen through the eyes of creative director Frida Giannini.

In other words, it’s Giannini narrating through some of her favourite looks from the recent Milan Fashion Week show.

It’s a highly informative piece of content that also feels very exclusive, better yet it was no doubt very easy to put together too:

WGSN sponsors Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Online fashion forecaster WGSN is set to sponsor Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York.

The service, which has provided creative and business intelligence for the apparel, style, design and retail industries since 1998, will also host a trendzone in the grand lobby of the event space.

WGSN’s CEO, Julie Harris, said: “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York is the highlight of the seasonal show calendar and a must-attend event. We are delighted to be embarking on this exclusive relationship giving WGSN’s 38,000 global subscriber base privileged and exclusive access to all the runway shows in New York through WGSN.com as well as live expert analysis on site in the WGSN TrendZone.”

Visitors will be privy to catwalk trend briefings as they happen, access to the WGSN.com site on one of the free work stations, and be able to explore the recently launched Vogue Archive, featuring every page of every issue of American Vogue from 1892 until today.

Forever 21′s holographic catwalk continues global tour

 

Forever 21 has brought its hologram fashion show to the US following a tour through various cities in Europe.

The seven-minute digital event hit Los Angeles last week and New York (as the above video shows) yesterday. It features a series of holographic models walking on a “cosmic runway”, climbing invisible staircases that light up underfoot, and disappearing in a burst of stars.

“Our customers are very digitally savvy,” says Linda Chang, senior marketing manager for the retailer. “We love that, because it challenges us to meet them head on with a fashion experience that’s innovative, fun and progressive.”

The show will now travel to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

Forever 21 previously made waves in digital, with its interactive billboard in Times Square.