Social media proves the new press release for DKNY in faux #UK2012 video

You’re opening a new store in London. What do you do… A) send out a press release, B) announce it via social media, or C) make a video that explains the fact there’s no need for A anymore by demonstrating it happening via B in a faux scenario, and by proxy achieving it via B in real life in anycase.

Still with me?

Check out this new video from DKNY (starring “socialmedialites” including @psimadethis, @cocorocha, @bagsnob and more) that plays on each of the above themes to promote the opening of the brand’s new Bond Street store in London this weekend. Fake hashtag: #UK20112, but given the fact we’re now all talking about it that’d be a real hashtag too.

As put by DKNY PR Girl herself: “#Socialmedia really is the new press release!”

 

 

DKNY PR Girl: fashion brands need to get out of Bedrock

Great quote from Aliza Licht, otherwise known as DKNY PR Girl, from a recent interview I did with her (and as featured on her Tumblr).

In a nutshell, it sums up what this blog is about too: brands that are jumping in, experimenting and not being afraid to let their consumers feedback on what’s working and what’s not.

Licht, as ever, is a great case study. Feel free to email me for the full article.

Digital snippets: Faberge, DKNY, Ferragamo, Coach, Siri, Shoptiques

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

• Faberge to launch e-commerce site [Forbes]

• DKNY PR Girl’s tweet feat (as pictured) [WWD]

• Salvatore Ferragamo releases fashion short The Signorina Story to push new fragrance [The Cut]

• Coach collaborates with The Coveteur to market men’s line [FashionablyMarketing.me]

• What Siri means for the future of mobile shopping [eMarketer]

• Fashion start-up Shoptiques takes aim at $20bn industry [Inc]

Norma Kamali gives Fashion 2.0 Awards keynote address

Fashion 2.0 founder Yuli Ziv, designer Norma Kamali, and the evening's host Robert Verdi

Fashion designer Norma Kamali gave the keynote address at Style Coalition’s third annual Fashion 2.0 Awards in New York this evening, focusing on how technology is propelling the industry into the future.

She referred to today as the most exciting time to be in fashion since the 1960s. “What’s now the most innovative and new, and what matters, is not the clothes, which repeat themselves, but how we tell the story about fashion,” she explained.

It’s about how we personalise it, and how we humanise it, she added. “You can know my story, know about me, and if you know me as a woman, you can connect with me.”

But she also said what she loves about it is the feedback you can get from your consumers. Where once the magazines owned the power and the information, now real people, who love fashion, and love to communicate and share it, are the ones who have that. They can tell a story to all of the people who follow them, in the same way that brands can, and really make an impact on them, she said – this is modern fashion today.

She referenced her background working for an airline straight after graduation when she couldn’t get a job in the 1960s, as the reason behind her desire and love for technology. At that time, airlines were like Apple today, she explained: “Technology was really driving the industry, it was an incredible leap into the future.”

She expressed that same sense of “tomorrow, today”; a place that is far ahead, but we are on our way there now.

The Fashion 2.0 awards themselves aim to recognise and honour brands striving to reach these very goals; those with outstanding achievements and communication strategies in the online community, and those considered best in class across a variety of digital media channels.

Kate Spade took the Top Innovator title beating out other nominees including Oscar de la Renta and Coach, and previous winners, Burberry and DKNY.

Meanwhile DKNY PR Girl, otherwise now known as Aliza Licht, international senior vice president of global communications, scooped Best Twitter and Best Blog by a Fashion Brand, for her more recently launched Tumblr page. Click here to see a full list of all the rest of the winners.

Kamali, who was nominated in the best online video category, will be showcasing her second 3-D film at New York Fashion Week next week.

(Image via @giafrese)

And the Fashion 2.0 Awards winners are…

Best Twitter – @DKNY

Best Facebook – Bergdorf Goodman

Best Blog by a Fashion Brand – DKNY PR Girl

Best Website – Marc Jacobs

Best Mobile App – 
Tiffany & Co Engagement Ring Finder

Best Online Video – 
Prada spring/summer 2011

Next Big Thing in Tech – Instagram

Top Innovator 
- Kate Spade

Fashion 2.0 Visionary Award – Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, co-founders of Gilt Groupe

Read about Norma Kamali’s keynote speech, here

(image courtesy of @KateSpadeNY)

Digital snippets: H&M, Christian Louboutin, Klout, Wonderbra, Angry Birds

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

• H&M’s controversial computer-generated lingerie models (as pictured) [The Cut]

• Christian Louboutin to launch European transactional website in early 2012 [Vogue.co.uk]

• Opinion piece: should Klout really have clout? [DKNY PR Girl]

• Twitter launches brand pages [AdAge]

• Online holiday spending fueled by mobile and tablets transactions [WWD]

• Wonderbra’s new social media campaign encourage women to “take the plunge” [NewMediaAge]

• Wife of Rovio boss Peter Vesterbacka, wears Angry Birds dress to Finnish Palace [Telegraph]

• UK Marie Claire to launch first iPad app [The Drum]

DKNY PR Girl revealed

Well what do you know, the infamous DKNY PR Girl has revealed herself: Aliza Licht, aka Donna Karan’s SVP of global communications.

DKNY PR Girl: Aliza Licht

A self-confessed Twitter and Tumblr-addict, Licht has built herself up to be one of the preeminent fashion stars in the digital space. It’ll be interesting to see how and if things change now the anonymous veil has been lifted.

Her “coming out” video below sees her talking about social media skills being a job requirement and demonstrates life dealing with the brand’s three shows during fashion week:

Fashion’s Night Out: digital highlights in London

As could be expected, there are all sorts of fun shopping activities happening for Fashion’s Night Out tonight, but what of all the digital initiatives surrounding it? Here’s a quick selection of some of the best in London:

Vogue’s app
First off, don’t forget to download yourself the official app – available for both the iPhone and Android – for the evening. It features a list of all the stores taking part and details the events happening in each. It also includes a handy map to help you navigate from one to the next

Net-a-Porter
Getting around the fact it doesn’t normally have a physical presence on the high street, online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter is launching a pop-up digital window powered by Aurasma technology on Mount Street. Shoppers will be able to use an image-recognition app called The Window Shop, which allows them to buy the items on display, and potentially even win them

DKNY
Twitter favourite DKNY PR Girl is bringing her fantasy apartment to life in the London store with a set that allows shoppers to explore her wardrobe, shop with her and of course, tweet alongside. Those in New York won’t be left out however – there’ll be a Twitter feed projected onto a giant Blackberry to enable fans to still interact with while she’s busy in London.

Alexander McQueen
Visitors to the Alexander McQueen store should look out for a limited number of FNO keys being given away. Each one contains a unique code that when entered online provides the chance of winning a new Folk Tote. The brand has also created a special microsite and video to celebrate the event

Bally
Using the wynsh app, Bally invites shoppers to take photos of their favourite products in-store for the chance to win discounts of up to 40% on their most lusted-after items. The promo also continues for a further two weeks with discounts of up to 20%

Tommy Hilfiger
Showmeyourwardrobe.com’s Jackie Dixon will be photographing shoppers on a recreation of the Hilfigers at Home set in the brand’s London Regent Street store

Topshop
‘Fashion Moments’ is an event that will allow shoppers to create their own film clips in store along with either a Vogue-selected product or a sign conveying their thoughts, and then see them projected on a huge video grid

And finally, be sure to follow the #FNO hashtag on Twitter to keep up with the night’s activities, and check out this post about how social media is adding more value to fashion’s night out in New York.

DKNY PR Girl joins Tumblr

DKNY is the latest in a line of fashion brands to join blogging platform Tumblr.

From the voice of the award-winning @DKNY PR Girl Twitter feed, the blog is said to be about “what’s current and her stream of consciousness”.

As the strapline reads, it’s for “when 140 characters aren’t enough”.

“I’m your well-placed fashion source bringing you behind-the-scenes scoop from inside Donna Karan New York and DKNY and my life as a PR Girl living in NYC,” explains the bio. “Go ahead, take a chance and RSS me (that means kiss me in Digital),” she adds in her first post.

Included is a quirky to do list, which links in a personalised manner to each of the DKNY branded assets, including the Facebook page and e-commerce websites. There is also an embedded Twitter widget, and link to download the Donna Karan and DKNY apps.

Read more about fashion brands flocking to Tumblr, here.

And keep an eye out for more about Tumblr’s relationship with the fashion industry over the next couple of weeks when I find time to post about my interview with the site’s fashion director Rich Tong.