Attending virtual London Fashion Week (LFW) versus being there in person? The difference is becoming smaller, says Helen Martin Glaberson.
Of course LFW is the only place in the world that style and fashion lovers want to be at this exact moment in time. But what if you didn’t manage to blag a pass or just couldn’t make the date? Do not fret, because LFW’s digital schedule is set to be the most active yet, which means you can catch up with it pretty much anywhere.
During the week, 46 shows will be live streamed, including 22 from the The Courtyard Show Space at Somerset House, 12 from the new Embankment Galleries Show Space at Somerset House and eight courtesy of Topshop and Topman from their official LFW venue.
Other digital initiatives include Twitter Q&A sessions over the six days from the @LondonFashionWk account and a dedicated photographer to capture a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look for broadcast exclusively on screens in London Underground platforms.
Mintel fashion analyst, Emma Clifford told Futurespace Magazine that the livestreaming of fashion shows to the masses, would allow a wider audience than ever to get involved in the action.
“The initiative highlights how the worlds of luxury fashion and technology are becoming increasingly integrated in today’s digital age, and will raise the profile of this already highly influential and prestigious event,” she said.
Fashion blogger and London College of Fashion graduate Laura has been following LFW for many years. She said the digital improvements had allowed her to feel much more involved in LFW, “Before, a 12 or 14 minute show that before might have passed in a frenzied blurr, but I now can go home later and admire it on my laptop in a lot more in detail.”
Another fashion blogger, Zoe said digital had saved the day for her LFW experience this year. “I usually go, but getting instant news and pictures through social media is a great substitute!” she said.
Although the digital boom brings benefits to many, it also comes with downsides for others. One anonymous blogger attendee said the explosion of blogs over the past year meant LFW had really tightened up on the access it gave her today, compared to the official press. Restrictions that apparently weren’t in place in 2011.
However, with so many bloggers popping on the scene, surely it’s inevitable that The British Fashion Council has to clamp down on this new mass influx.
Luckily, the outdoor LED screen in the courtyard at Somerset House means any bloggers that can’t get in on the action can still see events as they happen. Plus, with shows also being streamed for home use too, you can enjoy all the visual treats of the catwalk from the luxury of your armchair/beanbag/bed.
So yes, all is definitely not lost if you can’t attend LFW this February. Okay, being amongst it all in person is second-to-none, but there are indeed benefits about catching up with the events chez-toi. For starters, you can avoid the crazy rush between shows, the skipped lunch and the violent scramble for the front row. But most importantly, you don’t need to face the dreaded dilemma that all the other event attendees are grappling with, the “what to wear” issue. At Somerset House you worry that nothing will ever be quite good enough, but at home – anything goes.
Follow Futurespace Magazine’s live LFW blog
