EMBRACING A NEW TREND
AN ARTICLE BY ROSALYN GAMBHIR
In the fashion industry, one day you’re in and the next you’re out. However, to remain a top contender within this fierce business, effective branding in the form of online marketing is crucial. With social media being the newest ‘it’ trend this year, many have caught onto the popularity of social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Hence the fashion world is taking advantage of such attractiveness of technological innovation and embracing it more than ever. Now individuals amongst the ranks of bloggers, journalists, lead designers or simply people who are just plain interested in fashion, have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the latest runway trends and have access to a whole new sphere. Social media is a vital tool for fashion brands. With a society that consumes most of its time within the digital realm, maintaining that level of communication with their target market through genuine and appealing content is central in achieving success in the online world. One needs to consider how their brand is connecting customers with other customers and if they are using social media to capture the essence of their brand. In the fashion world, a brand is not created over night. Sustaining customer interest and building relationships through the use of social platforms is the start of forming a brand. Customers choose to interact with a fashion brand because they’re interested. Using social media is all about executing social engagement. A user wants that sense of connection: a sense that they are taking part in the lifestyle of a particular brand.
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FASHION
The likes of Chanel, Burberry as well as other famous luxury fashion houses have caught on to this latest trend with several successful online campaigns under their belt. With a simple click of a mouse or a swipe of a finger, people are immediately connected and able to lust over trends straight of the runaways, instead of waiting for their next issue of Vogue or Harper Bazar. This year in particular, social media transformed both the essence and delivery of New York Fashion Week coverage. It expanded its scope and increased its imminence to meet the high demand for real time streaming of shows and events online. This new form of ‘journalism’ reached out to a virtual audience, giving online users an inside look at Bryant Park during New York Fashion Week, unveiling their collection using livestreaming on video websites such as Youtube - while other fashion gurus relied on Twitter to provide 140 character reviews on runway shows, using photograph applications such as instragram to include snapshots of backstage footage for the full effect. The fashion world has recognized the potential power of fashion bloggers such as Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad, Bryanboy and tween-stylerookie Tavi Gevinson. These bloggers have gained much recognition as influencers over brands and ordinary people, thus becoming a permanent facet. As an industry with such an appetite for content, social media is dominating the fashion community and helping its passionate audience stay connected.