New York Fashion Week may have come and gone, but London, Milan, and Paris are still aflutter with the excitement of new, beautiful clothes straight from the runway. It seems that this season is the coming out party of livestreaming technology, as more and more brands bring a front row view to consumers around the globe. The proof that this is going to become the norm is the fact that it’s not just the usual fashion media sites, like Style.com, that are adding live video. Online retailers such as Net-A-Porter, and more importantly, the brands and designers themselves, are investing in the immediacy that livestreaming provides.
Lately it’s been hard to write an article about digital fashion innovation without mentioning Burberry, and the same remains true for this post. Burberry was one of the earliest adopters of live fashion show streaming and have taken things to the next level (yet again!) by creating an enhanced live viewer experience.
When the clock struck 4pm in London on September 21st (11am for those of us in EST) and the site was being loaded by droves of fans globally, there were a few hiccups. It took a few loads and a bit of patience until finally the site was up and the video was running.
Typically, even a few moments of trouble loading a live video could lead to a drop off in viewership, but when the lively, colorful looks of the brand’s Spring 2011 Collection hit the screen, it was hard to turn away. (Fashion side note before getting back to business: The clothes really were stunning. It contained amazing colors, edgy leather jackets, and a cool effortless London chic that has become Christopher Bailey’s signature.)
Once the video was up, it streamed without interruption. Comments from viewers around the world flowed down the page, adding to a more connected social experience. When a look appeared that had to be remembered, it was as easy as clicking “Like This”, which stored favorite looks for later. Once the girls had finished their sashays and Bailey took his bow, the video cut to a live backstage interview giving fashionistas a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes after the lights come on.
One of the most important and immediately gratifying aspects of Burberry’s strategy has been their introduction of instant pre-order of everything that came down the runway. It’s challenging from an operations standpoint, but makes complete sense from a sales point of view. Best to get customers shopping while the excitement of the runway show is still fresh and looks haven’t been praised and/or scrutinized ad nauseum before you can even make a purchase.
Another brand that’s adopted live broadcasts of their show is Gucci. The brand has put a commendable amount of effort into pushing to the forefront of digital innovation and has, for the first time this season, offered fans a chance to view the show live. Gucci chose to take a different approach by creating a VIP-like experience. Those wanting to watch the show had to request an invite (which over 10,000 did) and were emailed an invitation (seat number included!) the day prior. Seemed a bit unnecessary, but it did help with a reminder to pull up the Gucci Connect site in time for 8am NY / 4pm Milan viewing the day of the show. (Despite being “one connected world” as they say, live shows do call attention to the fact that different time zones do still remain!)
When the site was pulled up 20 minutes before the anticipated start time, some funny things did occur. First, a message popped up saying, “E-vent space will open at 1:30 cet / 7:30 am est. Please come back at that time.” Mind you this was at 7:40am EST. When the connection finally went through, another error message popped up, this time with a parse / syntax error. After a few more tries, the live feed finally connected, but how strange that from that point forward, in enormous letters, it stated, “SORRY, YOU ARE TOO LATE.” Huh?? The show hadn’t even started!
Startup issues aside, there were a number of well-appreciated differences from the Burberry livestream player. First, at all times viewers were allowed to select one of four different camera viewpoints. Before the start of the show this meant that we could get a glimpse and makeup and hair application backstage, a look at the seats filling up, and the harried scene outside as Gucci officials rushed the latecomers indoors.
One of Gucci’s unique takes on the event was showing live webcam feeds of removed viewers from across the world both online and on the runway stage in Milan, allowing the real VIPs at the show to “virtually mingle” with the at-home wannabes. Additionally, the brand chose to offer a range of digital platforms in which users could interact: live chat on the site, Facebook, Twitter, and via webcam.
When the show finally got going, viewers were enchanted by a stream of bright, satiny pieces that exuded an air of sophistication and sexiness that Gucci has come to be known for. It was clear from the comments from other viewers that quickly filled the page, that all were excited by Frida Giannini’s latest collection for the brand.
Gucci’s post-show experience was lacking compared to Burberry’s instant pre-ordering. The most offered at Gucci was a sad voting application where fans could rank each look out of 5 stars and see how others ranked them.
Bottom Line: It may take a few more seasons before all the kinks of live video are worked out, but it’s clear that brands are off to a great start and that streaming runway shows straight into the homes of shoppers is a great move for the industry.
Edited by: Gina Conforti
