London Fashion Week SS13 – social media and tech round-up

Remember when having a website was enough to make a fashion label look innovative? Times have definitely changed. At this London Fashion Week you were nobody without a tech-savvy angle to your show. Here’s the Poq round-up.

The Burberry invite to their live SS13 show at LFW

• Burberry started the trend for live-streaming fashion shows, and it’s definitely reached tipping point. For LFW SS13 the British Fashion Council live-streamed 47 shows! That’s almost a full 24 hours worth of catwalk-watching.
  Why it’s smart -London Fashion week is transforming itself from an esoteric trade fair to a full-on consumer event. Live-streaming makes people feel like they’re part of the show, widening the focus from fashion professionals to fashion consumers, and adding an aura of excitement and participation.

• London Fashion Week now have more than 200,000 followers to their Twitter account, and they’re repeated the successful use of their #AskLWF hashtag, bringing in celebrities including Matthew Williamson and Olivia Palermo. Users can tweet questions and get answers in real-time.
  Why it’s smart -Again, this makes consumers feel involved. Sitting on the bus on the way to work and getting an answer to your question from a LFW designer is a great demonstration of the instant availability that makes Twitter so addictive.

• Topshop had more than 2 million people watching their Unique show, as it was live-streamed through their website, on their Twitter page, and in their Oxford street flagship store. Topshop also developed a Topshop Unique Live site in collaboration with Facebook – if you liked a look in the show, you could click on it, browse different colourways, share a screen-shot on social media, and even order your favourite outfit for delivery in 6-8 weeks.
  Why it’s smart -This is a brilliant combination of social media and sales. What’s really intriguing about Topshop’s success is that they streamlined their registration process for new buyers, so that there were just 4 steps to purchase. Just goes to show that have to get your basic online shopping details right before you add all the exciting bells and whistles.

• Anya Hindmarch has embraced Pinterest, setting up a Fashion Week diary on the site, sharing behind the scenes photos as well as product images.
  Why it’s smart – Pinterest is wildly popular but it’s still the new kid on the social media block. Anya’s images don’t seem to have had many re-pins or likes, but there are 980 subscribers to the board. This tactic is one to watch for the future.

• House of Holland teamed up with Ebay to launch an online pop-up shop, with customers receiving a free pair of tights with every purchase.
  Why it’s smart – This is a good way to convert buzz around LFW into actual sales. It also boosts Ebay’s quest to position themselves as a fashion destination.

Each London Fashion Week brings more and more innovation. Did you spot anything noteworthy? Any predictions for the future?