New Strides

Alright, so there are shows to see blah blah blah and people to meet blah blah blah at blah blah blah parties during fashion week.  That sounds I'm terribly bored but there is something to be said for breaking up the pattern of collection-hounding, by looking at what's going on outside of the shows to add some new perspective. 

W Magazine hosted an event last night at the Park Armoury that showcased photographer S√∏lve Sundsb√∏'s stunning installation consisting of countless images, that are spliced in four, moving in and our into mesmerising formations.  The film can be seen online on W Magazine (another cut of it can be seen here) but the real treat was seeing it projected on two 50ft high screen, where gender, genre, race and form all collided into an ever morphing creature that is meant to reflect our different estimations of beauty that is constantly in flux and of course, always subjective.  Together with stylist Marie Chaix and creative consultant Jerry Stafford, Sundsb√∏ creates an ethereal figure, that we unanimously agree to be beautiful but we came away questioning why?  Fashion film has become a bandwagon medium for brands and magazines to indulge in hazy visions that rarely ever have real poignance to them.  It's ultimately not the 50ft screens that propel this film to greatness but the fact that underlying the blooming florals, wings and lightning bolts , the alluring gaze of Lara Stone and a few recognisable choice clothing credits (Christopher Kane's S/S 12 florals stand out), there is actually a point to be made.  

If the Sundsbo film was a breakaway from reality, then a new digital venture this week brings us back down to earth.  Emanuele Della Valle, son of Diego who owns Tod's Group has come up with a new way of linking up e-commerce with the aspirational nature of fashion.  Lifestyle Mirror is basically a digital magazine that claims to be "instantly shoppable".  The concept is simple – any image can have real and tangible product related to it.  Want Jane Birkin vibes?  They have a shirt and a bag suggestion that somewhat fulfils that desire.  Better yet, they will be featuring weekly cover shoots (it opens with Daphne Guinness) from which every single thing in the image is shoppable – from a tea cup to a prop balloon to Guinness' diamonds and black leather dress and even a newspaper subscription.  It's quite literally buying into a lifestyle, should you wish.  If it's not the exact same product, then Lifestyle Mirror tries to well‚Ķ mirror the same effect with by suggesting close match products.  The e-commerce link-ups mean that they are sort of like a fancy curated channel .The thing that hooked me in to the site was the price point range with everything from high street to high end reflected in the product choices.  The site is still in baby, opening steps of course but it's interesting that they have latched on to the idea of people wanting real product from our online image consumption. 

Finally, I've just stayed in my warm hotel bed, away from the show hum drum to watch my first show on fashion PR and production giant KCD's Digital Fashion Shows platform.  The name might be thuddingly figurative but I suppose it does the trick in reminding members of press that they're NOT attending a physical fashion show but just logging on to find everything a journo will need – images, press releases, embeddable/downloadable videos, beauty notes/inspiration, run of show and credits.  This one isn't for the public consumer but to help peeps like myself and other journalists get content up about shows quicker and easier.  It's also an option for designers to show exclusively in this way which is exactly what Prabal Gurung did with his inaugural collection for the Japanese brand ICB.  It's not seeking to be a replacement for physical shows but rather, it's an enhancement that will only help spread the word out on a wider scale.  Here's to more time spent in bed with the laptop, like the hermit that I am.