Fashion for the Masses: Social Media

In today’s digital society, Social Media has undergone what seems like an overnight transformation from personal representation of profile pages to something far more elaborate. Now, you would be hard-pressed to find a news program that didn’t attempt to engage their viewers via Twitter, or invite them to ‘Like’ their page on Facebook, follow their blog… The list goes on. The result is a personalization and democratization of information. The fashion industry, is no exception to this, shedding its long-standing reputation of elitism, as was evident during New York Fashion Week.

For the first time since its inception, organizers made New York Fashion Week available to the masses by use of live video streaming through YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/liverunway). Here, on its own dedicated channel, spectators from far and wide can view the collections of every designer as they are shown at Lincoln Center, and are able to engage in a live conversation via Twitter feed below. By eliminating the barriers and exclusivity normally associated with this event, designers can effectively engage the global community in their brand. Instilling and maintaining a Social Media presence is crucial to the success of any business expecting to propel itself to the center stage in a marketplace with a myriad of competitors. Clearly, for any designer to experience organic growth, they must step outside of their comfort zone with the idea that they more that they share, and the more transparent they are, the better the relationship will be with the consumer.

Fashion week is also showing us that Social Media has changed not only how brands interact with their clients, but how fashion news and information is disseminated. Blogs have opened a new gateway to information on trends, style, and an unbiased opinion like never before; and they are more influential than any publicist ever imagined. The most sought after seats at each show are now occupied not by celebrities and editors, but by independent bloggers.

How has Social Media changed your own interaction with consumers and your public relations outreach? Do you have a healthy network of influential bloggers in your network?