High Tech Couture
High Tech Couture
From process to sale to consequence, the Fashion world Finally says “hello” to technology.
By Andrea Azureene Heng
It’s hard to Ignore the dIgItal age. Things we once thought to be invincibly tech-proof – hard-bound items like books, magazines and music – now have “soft-copy” manifestations: much to the glee of technology-philes and the eco-conscious, thanks to its convenience, and to the dismay of traditionalists who prefer to feel the papers of a novel with their own bare fingertips. But, as they say, even great kings will fall; and today the fashion industry, perhaps one of capitalism’s most impregnable vehicles, is slowly tumbling its way into the undeniably powerful hands of technology: and consumers are beginning to think that it isn’t such a bad idea.
Love it or hate it, the Internet age is here to stay. Let’s face it: the digital era has presented us with a bevy of “easy-to-” everything for the average consumer, and its reputation has progressed from couch-potato pacifier to on-the-go convenience. In today’s world, the computer isn’t just a superbrain that operates the mass-production machinery in apparel factories.
With illustration, rendering and colour development at the click of a mouse button, apparel-designing software teases the in-demand fashion designer. Myriad tools like material implements, pattern design, storyboard and cataloguing plus 3D presentations can be found in programmes such as OptiTex and NedGraphics — they are just as capable of producing the same technical sketches as the next big runway star.
But computer software is not just used in the design process: it was also the technological inspiration for materials like Tyvek, the material used in the special delivery envelopes of courier companies such as FedEx. With high fashion labels like Prada applying new fabrications of reformed mohair silk and Marni using heat-fused nylon polypropylene in their recent collections, art and science have proved that they can be more than just grumpy roommates tolerating the presence of the other.
The fashion world’s embrace of technology goes beyond the latter assisting the former, its relationship developing into an “I scratch your back, you scratch mine” association. With the onslaught of the fanciest and, not forgetting, efficient PDAs (personal digital assistant) the likes of Blackberry, Nokia and Palm comes an influx of impressively fashionable paraphernalia (such as Swarovski-encrusted earphones and Hermès calf leather iPhone cases), making these devices more than just a mobile phone — it’s become a fashion must-have in itself.
A fashionista wouldn’t let him- or herself get caught dead without one. Besides, what’s a better and cooler (and less bulky) way to snap the latest shots from the runways of Paris and Milan or “tweet” about that new “it” bag from Fendi’s Spring-Summer 2010 collection than a snazzy QWERTY-keypad companion?
These days, not having an online connection even when one’s on the move is a sin to the fashion lover — not knowing the name, price, colour and stock availability of Louis Vuitton’s latest monogrammed purse within two seconds of enquiry is almost unacceptable.
As a marketing tool, the Internet is a multi-faceted consumer resource for the latest from these popular names. On top of using it as a platform to showcase online catalogues, designers are turning to the Internet to recreate the same cult followings they enjoyed before the surge of online savvy.
French luxury label Chanel spent a massive US$42 million to produce a commercial directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann that starred Australian actress Nicole Kidman for the brand’s signature Chanel No. 5 fragrance. Thanks to online streaming on the Chanel website and video-sharing website YouTube, the commercial enjoyed worldwide exposure and virtual immortality.
In the blogosphere, fashion blogs are no longer up- and-coming: they’re here and feeding fashion-hungry readers with the latest. Famous for taking photographs of über stylish street-walkers in fashion capitals like New York, Paris, Milan and London, fashion blog- photographers like Scott “The Sartorialist” Schuman and Garance Doré have earned fans from around the world. Closer to home in Singapore, local blogs like Fashion Nation – started by local girls affectionately known as Stephie and Dottie — are admired by those seeking fashion inspiration.
Fellow French brand Yves Saint Laurent recently appointed a group of fashion bloggers in the USA to drive the label’s marketing blog called Experience Parisienne to bring a taste of French living to their American fans. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter also allow for live mobile uploads and instantaneous opinions from fashion experts. No longer just networking tools, these programmes are now the next business deal-makers and deal-breakers.
If someone’s throwing a soiree, regardless of objective or destination, more often than not one will find himself given the celebrity treatment. Dress in the finest threads, arrive in style and step out onto a red carpet: someone snaps a picture paparazzi-style and your picture will be flashed onto the foyer walls or printed as a souvenir in no time. Welcome to an age where consumers want, and can have, answers fast.
But do websites actually contribute to a high fashion brand’s eventual revenue? It sounds questionable, yet it is not that far from the truth. Many luxury labels have turned to the Internet as an alternative shop space for consumers who want style, now. Web space is cheaper than constructing a US$6.7 million building with an LED-lighted façade; the requisite labour to run the store close to nothing compared to a boutique; and the decision to purchase is double-time.
Arguably, online shopping may lack human warmth but many will refute — sometimes grudgingly — that they’d rather forgo the “luxury” of a sales pitch, especially after browsing the e-catalogue or watching video footage of the entire collection. Consumers now have the freedom and power to make an entirely individual, independent choice.
Take the Norma Kamali iPhone application, developed by the eponymous Polo Ralph Lauren Corp’s rugby label and designer. The software allows customers to “try before you buy” where clothes are sent to a customer within the day to try on before committing to the purchase — now, others like French label Christian Dior has one too.
Another simpler but no less effective and wide use of technology by many luxury labels are e-mailing lists for keeping their customers updated on the latest fashion developments and tips to deliver a sense of exclusivity to gain loyal and potential customers.
ARMREVOLUTION, a high-end luxury cufflinks company by Brit Anthony Hayward, relies solely on the Internet, e-mail and word-of-mouth communication to spread the message. Anyone who purchases these innovative stainless steel or gold cufflinks are automatically made members of an exclusive “club” of high flyers who regularly attend private parties specially organised to gather like-minded professionals.
Consumers are well-informed, sometimes more so than retailers think, so every facet of the industry has to be kept afloat. Instead of the fashion industry dictating fashion mandate, the tables have turned — thanks to the digital age, creating higher expectations and bigger demands on time, anytime.
This article first appeared in the June-July 2010 issue of SWITCH.
