NEW YORK — Imagine a world where runway shows take a back seat during fashion week.
It’s happening. And fast. The same-ole-same-ole format of models loping, strutting or moping down a runway is rapidly being supplanted by a series of splashy digital-focused programs rolling out in the weeks and days leading up to a show (as well as during and immediately after). This — coupled with largely consumer-facing initiatives — is the new norm.
There is social media activity on every platform — from Snapchat and Instagram to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; influencers in the front row; influencers moonlighting as models walking down runways in some designers’ shows; virtual reality tie-ins; drones; apps built expressly for fashion week to facilitate e-commerce; photo booths; in-store activations, and sometimes even other retailers involved.
Which means that if a designer relies solely on the runway to fuel digital chatter, they need to think again. The fashion show is becoming a vehicle to reinforce everything else, with consumers invited to participate, share on their own social channels and even immediately buy the items they see on the runway if they wish.
It’s become the only way to stand out in the cacophony of shows and presentations taking place during New York Fashion Week through Feb.

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DOUBLE DUTY: Kate Spade has a solution to the pressing question: Do we show “see-now-buy-now” or next season’s merchandise? The company will take over the entire Russian Tea Room in Manhattan on Friday to showcase both the spring 2017 and fall 2017 collections on separate floors.
The brand has partnered with Victoria Justice who will host a shoppable and interactive Facebook Live experience that will take consumers behind the scenes of their presentation, where she will also interact with guests such as Leighton Meester, Jamie Chung and Camilla Belle. As merchandise appears on-camera, a link will pop up that will allow shoppers to explore the product on a microsite, katespadespring2017.com, and for purchase on katespade.com.
“We wanted the Facebook Live experience to offer our followers an intimate, in-depth look at a day-in-the-life of a Kate Spade New York girl during New York Fashion Week, all while showcasing our newest selection of see-now-buy-now product,” said Deborah Lloyd, president and chief creative officer of Kate Spade New York.
The microsite also has an exclusive look at Lloyd’s trip to Morocco that inspired the spring collection.

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MUMBAI — Fashion weeks in India have been trying different things over the last few years, experimenting with location, physical spaces and timelines.
This season it was the turn of Lakme Fashion Week resort, which ran from Feb. 1 to 5, to try something new as it opened at Jio Garden in Bandra Kurla in Mumbai. This was a first for a more open venue spread across a larger space, with the exhibition area adjoining the main runway area.
At the previous location at the St. Regis Hotel, the main stage and exhibition areas were on different levels. Prior to that, at the Grand Hyatt, a considerable walk separated the different areas.
The new format this year provided the opportunity for more exhibitions, with 95 booths, up almost 30 percent from the previous 70.
In the large central square was a stage for live music, and a yellow Lamborghini which quickly became a landmark for those seeking to find each other and for celebrities to pose against.
“The move to Jio Garden reaffirms our commitment to the business of fashion with a larger area for buyers and designers to meet. Everything this season has been bigger and further pushed the boundaries of what a fashion event

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What do you do when you’re on a book tour in India? Well, if you’re Padma Lakshmi, you walk the runway for designer Tarun Tahiliani during Lakme Fashion Week. “I think the heavens conspired to make this happen,” Tahiliani said. “She’s very spirited and cool. Lakshmi opened his show wearing an elegant white, embellished lehenga with a sheer dupatta, and closed with a pink paneled brocade lehenga.
A lehenga is a full ankle-length skirt worn by Indian women, usually on formal or ceremonial occasions. Tahiliani, among the top designers in India, is known for his draping.
“It’s been 15 years since I walked the runway, period,” Lakshmi said. She earlier modeled for designers like Giorgio Armani, Versace and Ralph Lauren. “I never really worked as a model here [in India], I lived in the West. So, I’ve done a couple of fashion shows, but never at the fashion week in Mumbai,” she said, adding “I love the fashion industry here. You have both Western and Indian clothes, and often many things in between — and I’ve really enjoyed getting to see these. I also went to see Ritu Kumar’s show — she’s someone I have admired for years and years,” she observed.
Lakshmi’s real purpose

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Anush Benliyan

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