Designers Go Digital as London Fashion Week Kicks Off

What to wear to London Fashion Week? The hottest designer heels, the latest fall jacket – or perhaps a tech accessory like Google Glass.

Hundreds of models, stylists and fashion insiders descended on the British capital Friday as the five-day whirlwind of catwalk shows kicked off, bringing the usual heady mix of glamor, parties and beautiful people.

This season, however, organizers are also focusing on pairing technology with fashion, launching a series of talks and projects with Google to help British-based designers go digital.

The aim is for London to be “the most tech-savvy fashion capital in the world,” according to British Fashion Council chairman Natalie Massenet, who paired up with Google’s U.K. sales director Peter Fitzgerald to launch the fashion week.

Designers have been using social media and the Internet to help drive sales and consumer interest for several years. More and more brands are live-stream their fashion shows, with some allowing fans worldwide to buy designs off their website immediately after models showed them off on the catwalk.

Massenet wants to do more. This week fast-fashion giant Topshop is to share its latest collection with Facebook and Instagram followers before the clothes even hit the catwalk, and Twitter is introducing a new “buy” button for Burberry.

There will even be a human cyborg joining a digital fashion talk during the week.

There’s no telling whether the emphasis on tech in fashion is more than a gimmick or a passing phase. Meanwhile, beautifully made clothes, worn by models in real life, remain the main draw. The week features some 60 catwalk shows and presentations by 170 designers, from powerhouses like Paul Smith, Tom Ford and Vivienne Westwood to younger names such as Christopher Kane and Erdem.

SOURCE: The Associated Press