Fashion's Next Big Thing: Social Media.

Fashion’s Next Big Thing: Social Media

Chelsea Andrews

Fashion brands, from luxury to everyday, are getting pulled into the growing social media movement. What started out as the latest trend has now entirely altered the way the fashion industry is used and perceived. From Facebook to Twitter to blogging, the connections created between designers and consumers are stronger than ever before.

Signing every Twitter post “Love, Diane,” it is impossible to deny that even luxury brand designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg have embraced the social media trend. Notorious for advocating exclusivity amongst the high fashion industry, Von Furstenberg explains her realization on the inevitable importance of social media: “Ignoring the internet [and social media] is madness. We decided to have a presence because it was a very organic way for us to communicate online.” These various forms of social media have “removed the gatekeepers of an industry that was notoriously hard to penetrate and build a name in.”

Von Furstenberg, along with many other luxury brand designers, was originally afraid of transitioning from one-way to two-way communication. The consumers, who were originally deemed “outsiders” by the fashion industry, now provide some of the most influential and appreciated feedback through various forms of social media. By simply visiting the Facebook of any fashion brand, you will witness thousands and millions of comments from consumers. On fashion blogs such as The Satorialists, viewers are encouraged to send in photographs of themselves dressed in the signature Burberry trench coat to join the collage of global Burberry-users. Scott Schuman, creator of The Satorialist, explains the dramatic change in the perspectives of luxury brands toward social media: “In the beginning, people in luxury were afraid of the internet… now they are going after the blogs full stream.” Why the sudden change? He adds, “It’s like they realized that if you can’t control it, you might just have to learn to deal with it.”

Social media is all about two-way connections; it’s about putting information out there and receiving responses. The fashion industry has always been a one-way industry, and social media has been the first step toward wider communication standards, transforming the industry. Many luxury brands were timid to hop on the social media bandwagon at first and a bit skeptical to accept the feedback of those on the outside, but have now embraced the social media movement and allowed it to improve the industry.

Marc Jacobs has even used their Twitter to find an official company “Tweeter”! They tweet, “London tweeters, come by the marc jacobs collection store for a chance to interview for the twitter job.” The importance of using Twitter and other social networking devices has become so overwhelming that designers are now creating a job designated to creating only twitter posts. Each single tweet will reach Marc Jacobs 103,000 followers instantly. In the fashion industry, which is changing almost every second, it is important to get the newest information out as fast as possible before it changes again.

Social media has developed into far more than a fad in the fashion world. The fashion industry, known for being one step ahead of the curve, will most definitely continue to keep up with the upcoming forms of social media, because undoubtedly there will be more improvements to come in the future. With all of the wonderful technological advances we are exposed to, an industry as successful as the fashion industry will surely continue to thrive and grow with what will continue to be fashion's next big thing: social media.