Guest Post!!: Luxe Models talk Topshops partnership with Google.

Topshop and Google leading the Fashion Generation into New Digital Era

Last month London fashion week saw the unprecedented teaming up of high street retailer Topshop and online giant Google. The creative flair of Kate Phelan and Justin Cooke, who is chief marketing officer of the group, has brought the unparalleled idea of bridging the traditional catwalk shows together with the digital technology. Topshop streamed their catwalk show live online via their website, Google and YouTube. This made it possible for thousands of hungry fashion-lovers to become a part of the usually inaccessible goings on. Topshop was not only the first live-streamed show via YouTube but it also offered a unique ‘models’ eye view’. This was possible because catwalk models were wearing specially fitted HD micro cameras giving the online viewers a model’s perspective, from their first steps onto the runway, to the quick changes between the walks, to face to face interviews backstage. 

Greatly innovative and paving the way to digital success for the big fashion brands, Topshop has now enabled their customers to order clothes from their autumn/winter 2013 collection and let them receive the purchase 3 months before they hit the shops. Topshop is confidently redesigning the look of the traditional catwalk show allowing the young, price sensitive generation to sit on the first rows and enjoy the Fashion Week experience.

This, in fact, is not the first digital innovation that Topshop has made so far. They became infamous with their collaboration with Facebook in September 2012 for their premium Unique line. They made the show accessible to millions of their digital users all over the world, let them share and download the music from the show and also made all of the clothes available to pre-order. 

 Digital channels have now enabled innovative fashion brands to take advantage and become global instead of keeping a luxurious, elitist feeling. Being able to view the shows real time and have access to backstage interviews with models has inspired lots of young individuals into pursuing a career into modelling. Luxe Models couldn’t be happier about this fashion-world-shift, and praises Topshop for setting the wheels in motion for a more accessible take on Fashion Week.