Why Karl Keeps His Shades On: Style & Social Media
Digital democracy has been and gone; at the end of the day, we only want fashion that looks good. Which is, for the most part, highly produced, edited and featuring a well-known model. Fashion social media has had quite a journey so far, whether in the form of the legion of DIY self-promoters on Lookbook and Chictopia, the impromptu crafts community sprung up around Etsy, or the big-name designers putting in their time on Twitter. But we say Karl can leave his glasses on, and even stay away from Twitter. Exclusivity remains key. The future is not in democratizing fashion media online, but in leveraging this audience and arranging it into tiers; idle browser, brand ambassador, fashion insider or member of the Front Row upper echelon.
Geo-tagging for time spent in store. The option of recording a wardrobe and sharing its contents. Celebrity curators, catwalk live streams and behind-the-scenes insight. A new incarnation of the badge system used in fashion blogging. Without turning shopping into a competitive sport, we want to see shoppers prove their loyalty, and we want to see designers offer something in return. A brand's Facebook page risks becoming little more than an HR department; how we can find ways to make it more glamorous?