Burberry first to broadcast 3D show at London’s Fashion Week
Posted by Lucky on Feb 26, 2010
Thunder clapped and rain poured down inside the huge marquee. The label might be 154 years old, but is so much at the forefront of catwalk technological innovation the brand can even control the weather.
Well, not quite. The rain was a filmed projection beamed on to screens inside the tent. But the label was the first to broadcast its show in 3D to screening rooms around the world, while simultaneously streaming the show online.
Live-streaming, blogs and tweets are now an integral part of fashion weeks. And this latest move reflects the obsession with finding new, increasingly technological, ways of showcasing collections for the industry.
Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer, announced his plans via a YouTube message. He hoped the screening would enable more than 100 million viewers to see his autumn collection at the same time as the industry guests at the London catwalk show. And, rather than the usual six-months wait for the clothes to appear in store, much of the collection was available for ordering online right after the show.
The Burberry Cadet Girls collection was one of Bailey’s finest. Sheepskin aviator jackets, military pea coats with zipped detailing and multi-strapped knee-high boots made up a collection that will look beautiful for a lifetime.
Anyone dismissing the technology as an unnecessary stunt need only look at the designer’s track record to see that his instinct is reliable. Since Bailey arrived 10 years ago, Burberry has grown in value from £1bn to £2.6bn with a turnover of £1.2bn – a global brand selling a sophisticated British style to an international luxury market. The technology could be mere whim or the catwalk’s future. What is certain is that this collection is a guaranteed success.
