The runways in New York this week have been full of vibrant color, high-low hems, artistic patterns and peplums.
I know this not because I’ve been in the tents at Lincoln Center where designers are showing their spring collections for 2012, but because the events are being live-streamed all over the Internet. And posted to fashion websites and blogs mere minutes after the last model leaves the runway in each venue.
Fashion Week used to be an exclusive affair, with front rows reserved for top retail-store buyers and magazine editors. Designers fearful of having their looks copied were wary of letting the masses see their designs so they limited access.
Now that everyone has a camera and a sketchbook, there’s no keeping anything a secret. What was once for a haute couture crowd is now embraced by the hoi polloi.
Which is a good thing. These are just clothes, after all, not state secrets. And let’s face it: A knockoff artist can look at a dress by Carolina Herrera or Marc Jacobs and try to copy it. But if they’re producing the style for the mass market, they’re not using couture-quality fabrics, intricate seaming or other techniques that separate the top talents from the rest.
The real benefit of the democratization of fashion is that it gives people who love gorgeous clothes, top models and interesting styling a lot to look at during Fashion Week and the months to come. And fashion fanatics don’t have to have any more credentials than desire to see what’s going on and an Internet connection.
Sites like liverunway and have been showing collections daily since the action started Sept. 8. Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein are showing their lines today from their websites.
The best part of watching all the action from afar is that you can do it in your jammies or from your desk at the office (this is work, boss!). You can use the money you save not buying a plane ticket to New York to beef up your wardrobe. And you can join the fashion comment community and post a review on a show as you watch it live.
After covering the shows in New York and Europe for more than 20 years, I don’t mind taking a break, but there is such a thing as a “fashion moment” and you only experience that when seeing a live show. Internet invitees don’t get to discover new designers who are showing in a tiny gallery. Or have what’s known as a “fashion moment” at a Ralph Lauren show at Skylight Studio, where everything is so beautiful and perfectly choreographed the event has a cinematic quality. Or the pure fun of seeing Michael Kors walk the entire runway after a show, waving to a crowd on its feet. For those experiences, you need invitations.
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
Where to watch
• has videos of dozens of shows from the New York collections
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See slide shows and commentary on your favorite collections:
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