Editorial: The Key Fashion Event of 2010

In August, Stacy Lomman, a former head designer at Joan Vass, turned to Social Media with an eye on debuting her signature collection for Spring 2011 – “Precious Metal” during New York Fashion Week. (read our article) Lomman raised approximately $12,000 using the Kickstarter.com site to garner funds from her friends and supporters on Facebook, as well as readers of her blog, taffetadarlings.blogspot.com. Then, on September 13th, she had a show featuring 12 evening gowns that were each individually sponsored and paid for by her supporters. Stacy was mentioned and a sketch featured in a WWD article on September 15 about the consumer wielding greater control over fashion. One of her pieces was selected by LIFE.com as one of their “Sexy Runway Moments for Spring 2011” and she was video interviewed by the Huffington Post about her collection and fund raising efforts.

A designer without deep pockets, Stacy (photo at left) was able to produce a formal fashion show during one of the most visible times of the season in New York City using the Internet as her main source of funding. True, it was not the first time money was raised for a fashion show on the Internet, but it was the first time the entire production was fully funded using Social Media. For our money, this was far more significant than the fashion shows moving to Lincoln Center, a 13 year old blogger sitting on the front row at the Armani show, the passing of Alexander McQueen, and for sure the runway return of Tom Ford.

Her show was revolutionary in many ways. Stacy was able to side step the entire process of how shows are traditionally produced. But more importantly, her show proved the Internet is completely changing the nature of how fashion is being produced, branded, editorialized and marketed to a worldwide audience.

The day may be fast approaching, when the big fashion shows being produced under the auspices of organizations like IMG Fashion Week will not be the first choice to launch or promote a collection. The Internet and the clever use of Social Media and YouTube can allow a designer like Stacy Lomman a far more cost effective way to showcase her designs to a world wide audience and compete successfully with well established brands for consumer attention.

-Ernest Schmatolla