JKR

As a good example of how the web is changing the way brands and categories behave, it appears that the fashion industry is shifting its focus on photography into events and moving images. Gareth Pugh, Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati and Viktor & Rolf have all been experimenting with video (moving image, and virtual shows) for the last few seasons. Yesterday Alexander McQueen sent his catwalk live on the web from the Paris Fashion Show. Today it’s Louis Vuitton’s turn, via Facebook.

Whenever new approaches appear in fashion, they tend to be seen in the context of the death of something else. I think it’s premature to have a postmortem on photography, because regardless of promoting a particular season or line in the moment, still pictures have a longevity which pays back to the brand over decades. Photography captures a time and place and can be considered art – the Avedon shot above has long outlasted the coat it displayed. Filmed catwalk shows have arguably not yet reached this level, tending towards a fixed point of view. But as they become a dominant medium for selling the image, I am sure both the theatre and the way it is filmed will evolve greatly and the McQueen one shows what is possible and looks like a big leap forward. But it is interesting to see these developments – from moving posters on the underground outwards, it feels like technology is promoting the value of having brands which can express themselves in animated rather than static contexts.