Quoting Hedi Slimane... And Still Counting

''The web magazine will come way before the print magazine in the next decade. I don't see any way around it, really. With the rise of the Internet, fashion did become a part of the global entertainment industry in the last ten years, and will follow the digital evolution of the music and film industries'' 

These are the words of Photographer and Fashion Designer Hedi Slimane when Style.com asked his opinion on whether digital media will replace print media. Strong words, sharp opinions and forward-thinking insights that are particularly relevant even as major luxury brands like Gucci and Burberry focus on live streaming and live commentry on their runway shows this season. Read the rest of the interview here.

And yes, we're still counting....

Still Counting... In the Meantime...

Is she you? Are you her? Do you equal her? Does she equal you? Who is she? Who am I? Who are we? 

Endless questions. No answers. Well, join the ride with the curious and pray that you have the right question before March 8th.

And the countdown continues still...

Still Counting... Stream me One more Time

The just concluded New York Fashion Week brought about some revelations that are bigger than the collections on show on the runways. In addition to the mostly beautiful (although somewhat sensible and predictable) collections from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Diane Von Furstenberg and Marchesa, this week can be described as the week in which the digital revolution imprint was sealed in fashion and luxury.

Although the fashion industry has warmed up to the social media in the recent past and have been particularly showing signs of its love for platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, this fashion week brought about an extension of the romance in the form of Live Streaming. Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Rodarte and Alexander Wang, to name just a few designers made Live Streaming their keyword this season, bringing their shows live to thousands of clients and fans around the world in real time. Others like Diane Von Furstenburg, Rachel Roy and Isaac Mizrahi used Facebook and blogs to update fans with videos and images of both the front and back stages. Proenza Schouler even took this to a higher level by integrating a ''selling dimension'' in the live stream where clients could click and pre-order directly from the runway as the model still walked the runway, literally.

This openess to the influence of technology and digital media really calls for applause, although some would argue that fashion is a late adopter and other industries have been using new media in similar ways for years. I don't mean that the fashion industry should be applauded for learning how to use Twitter and Facebook, but I mean that commendation should be given to fashion designers for the courage they have shown in casting away the several inhibitions the industry encourages, and for rising to the challenge of embracing change in the form of new media. Diane Von Furstenberg was right when she said that, ''Ignoring the internet is total madness.'' Well, let's hope that the forthcoming Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks will uphold this anti-madness stance.  

The countdown to Luxury Online's publication continues...

Still Counting: Hmmm... Smells like my phone

It looks like the future of mobile technology is already here. Nokia has come up with a mobile communications device called the Scentsory, which promises to allow us to communicate on a multi-sensory level through all of the human senses including the sense of smell! Intrigued? What until you hear this. Scentsory is able to detect and emit smells and best of all, it can influence the mood of the user through affecting the ambience of their immediate surroundings by radiating colours, lighting and temperatures from the caller's environment. Plus it comes in a cool design form that is both portable and foldable. Looks like Nokia is out to give Apple a run for their money.

Possibilities for virtual scent in luuxry will be dissected at the next Club e-Luxe International Summit to be held on 3rd June at the Ritz Hotel, Paris. Find out more here.

And the countdown to Luxury Online's worldwide release continues...

Counting, counting, counting... and still on Alexander

Click to watch

As Suzy Menkes wrote in her tribute article to our beloved Alexander McQueen, he was one of the first to embrace technology and digital media with vigor and this showed in several facets of his work, including his runway shows which were often journeys into imaginary technolands. In 2006 when most luxury brands were still struggling with the question, "what next?" following the launch of their websites and e-boutiques, Alexander McQueen was already several steps ahead and thinking in terms of virtual reality through 3-D visual imaging techniques. His projection of a holographic image of Kate Moss during his autumn-winter 2006 fashion show was a demonstration of raw vision and was described by Vogue as techno-magic. Alexander McQueen in many ways paved the way for technology in luxury even as luxury brands are just beginning to grasp the meaning and opportunities of Virtual Reality.

Speaking of virtual reality, hologram imaging for luxury will also be presented at the next Club e-Luxe International Summit to be held on 3rd June in Paris. Take a peek into the topic areas by clicking here.