Digital Fashion – The Way to Go! Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011 – Fashion Workshop Series
Mumbai, March 14, 2011: “Is the Indian consumer ready to shop for clothes over a virtual medium or does he/she still prefer to touch and feel before he/she buys?” was a relevant question raised by a member of the audience at the fourth edition of Fashion Workshop Series ‘Digital – The Way To Go!’ at Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011.
The workshop, that was held in collaboration with knowledge partners Inter National Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD) on March 13, 2011, highlighted the use of online and mobile media, new technology, communications and interactivity. The session elaborated on the various ways in which the Indian consumer will eventually strike a balance between the real and the virtual medium. The forum brought to light the role of the digital media, strategies adopted by designers/ brands to engage online with consumers/buyers to drive business.
The workshop, moderated by Neeraj Roy, MD & CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, South Asia’s largest mobile and digital entertainment, had eminent speakers:
§ Christian Leone: VP, Brand Relations and Communications, Gilt Group, previously worked in senior communication roles at Giorgio Armani and Alberta Ferretti
§ Imran Amed: Fashion business adviser, writer, entrepreneur and Founder-Editor of The Business of Fashion
§ Maya Hari: Head, Condé Nast Digital (Internet & Mobile) India, is responsible for Condé Nast’s digital portfolio of online and mobile media properties for Vogue, GQ and Traveller
§ Pearl Uppal: CEO, Fashion and You, previously worked at Yahoo!, Rediff.com and GE
The session started with a succinct video defining the role and the scope of the digital medium in our lives today. One could safely conclude from the video that our lives are virtually increasingly integrated. Neeraj Roy emphasized on the need for brands to plan their communication on the digital medium and the importance of not “differentiating between screens”. According to him, brands should start thinking about a connected, integrated campaign.
Ms. Ritu Kochhar, Corporate Director, INIFD stated, “We are proud to associate with Lakmé Fashion Week for the 4th consecutive season as Official Knowledge Partner and continue the relation for the next 4 seasons as well! Our mission is to add value in an important dimension to this grand fashion event by spreading knowledge. With the expansion/exposure & penetration of digital space in today’s scenario, everyone from the buyers, designers, retailers can connect; participate at the same platform without any physical constraints. We have also introduced a revolutionizing first-of-its-kind innovative iDesign Pad which will digitize fashion education completely and remove the clutter of books completely! This new-age device will be given to all students of iNIFD from this year onwards.”
Establishing the relevance of the digital medium to the business of fashion, Imran Ahmed, Founder & Editor, Business of Fashion said, “The digital platform makes fashion accessible to all. It ensures that fashion is no more an exclusive luxury for the rich and the elite and this automatically expands the scope of the business.”
Commenting on the online retailing business, Pearl Uppal, CEO, Fashion & You said, “The response from Lakme Fashion Week Designers has been very heartening this season. Last season prior to and during the Fashion Week, we had 15 designers signing up for online retail on Fashion and You. This season we have 40 who have signed up and more are wanting to kick start work after the Lakme Fashion Week concludes. We expect the sales this season to more than double from last time.”
“Digital as a medium allows for generating quality content with focused messaging for a specific target audience with limited resources. It also enables personalized and customized content and communication which is in-sync with the business of fashion and therefore caters to people and personality,” said Maya Hari, Head, Condé Nast Digital (Internet & Mobile) in India.
Also present for the workshop was Peter Levy, Senior Vice President, Managing Director of IMG Fashion Worldwide. He said, “Digital Marketing is the way forward and has seen many brands turn into success stories. The online platform provides reach, allows instant engagement and transactions with consumers. LFW ‘s recent live streaming property ‘LFW TV’ has managed to get traction from not only India also from Middle East, Australia, France, United States, Pakistan and Singapore. Thus already proving the foothold of this prime property of Lakmé Fashion Week enabling fashion enthusiasts worldwide to engage and experience fashion real-time, eliminating the limitations of location.”
“Fashion, like any other evolving industry, is capitalizing on the online platform to maximize its business potential and leverage the growing online consumer base. Lakmé Fashion Week has been continuously developing its online capabilities, to promote the business of fashion by providing online trade opportunities to designers and also providing a platform that provides access to consumers globally. Lakmé Fashion Week along with the presenting sponsor, INIFD, continues to lead this learning and development program initiated to educate the fashion industry about best practices and promotional tools,” concluded Ravi Krishnan, Managing Director, IMG South Asia and Senior Vice President, IMG.
About Lakmé Fashion Week:
Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) is jointly organised by Lakmé, the No.1 cosmetics and beauty services brand in India and IMG, the global leader in fashion weeks and event production. LFW has been conceived and created with a vision to “Redefine the future of fashion and Integrate India into the global fashion world”. LFW is organized twice every year. LFW Summer/Resort 2011 will be held from March 11 to March 15, 2011 at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Mumbai. For further information log on to http://www.lakmefashionweek.co.in
About Lakmé:
The contemporary and expert in the beauty industry, Lakmé continuously innovates to offer a wide range of, high performance color cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty salons. In addition to leveraging Unilever’s worldwide expertise, Lakmé also partners with the leading cosmetic house; Milan-based Intercos Italia, Schwann Stabilo Germany and Paris-based Fiabila. Combining international cosmetic technology with an in-depth understanding of the Indian woman’s needs, Lakmé also offers its consumers a holistic ‘Beauty Sutra’ experience through its products and services at the Lakmé Studio and Salons. For further information log on to www.lakmeindia.com
About IMG Reliance
In 2010 Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest and most recognized private sector company headed by Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and IMG Worldwide (IMG), the world’s leading sports marketing and management company headed by Chairman and CEO Ted Forstmann, announced the formation of an equal joint venture to develop, market and manage sports and entertainment in India. The joint venture company, IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., will provide and operate first-class infrastructure and coaching facilities in the country to unlock India’s sporting potential and to create and operate major sports and entertainment assets in the country. In its first initiative, IMG Reliance entered into an agreement with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to create a new professional basketball league and manage all aspects of the commercial rights to the game in India. IMG Reliance signed a 15-year agreement with the AIFF, to improve, popularize and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level. IMG Reliance has also created a scholarship program to identify and train talented young Indians from sports including - basketball, soccer and tennis–at IMG’s world-class sports training facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.
About IMG Fashion:
IMG Fashion is dedicated to facilitating a gateway to the fashion world - from creation to consumer. We offer solutions that seamlessly connect and associate fashion’s key constituents and corporate brands using IMG’s global resources, influence and expertise. Within the fashion industry IMG represents the world’s top models, leading designers and the most influential photographers, art directors and stylists. The division produces the leading fashion events around the globe and represents many of the industry’s top organizations and federations as well as works with various local and national governments, creating regional and international fashion platforms. For more information on IMG and its business visit www.imgworld.com
For further information, please contact:
Jigna Shah /Neha Khetan
Genesis-Burson Marsteller
M: 98203 20767 / 9820249045
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