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U | March 2015

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U FEATURE

fashion

GOES VIRAL

By YA S M I N H A R A K E

With Instagram selfies from fashion’s elite and backstage tweets from the dedicated glam squads, we no longer have to attend fashion week to be sitting front row.

O

ver the last few years, social media has taken the world by storm. With the rise of networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, along with the likes of Instagram and Pinterest exploding on to the social media scene, it was only a matter of time until it made a hard-hitting impact on the fashion industry.

The sight of well dressed thirty-something women on their way to work clutching a Starbucks skinny latte in one hand and their favourite magazine in the other is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Not the latte, that’s still a Monday morning essential. I’m talking about the glossy magazines that are slowly being replaced with shiny iPhones and even shinier iPads.

As these women make their way through the busy streets at 8 o’clock in the morning, their fingers frantically scroll through their Facebook timelines and Instagram feeds, eyes large and unblinking as they stare at the influx of information and images in front of them. These images are often a juxtaposition of engagement rings, new babies and shameless selfies, however more and more posts of the latest fashion trends, new collections and exciting collaborations are beginning to emerge.

Alongside A list celebrities and magazine editors, we’re starting to witness the rise of the fashion bloggers, and thanks to them and the phenomenon that is social media, we have been handed an embossed invitation with gold lettering and a backstage pass to go with it. For the very first time, the runway, front row and glamorous after-parties

have become accessible to us mere mortals – and it’s all down to swift Instagram uploads and smart hash tags.

However, it isn’t just fashion’s front line attracting thousands of likes, shares and reposts. Designers, brands, ecommerce websites and magazines have jumped on to the social media wagon, sharing content with their clients, consumers and readers at the touch of a screen. Designers such as Zuhair Murad and Victoria Beckham are frequent users of Instagram, keeping their followers interested by sharing the latest collections and behind the scenes shots. Brands such as Zara, H&M and Topshop are avid users of social media, launching competitions and showcasing their latest wardrobe essentials through their Twitter and Instagram accounts. With almost four million followers, Topshop uses Instagram to connect and engage with its followers, uploading both professional and personal snaps to grab the consumer’s attention - and hold it.

The world of tweets and trending topics has enabled us to connect with fashion icons, designers and brands on a whole new level. At the tap of a finger, we can connect to the biggest names and brands in a way that was never possible before. By reposting our favourite looks from star-studded events, or commenting on a blogger’s new slogan tee, we find others, like us, who are doing the same. By reaching out and engaging with people and brands with similar interests, it isn’t hard to see why it’s known as social media.

March 2015

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