In the 21st century, is the runway even necessary? International Herald Tribune's Suzy Menkes asks the question in an article about the 11-minute film that designer Gareth Pugh showed for his Spring 2011 collection on Wednesday, the opening day of the Paris collections. Pugh certainly sounds like he prefers it, commenting that it allows him to better communicate the emotion behind his clothes in a more controlled environment. More importantly, a video like Pugh's opens up runway shows from 300 to three millon people. Although the industry was notoriously late to the web world, the recent and rapid rise of luxury and fashion e-commerce, live streaming video and online fashion media make it clear: the customer wants a front row seat. At some point, designers are going to have to give it them if they want to sell their clothes.
Watch the video on Business of Fashion here.
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