Fashion 2.0

Shortly following the stellar s/s '08 previews in September, London's fashion and luxury communities switched gears to focus on another wave of trends that will impact the industry far beyond next season. No less than three high-profile conferences were held in the city to explore the potential of emerging Internet technologies — generally referred to as Web 2.0 — that offer new ways to engage and delight customers.

First, the prestigious Walpole Group hosted Tech Luxe: Web 2.0 & Beyond, an annual event designed to encourage its membership to keep abreast of the latest Internet developments. London subsequently hosted the annual World Luxury Congress, with a significant portion of the two-day event dedicated to Web 2.0. And, finally, our own Jason Campbell spoke alongside industry pioneers such as Natalie Massenet of Net-a-Porter and Wallpaper* founder Tyler Brûlé at Web 2.0: Are you on Board?, organized by industry newsletter Luxury Briefing.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the conferences raised more questions than answers. Although there were a few fervent cheerleaders for Web 2.0, the luxury industry's reluctance to embrace new technologies was apparent, and many conference participants seemed both skeptical and uninformed. This hesitation is nothing new, however. Just five years ago, many industry leaders could not fathom selling luxury products on the Internet, and it took entrepreneurs like Massenet to prove them wrong. Today, with Net-a-Porter's success as a benchmark, most luxury brands understand that the Internet provides a significant opportunity for revenue generation, and companies such as Coach, Gucci, and Agent Provocateur have experienced booming online sales through their own e-commerce sites.

Following Massenet's ambitious aspirations, it will take a similar set of pioneers to blaze the trail for the next wave of Internet innovation. Several such early-stage start-ups have sprouted in the last few months, demonstrating to the luxury and fashion industries how they might use Web 2.0's powers of interactivity, community, and user-generated content to their own benefit.

Among the most innovative of the new concepts is SQUA.RE, a London-based Internet broadcaster that recently entered its beta phase. A cross between YouTube, aSmallworld, and Vanity Fair , SQUA.RE encourages its exclusive community to showcase its lifestyles by uploading video content, while also inviting luxury brands to create channels with branded video content. The site thereby offers a new way for consumers to interact with their favorite brands, products, and designers.

The New York-based Gilt Groupe also uses video content, but the company has more direct commercial aims. Launched only a month ago, the site has already partnered with Zac Posen, Marchesa, and Rachel Roy to sell excess inventory and samples to its members-only community. Each sale lasts only 24 hours and is accompanied by a bespoke video that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the featured designer.

Despite this wave of newly launched sites, however, many designers have decided to cut out the middleman and take hold of the Web 2.0 reins themselves. Malcolm Harris, the man behind fledgling label Mal Sirrah, for example, launched Cut, Sew & Blog as a way of communicating directly with his customers. Harris' honest and raw writing has young members of the blogosphere addicted to his passionate tales of building a fashion business in the Internet age.

Shared passion has been the driving force behind a range of products and sites. ARMREVOLUTION, a high-end men's accessories company, is building one of the first online communities centered around a shared passion for luxury products; it brings its members together at exclusive events. Meanwhile, the dramatic rise of Threadless — which garnered praise from The Economist earlier this year for using the wisdom of crowds in its business model — has been spurred by a community of more than 300,000 t-shirt enthusiasts. Members of the community vote each week on designs submitted by other users and the winning picks are put into production, solving the fashion buyer's ultimate challenge of predicting best-sellers.

It's still early days, but we'll be watching to see which of these Web 2.0 models hits a sweet spot that the rest of the industry will seize upon. What is certain is that the Internet will continue to revolutionize the way we celebrate, discuss, and buy fashion.

-Imran Amed