catwalking.com

Good news everybody! If you want a front row seat at London Fashion Week you no longer have to elbow Pixie, Alexa and Victoria out of the way. The British Fashion Council (BFC) is bringing live highlights to commuters, shoppers and tourists on screens around the capital and even on the Underground.

Building upon the digital innovation strategy it launched in 2009, the BFC also hopes its imaginative use of technology and social media will promote British designers to global audiences and position London as a leader in fashion showcasing.

This season 37 catwalk shows will be live streamed, 27 from the outdoor screen in the courtyard at Somerset House and 9 courtesy of Topshop from their official venue at Old Billingsgate Market.

‘Fashion has always been so rareified,’ explains Grazia magazine editor Jane Bruton. ‘Showing the events around London makes the event feel really inclusive. Last season you wouldn’t have known it was going on, even though fashion is such an important business that is so important for the economy.

‘It’s also great to capture things as they happen, unlike traditional campaigns which can take six months. It generates buzz and excitement and makes people feel excited about fashion.’

One of the most high-profile shows of the week, Burberry, will be screened live at Piccadilly Circus at 4pm on Monday 21st February on the 32 metre digital screen, the first time a fashion label has done this. They will also stream the show online to over 150 countries and directly at 40 live events across the globe.

Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer, described the screening as an ‘immersive, interactive and entertaining experience…everyone will be able to feel the energy and attitude of the brand and the excitement of the show.’ Live streaming is already something they use to great effect on the Burberry Facebook page, which has over 4 million fans. Not all of whom will be able to afford the clothes, admittedly…but that’s not really the point.

Also new this season are daily video highlights being shown on special screens on the Underground, along with the @londonfashionwk Twitter feed – handy for fashion addicts who can’t get a signal on their Blackberry while on the Tube.

There’s also the London Fashion Week mobile tag which brings you real-time show and event updates and the latest London Fashion Week news.

London Fashion Week runs from 18 to 22nd February 2011. See the digital schedule to find out which events will be streamed and when and join the London Fashion Week Facebook page for regularly updated image galleries and news.

To watch more, visit www.t5m.com