How Social Media is Transforming Fashion Week Coverage

An article cropped up on Mashable.com a couple of days ago about how social media transformed the coverage of Fashion Week, which recently invaded New York City. What was once considered a niche event of interest only to those directly involved in the fashion industry has suddenly become newsworthy to the general public. Even publications like the Wall Street Journal are in on the act.

Several different explanations are cited as the reasons for the increased coverage via social media platforms: growing demand from readers for play-by-play updates, sneak peeks backstage, and firsthand raw footage and/or images that give followers all over the world the sense of really being there.

What I really find most striking about this article is how obvious it all seems. It’s almost unbelievable that it has taken this long for the fashion industry and the journalists that cover it to catch up to the growing dominance of social media, especially given the proliferation of fashion bloggers and photographers, many of whom have managed to cultivate international fan bases (Ex: The Sartorialist).

However, what I did find interesting was the mention of the new challenges and opportunities that the addition of social media presents for reporters. One of the reporters from the Wall Street Journal commented on how difficult it was to find a balance between capturing those play-by-play moments that readers are most interested in, while also not missing or being distracted from the actual event. Although nowhere near the level of these reporters, as a freelance dance critic myself, I can definitely relate to how challenging it can be to be taking notes and analyzing parts of the performance, while simultaneously trying to get a sense of the show as a whole and also have the opportunity to enjoy what I’m watching. Throw in having to take photos and video while uploading the content to Facebook and Twitter while also keeping an eye out for the next look coming down the runway and you have yourself one incredibly overwhelming job.

Despite these new challenges, as there are virtually no constraints on the amount of content that can be uploaded through social media, reporters now have another outlet for all of the information they gather that didn’t make the cut for the physical newspaper or magazine. Although the information shared through social media doesn’t translate directly into dollars, the reporters in this article agreed that their involvement with social media sites has changed the way the general public views their publications. The popularity of Facebook and Twitter allows them to reach a wider audience and establish stronger ties to their readership.