Fashion 2.0 | KCD’s Digital Fashion Shows to Open to Consumers.

The digital arm of public relations company KCD has announced that Digital Fashion Shows, the firm’s previously industry-only, streaming fashion show platform, will offer ‘front row’ access to members of the public, starting this season. During the upcoming New York collections, the platform will present the Alexander Plokhov, Peter Som and Pierre Balmain shows. Additional clients are set to launch during Paris Fashion Week which begins at the end of February.

Originally aimed at journalists and retail executives, Digital Fashion Shows, launched one year ago allowed invited guests to watch pre-taped runway shows and access detail shots of fabrics, prints and accessories, as well as behind the scenes video content, designer inspiration and other assets geared at industry professionals. “As the fashion industry has adapted to and embraced digital, so much focus has been placed on reaching the consumer. As a PR agency our work is focused on servicing the media,” KCD co-president Ed Filipowski told BoF when the platform first launched.

Now, in a significant shift in strategy, Digital Fashion Shows will allow KCD’s clients to directly engage end consumers with the type of immersive and sharable digital show experience that’s become a powerful marketing tool for megabrands like Louis Vuitton and Burberry.

“It became necessary to respond to our client’s request to open the platform’s doors wider for greater exposure,” said Rachna Shah, KCD Digital’s managing director. But the platform will still offer industry professionals the tools they need to efficiently view collections without adding to their overloaded fashion week schedules, she emphasised: “The site retains all of the innovative tools the press needs to review and cover the shows as featured when the platform was founded.”

For the moment, the enhanced Digital Fashion Shows remains under wraps. But bringing industry and consumer audiences together under the same roof opens up some very interesting and value-creating possibilities. First of all, the presence and participation of industry insiders, though virtual, could make the streaming show experience more authentic and engaging for end consumers. On the flipside, consumer participation could make Digital Fashion Shows a more powerful industry tool. For one, collecting and analysing likes, shares and comments relating to specific show pieces could enable retailers to gather direct insight on consumer preferences, before they place orders, and thereby make better decisions on what to stock.

Let’s hope that the new platform, when it’s unveiled in a couple of weeks, doesn’t silo industry professionals and consumers, but, instead, brings them together in ways that generate greater value for all parties.

YWCA promotes Dating Violence Prevention Month.

The YWCA of Central Virginia is commemorating February as Dating Violence Prevention Month and is offering education and support services to the community, according to a news release.

Dating violence includes any physical, verbal, emotional or sexual violence that takes place in relationships in which the individuals do not live together and/or have a common child.

Jenna Lodge, community outreach manager at the YWCA in Lynchburg, said Friday the organization wants to increase awareness about dating violence and encourage parents to talk to their children about it.

She said middle school-age children are prime targets for information about dating violence because they are developing social skills, experimenting with different relationships and feeling new pressures.

Dating violence prevalence increases in high school and college, she said.

According to the news release, 43 percent of dating college women report having experienced violent or abusive dating behaviors, and 22 percent report actual physical abuse, sexual abuse or threats of physical violence.

Early warning signs that a relationship may eventually become abusive include the following: extreme jealousy, controlling behavior, quick involvement, unpredictable mood swings, alcohol and drug use, explosive anger, isolation from friends and family, use of force during an argument, hypersensitivity, blaming others for problems or feelings, verbal abuse, abuse of former partners and threats of violence.

Lodge said the death of Yeardley Love, a University of Virginia student who died in 2010, has raised awareness about dating violence. Her former boyfriend, George Huguely, was charged with murdering her and is currently on trial.

Inquiries at the YWCA about dating violence have increased, including questions from parents about how to start a conversation about the issue with their children.

It’s important for parents to address the issue with their children, Lodge said, even if they have never experienced violence in the home.

The YWCA offers dating violence group sessions, one-on-one support, court accompaniment and community referrals to victims. A 24-hour hotline is available to anyone seeking more information. That number is 1-888-528-1041.

The YWCA also offers a free, interactive anti-violence theatrical workshop called “Meet D.A.V.E.”

Lodge said the workshop addresses dating violence, bullying, cyberbullying and stalking. The program includes skits and opportunities for the audience to ask the characters questions.

The YWCA offers the program to church groups, college groups and others. It serves Central Virginia, including Campbell County.