Real-Time Fashion Show Reviews on Twitter
The latest Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week for Autumn – Winter ’09 held in Delhi from the 24th October to 28th October 2009 showcased the likes of Anamika Khanna, Tarun Tahiliani, Ritu Beri and many more, and what a show it was! But better was Gul Panag live tweeting from the week, uploading pictures and giving the less fortunate people who could not attend a glimpse and reach to the fashion world in real time.
The event was kick started with Wendell Rodricks and Narendra Kumar, and Rohit Bal set the ramp ablaze with his fiery finale. There was also a category for Gen Next designers like Tanvi Kedia, Ritesh Kumar etc. who are making their mark with the kind of missionary zeal expected only from newcomers.
With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter being increasing used and publicity and marketing tools, organizers of the event approached Gul Panag to be the Twitter Face of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. Brilliant move on their part as the actress is a self confessed Twitter bug.
Atul Chand, Divisional Chief Executive - ITC’s Lifestyle Retailing Business Divison, was of the opinion that since Gul Panag is a regular on the website and enjoys a following that is 20,000 strong, she was a great candidate to take up this position. Since she was at the five day event she was able to send live tweets and keep her followers in the loop about the events as they happened. What can be more exciting for a style junkie stuck in Mumbai without any way of knowing what is happening inside those gates of fashion heaven until the next day, I ask.
Twitter, though short lived due to quick bursts of information, is taking on the traditional media with gusto and filling in those gaps that they have left in communication, to the masses.
Gul Panag explains, "I agreed to do this because Wills gave me a free hand to report the way I wanted. I think it was a novel way to reach out to a whole new segment of people who had no direct exposure to fashion. And my Twitter community enjoyed it!".
Gul was quite obviously excited about this role that she has been assigned with and kept her promise of keeping her followers informed about the happenings at this fashion mega event. She was more interested in attending the Gen Next shows rather than the established ones as she feels that younger designers have a fresher approach. She believed that, that was a brilliant platform for herself and the world to discover new talent.
In conversation, Tanvi Kedia one of the new designers exclaimed, “It’s definitely a good idea using Twitter to reach the public. Since pictures, updates and reviews were posted by Gul while she attended the ramp shows people from all over could sit back at home and be abreast with all that happened the moment it did. Through Twitter also, the next generation designers also get the publicity that they need. The established designers are able to call Bollywood celebs to walk for them which make for good PR but the newer ones can’t afford all that. Twitter is a great way to gain that reach. It is a lovely effort on the part of Gul to pay attention to newer designers.”
Live Reviewing is something new in the realms of fashion. It’s interesting that someone was allowed to look through all the designs and actually give their opinion. Switched.com, some time back, had compiled a list of such real time coverage from the fashion world.
This is absolutely fantabulous for fashionistas everywhere who don’t have access to these shows but who worship fashion nonetheless. Most of the times, these fashion weeks are on invitation only basis which means the masses cannot gain access to these A- list events.
WLIFW also gave an added advantage to those following Gul’s tweets, as the followers would have a chance of getting an invitation to the show itself. Albeit a promotional gimmick, but isn’t that a prayer for the ardent funkie?
Alisha Fernandes
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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