September heralds the start of Fashion Month, when the world is abuzz with news of the latest collections and hottest trends to come off the runway. While designers are predicting and setting the standard for what we should be wearing come Spring, they’re also showing us what we should be doing when it comes to technology- from the latest gadgets, to the coolest and newest social media sites to belong to.

Last year, we at The Practice applauded Diane von Furstenberg when she showcased Google Glass on her models at New York Fashion Week, much to the amazement of the watching crowd. This year, it’s been making another impactful appearance, with even some attendees trialling their own pieces of wearable tech. Project Runway judge and Marie Claire creative director, Nina Garcia, for instance, has been wearing a Google Glass headset to the shows, in order to publicise catwalk and front row action. From her device, which she describes as “liberating” due to its hands-free appeal, her photos and videos have been streamed live across her social media platforms- Vine, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as Marie Claire’s online site. And fashion blogger, Style Heroine, has also been videoing the action via a Google Glass headpiece for “look book” style website Netrobe, who have released them on their blog.

This is also the first show season that Instagram video has been a part of Fashion Week’s social media spectrum. Such is its popularity and relevance that we’re seeing more collaborations between journalists and photographers when it comes to utilising this feature. The New York Times Style section, for instance, has teamed up with Craig Arend, the photographer and blogger behind style blog, “Models off Duty”, for Instagram videos of behind the scenes action. Aside from this, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week itself has also added something new to its digital line-up with an interactive augmented-reality app which means that each of the 90 featured fashion designers showing their collections have a REEL CODE frame by their programme blurbs and images. This allows users to access four multimedia channels for each designer when scanned with their Smartphone.

It’s clear that fashion and technology go hand in hand, and so we feel that if companies want to drive sales, they should most certainly target the industry. Why? Verena von Pfetten, executive digital director of Lucky Magazine, argues: “Wearable gadgets are, in a word, accessories, which means the tech industry needs to get women on board first […] Women are not only one of the highest spending demographics when it comes to tech, they’re also early adopters and incredible influencers- especially when it comes to the fashion industry.” Secondly, fashion has always been about setting trends and imbuing products with the “cool factor”, which is also why it should stand tech companies in good stead to have relevant brands endorse their gadgets. Indeed, Nicolette Mason, fashion editor for Italian Vogue and online magazine, Refinery29, remarks: “What’s so interesting about fashion is that no matter how ugly something is, if it’s framed in the right way and endorsed by the right people, it can become a trend.” Samsung for instance, is one such company who have clearly noticed that Fashion Week is the place to be- they’ve already marked their presence in a useful way at New York Fashion Week with their Galaxy Lounge, a dedicated area where spectators can charge their phones whilst checking out the company’s latest products.

Have you been following the latest from Fashion Week? Which digital or tech trends have caught your eye, and do you think that the Fashion Industry will be instrumental in propelling these into the spotlight? We’d love to hear your views, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your thoughts on our Facebook page.