Want to watch a runway show from the front row? Check out TikTok

Have you ever dreamed of attending a live fashion show? Until very recently reserved for just a few hand-picked guests, Fashion Week is gradually opening up to the public since the emergence of digital catwalks. And now another approach to the catwalk has opened up with video-sharing application TikTok, which is partnering with designers and labels to offer 100% fashion content to its 800 million monthly active users.

The month of September is usually devoted to the presentations of the new summer collections of the biggest fashion labels in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Ultra selective, Fashion Week has always been a closed-door event with members of the public often waiting for hours behind barriers just to catch a glimpse of the designers and models of the moment. But the dream of many to catch the action up close is becoming more and more accessible thanks to digital technology and the period of social distancing the world is facing.

Major designers head to TikTok

In the aftermath of the lockdowns, some designers were keen to present their new collections, but only in a digital version; social distancing measures already went some way to opening up Fashion Week to the public. A first step that has already allowed a large number of fashion fans to discover the new trends at an unprecedentedly short distance from the catwalk, albeit behind a screen... Designers and major labels are now going even further by partnering with TikTok to broadcast a selection of shows to some 800 million potential viewers. The video-sharing application has launched the "#TikTokFashionMonth," offering users the ability to view a live stream of fashion shows from labels including Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and JW Anderson. Exclusive videos, livestreams, and events will punctuate this fashion month on TikTok, which will end on October 8 with a fashion show featuring numerous up-and-coming designers and exclusive capsules.

Users are invited to use different hashtags to share the content made available. In addition to "#TikTokFashionMonth," they will be able to compose with "#GetTheLook" to reproduce a look they liked, and "#Fashion101," dedicated to tips, tricks, and trends.

Is Gen Z the new luxury target?

After having snared the millennials with campaigns featuring the "sons and daughters of," sportswear-accented collections and unique and desirable collaborations, brands and designers seem to see Generation Z as a new potential target.

Because beyond the impressive reach of TikTok, one must keep in mind that the application is mainly used by 13-24 year olds, although 25-34 year olds represent about 25% according to several estimates. An indication that suggests that luxury houses are seeking to reach an increasingly younger public whose tastes and habits could increasingly be taken into account as the sector seeks to redefine itself.