I have been lucky enough to attend many fashion shows over the past few years. Some have been fabulous, and some slightly disappointing. But they have all requied some effort on my part. And a massive amount of effort on the part of the organisers, designers and crew. And yet, none of this hard work really takes us on a direct path from catwalk to actually pulling out the credit card and snapping up that fab little dress or a tailored jumpsuit.
Of course it has come down to the intergalatic webatron to do this for us. I remember watching Roland Mouret's first independent collection being launched via Net-a-Porter about a year ago - on my computer from the comfort of my office. Within days the collection was sold out, thanks in part to dear old Pixie Beckham who had bought about 8 frocks to wear in roatation on her bid to conquer LA.
This year, Net-a-Porter has brought us a virtual fashion show capsule collection from the magnificent Alexander McQueen. As a devotee of his trussed up, womanly, slightly eccentric English wear, I am delighted to be able to view his new collection, see backstage to the fittings and makeup, take a gander at his retrospective and have the pieces explained to me by some useful styling people. But the best bit is watching the looks on the runway and being able to click on a button and buy the garment directly.
And it is not just the international designers taking this path. Jenny Le Roux from Habits was absent from the summer catwalks this season, opting instead to have a virtual fashion show. You can click here to have a look at her spring summer collection, and simply press the button to go and buy the looks you like. Sure, there are the usual loose garments for ladies of a certain age, but there are also some wonderful little dresses and some fresh accessories, just waiting for your credit card details to be filled in.
Online will never replace the excitement of the front row when something totally unexpected grabs your fancy, but it is a very servicable and practical way to get a glimpse of what it out there in the world of fashion - and how it can find its way directly into your closet.
