DALLAS, Apr 1, 2003/ FW/ --- Like any well-oiled business machine, fashion houses depend on the fashion press to dissiminate information about their products.

Editorials are part and parcel of the whole marketing strategy.

Because publications and in turn, their writers are 'independent,' their point of view is seen as objective.

Reviews of runway shows are the editors/writers own assessment of the upcoming collections.

Hence, fashion week shows are by invitation only and held mostly for the press and retail buyers.

Before the era of mass communication and in turn the information age, everyone has to wait for the monthly glossies to see what is the next fashion trend.

With round-the clock TV and the internet, the reviews and photos of the collections are out within 24 hours. It has become 'information-on-demand' as Bill Gates has predicted.

7th on Sixth, producers of the bi-annual Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week understood the public's insatiable need for information and New York became the first city in the international fashion scene to accredit websites as press.

The Fédération française de la Couture, France's fashion governing body saw the changing times also. Although they reluctantly accepted websites at first, the Fédération now welcomes internet sites which fall within the set rules.

Even the venerable fashion houses which include Dior and Emanuel Ungaro are harnessing the power of the information age.

If you visit www.dior.com and www.emanuelungaro.com, you will see the collections for Fall 2003 which was shown last month in Paris.

But if there is a designer who has truly embraced the power of the web, it is Ralph Lauren. His website www.polo.com is both an online magazine and a full e-commerce endeavour.

Next:>>>[1] [2] [3]