DALLAS, Apr 1, 2003/ FW/ -- Though a lot of fashion houses have been very successful in harnessing the positive effects of the information age, there are those who are still on a 'hit and miss.'

A good example is the Gucci group which has Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Balenciaga under its umbrella, seem to have an ambivalent point of view.

Alexander McQueen, considered one of the best shows in Paris during the Fall 2003 season held his show at the Porte de la Villette. He accomodated as many people as possible - writers, photographers, retail buyers and potential customers.

A great showman, Alexander McQueen captured his audience by holding "two-shows-in-one"; a wind tunnel on top of a winter wonderland at the bottom.

Photos from his show were the headlines of the fashion section of several newspapers the next day!

The international coverage of Alexander McQueen's show was a far cry from the measley mention of Balenciaga's elitist show held last February in New York.

Dubbing itself as the 'insider's insider', the show invited 200 guests selected from the elite fashion press.

As a result, the show did not even make a dent in the well-oiled media frenzy of New York Fashion Week. Except for a few write-ups, the fashion press totally ignored the Balenciaga show. Needless to say, Balenciaga's Fall 2003 collection did not make the headlines.

On hindsight, the lack of press can hurt sales. Surveys from both Neilsen and Jupiter Media Metrix say that 70% of the online population in the U.S. consult the web before they make any purchase.

In short, consumers like to be well-informed before they open their pocketbooks. The saying, 'If you don't see it, you won't miss it' is very true in this tight economic situation.

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