Satin and Silver Linings: Cloud Computing and Couture

I asked a friend of mine, “Do you think cloud computing and fashion will ever come together one day?”

Her response: “Yeah, sure. Maybe in some new clouded leopard print, I guess.”

I keep forgetting that cloud computing is still a new phenomenon. People aren’t yet entirely familiar with what it means. And what it doesn’t mean. (Clouded leopard print? Seriously?)

I donned my Columbo hat to investigate the inevitable marriage of the catwalk with the cloud. Here are my findings.

The Next Great Luxury Brand

The toughest task for an upstart designer is getting the word out on your aesthetic. Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang may have skyrocketed to stardom, but they had to start somewhere. Cloud computing provides a way for fashion newbies to both quickly immerse the Web with information on their brand, and to dramatically lessen the gap between couturiers and consumers. New Look Daily is a winning example of cloud computing’s possibilities. After insane growth in their Facebook page’s activity, the company moved into the cloud with the help of EMC Consulting. Its e-commerce and consumer interactions have been streamlined thanks to the tech makeover.

Winning Women Over

Computerized prints are all the rage these days. Everyone from Proenza Schouler to Ralph Lauren has employed design technology to create new prints and shapes that range from reigned-in to radical. Best of all — ladies are lapping up the looks. A new designer who capitalizes on cloud technology can harness the trend to their advantage. She could meander through a locale in search of some inspiring images, and snap them with her camera. Those photos instantly sync with her computer — thanks to cloud computing. She can then can warp, tease, and otherwise manipulate the day’s pictures into a never-before-seen design that women riot for. It’s time we start thinking of the cloud as jet fuel for fashionable creative acts.

The End of Street Fashion, The Collapse of the Runway

Have you looked into the street fashion blog craze as of yet? Places like lookbook and Pimpumpam attract daily hordes of Internet surfers obsessed with the latest in concrete couture. The Sartorialist, grandfather to this craze, has even been sanctified with his own documentary. Street fashion has built up its own unique core audience, while what you see on the runway continues to follow its own orbit. Enter cloud computing to potentially revolutionize how these two sectors interact.

Fashion writers and editors who spot a new hot look strolling down a local street can renovate their approach thanks to the cloud. They can photograph, write about, or even interview their stylist subject. Whatever they create flies to all their devices, and their social networks, via cloud computing. This dissemination to our virtual lives can speed up how trends take shape. As a result, it also will influence what designers take notice of, and what ultimately hangs on your closet rack.

By Jeff Norman

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