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J. Mendel picks Instagram Story, film over runway show

French fashion house J. Mendel has become the latest brand to eschew a runway show, choosing to show its spring/summer 2017 collection via digital channels.

In lieu of the traditional show, the brand created an artsy film that debuted on its Web site during New York Fashion Week. Another example of a design house reworking the format of premiering a collection, this digital reveal takes a consumer-centric focus, allowing fans online to view at the same time as editors and buyers.

Virtual runway
J. Mendel debuted its collection in an Instagram Story that went live at 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 14. In the story, a series of stills show model Ondria Hardin posing in successive looks from the collection, creating a virtual rundown of the designs.

The same morning, the brand released a collection film exclusively on its Web site. The short shows Ms. Hardin strutting in the collection as botanical imagery appears behind her.

Splitting the footage into three horizontal sections, the film by agency Suspect.tv mixes and matches looks modeled by Ms. Hardin.

According to Women?s Wear Daily, house creative director Gilles Mendel commissioned an exclusive soundtrack from Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan, his son-in-law.

J. Mendel has traditionally staged its ready-to-wear shows in New York, making this release a way to stay within the calendar in a cost-effective way. For editors and buyers who need to see pieces in-person, J. Mendel is holding separate appointments starting on Sept. 14.

U.S. fashion label Tom Ford also went against the grain by choosing not to stage a live runway presentation for its spring/summer 2016 collection.

Live-streaming fashion shows has become commonplace whether they are filmed from above by drones or documented by models through the use of streaming and live action applications such as Snapchat and Periscope. Tom Ford dismissed the aforementioned marketing techniques, opting for a social video adaptation of a runway presentation (see story).