British department store Harrods partnered with British Airways to host a fashion show mid-flight on an A380 plane.
Two hundred guests sipped Champagne as they watched models walk the aisle of the plane wearing British designers. By hosting this fashion show in an unconventional setting, Harrods will benefit from word-of-mouth and social media buzz.
"It was a brilliant idea to combine these two British icons into a single event," said Walter Deacon, principal at Boston Retail Partners, Boston.
"Harrods has been able to generate significant buzz, evidenced by the fact we are talking about it," he said.
Mr. Deacon is not affiliated with Harrods, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Harrods was unable to comment directly prior to press deadline.
Flying fashion
The fashion show was held on a plane bound for Johannesburg, South Africa, Feb. 6. As the plane took off, guests were served a Champagne high tea, with food prepared by The Saxon, a luxury hotel in Johannesburg, and South African chef David Higgs.
Champagne high tea
For the fashion show, models walked the length of the plane’s aisle, wearing summer looks. The models wore shoes by Jimmy Choo and attire designed by British designers Stella McCartney, Temperley London, Jenny Packham and Victoria Beckham.
Model wearing Temperley London
In a branded statement, Harrods managing director Michael Ward said that the event was a way to showcase the creativity of the designers in a unique experience for the guests.
Model wearing Jenny Packham
This fashion show is the beginning of a year-long partnership with British Airways, which will bring events to Harrods consumers.
Model with British Airways pilot
Experience is everything
Harrods focuses on creating experiences for all of its customers.
For instance, the store gave its winter sale consumers the royal treatment with a red carpet event held during the hours before the store opened Dec. 26.
The retailer served complimentary hors d’oeuvres and hosted live entertainment outside of its store on Dec. 26 to raise consumers’ spirits and get them in the mood to spend. By making an event out of a sale, Harrods was able to connect with its aspirational consumers and create a memorable experience for them (see story).
Events such as this contributed to Harrods being named Luxury Daily’s 2013 Luxury Retailer of the Year for its exuberant in-store events, eclectic collaborations and its ever-present attitude on social media.
Harrods won over runner’s-up Net-A-Porter by demonstrating that the in-store environment is still essential and can be rescued with shrewd positioning, a unified digital presence and energized interactions with consumers. These retailers surpassed other contenders because of the vitality that courses through their many interfaces and by lifting the bar for mobile and ecommerce (see story).
Harrods has shown its fashion industry credibility through its coverage of Fashion Week.
British retailers have become media themselves this London Fashion Week by creating their own content around the menswear shows to demonstrate their involvement in the events.
Both Harrods and Mr Porter have been updating their social media accounts, as well as their Web sites, with photos and videos of the fashion shows they attended, giving their followers backstage accounts of the productions. By becoming a part of the online conversation surrounding London Fashion Week, these retailers are able to show their place within the fashion industry by providing insider information (see story).
"Although they are still exciting, in-store events have become somewhat routine," Mr. Deacon said.
"Harrods’ has elevated the typical fashion show to a new level, trading off a limited audience of 200 against the considerable exposure created by their unique approach," he said. "It will be interesting to see how the coverage of the event translates into sales through the registers.
"Through Facebook, Harrods’ is leveraging social media to significantly broaden coverage of this event beyond the 200 in attendance."
Final Take
Sarah Jones, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York