There was a time when fashion was cloaked in exclusivity, its business model relying on an elitist system that barely resembles the accessible structure that has permeated every class and society now. You had to buy a print magazine to discover the latest collections and trends, you had to queue up and wait hours for the doors of your favourite stores open up to their seasonal sales. That landscape has changed and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that nothing has impacted the business of fashion more than the social media tsunami.

Previously, if you wanted to see a designer’s complete collection you had to make the physical effort of attending the fashion show, going out to the shop or buying a catalogue. Now you watch in real time as models strut down the catwalk at Grand Palais in the latest Chanel couture while sitting in pajamas on your bed in Lahore. It’s a long, long way to come and we’re only just beginning to grasp its magnitude.

For the consumer, things couldn’t be better - something attracts you online, you read reviews online, turn to a trusted Facebook community for second opinion and order it with a simple "add to cart." A few days later, lo and behold, it arrives on your doorstep. But as easy as it is for us, the business of fashion is still grappling with its implications. With a new world of visuals accessible at the touch of a screen, brands have to work even harder to stay in sight, in tags, hashtags, tweets, posts and threads. The fashion establishment has had to adapt majorly in order to remain in the running for survival. Instep spoke to three industry insiders to find out how fashion is faring and any possible disadvantages that tail this boom.

"We encourage our clients to engage widely on social media because of two reasons," divulges Selina Rashid of Lotus PR. "Firstly, because of its unprecedented reach and resonance in our world. The social media community is huge and you have complete control over your brand image. The brand or celebrity is one on one with every user." Lotus provides social media assistance to all its clients and at times even handles a client’s account in-house by assigning it to an executive. Secondly, according to Rashid, it’s a very effective way to sell. "Be a designer, a product, a celebrity or a film, it’s about how well you’ve projected yourself in social media. The narrative has become visual and your visibility online actually translates into sales and Instagram is the best tool in our arsenal." What started out as marketing’s greatest gift (it used to be nearly free) is now turning into branding’s most powerful ally.

Word to the wise though, you have to know how to work the system before it yields results for you. "Your Instagram has to be meticulously curated in order for it to flourish. The brand must have clarity in terms of strategy and identity. The posts have to be aesthetically pleasing and engaging. At the same time though there is a risk involved. You have to be vigilant round the clock and ensure nothing objectionable is posted because social media is volatile and quick at lashing out," Rashid explains.

Ads on Instagram are a relatively new phenomenon. Before it allowed promoting content, brands would have to rely on product placement and endorsements for social media mavens in order to market themselves. This is still the case for more discerning brands - but hasn’t the audience caught on? Rashid feels that the pressure is greater abroad than it is locally. "People will always trust a celebrity endorsement. If so and so has posted about it, it must be good is the general conception. Brands also have to be smart about who they associate with online because their social media image must mirror the brand’s identity," Rashid opined.

Saad Ali, CEO of Pakistan Fashion Design Council and Karma, feels that are no downsides - at least none visible yet. "In terms of PFDC there is no such thing as overexposure. We’re here to promote and benefit designers - the greater audience we can reach, the better it is for them. We have moved forward from creating awareness about fashion to actually promoting the business of fashion and affecting sales through social media," he states.

What about Karma, the fashion label helmed by his wife Maheen Kardar? "We’re only just tapping into the social media potluck. There’s definitely a learning curve and we’re nowhere close to mastering it yet. It’s keeping us on our toes; we’re revamping the website to capitalize on the e-commerce boom, we’ve hired dedicated teams for Facebook, Instagram etc. and have set performance indicators to see how our strategy is coping. The beauty of social media, though, lies in the fact that you get an immediate response in terms of likes and online sales. You can gauge with astounding accuracy how effective you are in your engagement and it’s all backed by numbers and statistics," responds Ali. And even though social media makes plagiarism easy, it also results in greater accountability for the brand, he adds.

Sana Safinaz, a luminary in fashion’s hall of fame in Pakistan, has a strong social media presence and engages with their audience on several different platforms. Safinaz Muneer reveals that the brand feels there’s greater utility that can be gleaned from social media than what they’re pushing for at the moment. "So far we have only used social media platforms as a PR outlet in sync with our marketing strategies. We haven’t really used social media as a marketing outlet as yet, but we recognize that’s really where the future is," she states.

Most international brands active on social media complain that social media causes fashion fatigue even before the clothes have actually reached the consumer.  Does Safinaz’s clientele experience the same fatigue?  "While that might be the problem facing international design houses we’re not particularly plagued by this side-effect. Most of our clients for made-to-order items know that each piece is a labour of love and they are willing to wait for it. However, our ready-to-wear line that hits the stores is a whole different story; loyal clients visit on a weekly basis to get a hold of new stock. Having said that, the onslaught of social media means the status quo is constantly evolving. We will eventually have to start sending a milder form of our ramp collections to the stores a lot faster than we used to."

Social media also works on a system of sneak peeks, behind the scenes photos at campaign shoots and other teaser tactics to create hype about an upcoming product but it might also leave brands more susceptible to be copied even before the product is launched - as we’ve witnessed several times in recent fashion history. But Muneer feels that it is all a part of the package. "As fans of Instagram, we love all these sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes photos; they work as perfect teasers for an exciting campaign. If your brand is big, there are always chances of plagiarism, you just have to accept that fact and keep moving ahead; and always try to stay on top of your game."