At 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Burberry will stage its Spring/Summer 2011 show for its high-end womenswear line at London Fashion Week. But the physical catwalk is just one part of this year's show.
In addition to live-streaming the event on its website and making a select number of pieces available for purchase immediately afterward (which the company has been doing since its Fall 2010 show in February 2010), Burberry has also invited customers into 25 of its flagship stores (in 16 countries, no less) to watch the event live via 3x3-meter HD screens.
Following the live-stream, employees will distribute iPads to participants so that they can browse and purchase many of the items they've just seen via a custom-built app. Orders will be delivered in roughly seven weeks -- i.e., several months before the rest of the collection will be available online and in retail stores.
The initiative cleverly bridges the gap between the online and retail shopping experiences. Although customers will not be able to examine and try on the garments and accessories in the collection, they will have access to employee advice and assistance, among other benefits -- such as "the clothes, the music, the energy and the atmosphere," Burberry Chief Creative Office Christopher Bailey said in a statement.
Undoubtedly, the company's existing customer base will be more responsive to an invitation for an in-store event, rather than a prompt to log on to Burberry.com to watch the show online, as well.