The People have Spoken! DVF via #NYFW | Day 4

Video via Instagram/KarlieKloss

Diane Von Furstenburg–with a pre-show speech like that it’s no wonder hers was one of the most talked about runway show of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. We were immediately wrapped around her finger as a mashup of summer anthems Blurred Lines and Get Lucky ushered in an energetic line of bold prints, pants sets, crop tops (drink!), and totally wearable frocks adorned by a beautifully diverse cast of models. AND THEN Naomi closed the show, and we all died.

How do I know all of this happened (besides the fact that I caught the live stream on Facebook)? Twitter told me.

Image via Tumblr/WGSN

But not everyone in the Twitterverse was thrilled.  A number of would-be viewers shared their frustration when 35 minutes into the hour, mbfashionweek.com was still airing the equivalent of hold music instead of DVF. Maybe the whole show was running late. Maybe MB’s live stream had technical difficulty. Maybe everything was right on cue but we were just not privy to the plan. Either way, tweeters frantically searched elsewhere for the ephemeral fashion broadcast.

(continued below)

argh, i want to see @dvf not carmen marc valvo again #dvf #nyfw #ss14

— rosalynn (@rozfashionista) September 8, 2013

@MBfashionweek @DVF @wgsn what's going on on your website? Showing re broadcasts…..

— Kate Smith (@KatePinkSmith) September 8, 2013

Waiting (im)patiently for #DVF to start #NYFW

— Denise M R (@DDRey) September 8, 2013

@styleisleIRL is there anywhere I can watch it? It's not coming up live on the nyfw website.

— Corina Gaffey (@corinagaffey) September 8, 2013

A couple lessons here:

(a) Social media gossips. Just like social media allows satisfied customers to laud all the amazing things a brand does for them, it also enables them to broadcast any grievance, even the simplest site slowdown. So–don’t have slowdowns. Having a dedicated ecommerce website support team drastically reduces the likelihood of tweetable site performance issues.

(b) Site performance is kind of a big deal. If ever you wondered whether customers would actually go elsewhere because they’re having trouble using your site–they will. Imagine if mbfashionweek.com had been an ecommerce site. It would have lost an enormous amount of business because customers couldn’t get the product they wanted.

(c) Once a perk, now a customer expectation. Live streaming runway shows used to be a benefit. An added bonus brands would offer their customers. A sneak peek into upcoming trends that was exclusive to insiders. And now? Viewers publicly express impatience with delays and possible technical difficulties of events they might not have otherwise gotten to see. What was once a perk is now an expectation. The same is true in the ecommerce world. Customers expect retailers to deliver everything possible. Quality products; web, mobile and in-store accessibility; quick searches; fast load times; intuitive design; appealing content; easy checkout; social sharing capabilities; personalized customer service; a consistent brand experience across channels–the list grows on and on. Anything less is substandard.

In the end, DVF gave one amazing collection and show. And at least I know others felt the same.

Does @DVF ever disappoints me? Uh…NO! Her spring '14 is AMAZING! 😍😍😍

— Char 🌻 (@simplychar___) September 8, 2013

https://twitter.com/BMT108/status/376808230543822848

Love that multi color printed deep v neck dress. @DVF WORK IT! #NYFW

— ~Maria~ (@OneStyleataTime) September 8, 2013

Oh Ill have that cream top with the plunging neckline please @dvf

— Lorna Weightman (@styleisleIRL) September 8, 2013

https://twitter.com/KatePinkSmith/status/376805965301305344

More New York Fashion Week Coverage