A year ago Marc Jacobs wanted few celebrities at his fall 2009 runway show.  For Spring 2010 two of them managed to get in, Lady Gaga and Madonna.  One of whom was not invited, uh, Madonna.  The same rule apply for fall 2010, and it appears that the rule will be strictly enforced.  “When Marc says “no” he means NO! NO CELEBRITIES!,” says Marc’s business partner Robert C. Duffy on Twitter.  An invite to his runway show is a much desired commodity for editors, buyers, stylists, and yes, bloggers.  Celebrities may not be welcomed, but Marc Jacobs is granting front row access to all when he streams his runway show live this season. 

Marc Jacobs Shuns Celebs From Front Row [Harper's Bazaar Austrailia]

Related: Designers Live Stream Shows During New York Fashion Week

It appears the Internet is playing a starring role in New York Fashion Week.  Several of the top designers are live streaming their runway shows this year.  Among them are Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Rodarte, Calvin Klein, Ports 1961 and Isaac Mizrahi.  The move towards live streaming the shows online has been a growing trend from previous seasons, and momentum is building.  Will this shift jeopardize the week set aside for the fashion industry to congregate under one tent?  That remains to be seen, but until then here’s a schedule of the shows to watch online:

Alexander Wang – February 13th @ 5:oopm EST – Showstudio.com

Calvin Klein – February 18th @ 3:00pm EST – calvinkleincollections.com

Isaac Mizrahi – February 18th @ 12:00pm EST

Marc Jacobs – February 15 @ 8:00pm EST – marcjacobs.com

Ports 1961- February 11th @ 3:00pm EST – vogue.com

Rodarte – February 16th @ 12:00pm – Showstudio.com

Marc Jacobs is very pleased with the selection of model Lara Stone for the new Louis Vuitton ad campaign.  The designer gives us a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot where Steven Meisel shot the Spring/Summer 2010 ad with the model.  Lara replaced Madonna, and all indications are she was the perfect choice.  She epitomizes the curvey and glamourous sought-after look of the new decade.  Arguably she ushered in the look, and we were all entranced.  The theme of the ad is natural and tranquil and it works well against the glamour and luxury of  the model and her Vuitton.  The goal of these campaigns is to entice women to aspire to be like the model and shop Louis Vuitton.  I would say that mission was accomplished.

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010

Luxury brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy have not embraced the idea of selling their apparel online.  Marc Jacobs is an American designer, and he is also the creative director of Louis Vuitton.  There appears to be a  divide betweeen U.S. high-end retailers and European retailers; the U.S. companies are far more open to e-commerce.   

European retailers are hesitant to take advantage of the online retail market amid concerns about brand exclusivity and brand dilution.  They are concerned about a deterioration in customer service online as well.  Some retail consultants argue that the ease and convenience of ordering online is really what quality service is all about. 

Many of these brands have certain exceptions like, U.K. based Alexander McQueen.  His website sells everything to his U.S. customers only.  Yves Saint Laurent will only allow accessories to be sold online to its U.S. customers.  Chanel sells its beauty products, and Louis Vuitton sells  leather goods and accessories, but neither will go beyond those specified items.

Luxury brands are not as averse to the Internet as before, many have ventured into the online social networking arena.  It’s a great way to connect with customers in an attempt to better address their needs.  Twitter, Facebook and other sites provide real-time feedback that, if used correctly, can be invaluable to these companies.

“More than 50% of the population has grown up with shopping on the Internet. It continues to be the biggest growth opportunity for fashion, and luxury in particular. They’re not going to see the same level of growth in traditional outlets,” says chief retail analyst Marshal Cohen.  Maybe the question to ask is, can luxury retail continue to shun e-commerce without serious financial implications?

Online Luxury Retail Remains Elusive [BusinessWeek]

Marc Jacob does it again for Louis Vuitton.  He designed pieces that every Vuitton girl will covet.  Separates ruled this runway.  There were tons of shorts and mini skirts in various lengths to match a girl’s mood.  The collection was a mix of lilac, lavendar and coral with the neutral gray, eggplant and black.  Of course he understands that’s how women want to dress; we want the balance of brights with earthy colors.  All those colors were accompanied by sufficient sparkle to enhance the Vuitton girl’s shine upon entrance in a room.  Oh, and did I mention the accessories.  They deserve a separate blog post all of their own.  The bags were scrumptious and the shoes, yummy.  To sum up Louis Vuitton spring 2010 runway this season, it was a sea of afros and must have pieces along side fabulous accessories.  Click here to view the video on Facebook or view the video below and see for yourself.