If day one of the first Condé Nast International Luxury Conference taught us one thing, it's that the transition between tradition and technology is the hottest topic of the moment – whether resisted or embraced, no speaker was going to get back to their seat without conference host Suzy Menkes asking them their views on this issue. To kick off day two, Menkes invited David Lauren of the Ralph Lauren Corporation, designer Iris van Herpen, and Lanvin's Alber Elbaz to explore what tech can and can't achieve.
"Ralph Lauren is about a story – a dream and a vision," Lauren began. "I've tried to build on that – I've tried to use the Internet to communicate the Ralph Lauren story in a different way." This includes name-checking e-commerce and 'shoppable videos' as part of the strategy to bring the brand into the 21st century.
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"We call it 'merchentertainment', which became a mantra for what we wanted to do on the Internet. We were the first major luxury brand to sell on the Internet. When people were getting worried about the Internet, we were selling tuxedos, $5,000 crocodile boots, cashmere sweaters – people trusted us."
Having realised that the touch-technology scene from Steven Spielberg's 2002 film, Minority Report, was just special effects, the brand became the first to have a shoppable window. But how does the brand intend to bring this technology to the customer? Wearable technology, according to Lauren.
"At the US Open last year we introduced the first wearable technology shirt, which measures all your body rhythms and everything that you need to know about living a healthy life. This shirt is more accurate than wearing a fitness bracelet. It counts calories, measures your heartbeat, stress levels, happiness, it has a geometric detailing on it so if you're exercising it measure things differently. If you're not feeling great, all your information can be shared with your doctor in real time."
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Another case in point is the illuminated 'Ricky' bag – a bag that lights up inside with an integrated phone charger – but the brand is not just thinking about clothes. It has created its own New York coffee shop and several restaurants around the world, which are paying back digitally too. "There's nothing more conversational than coffee – and people tweeting about the shops and Instagramming images has been amazing for us," Lauren enthused. "But we also want to keep homeliness in our business, so as well as technology, why not have a simple cup of coffee? There's no point in being technological for the sake of it, it needs to be authentic."
For Iris van Herpen, authenticity comes in a different form. As one of the few designers pioneering 3D printing and robotics to produce her collections, for her technology is not just about shopping or communicating in a different way.
"In fashion, people see technology as a marketing tool. I see it as a creative tool," she explained. "It's really interesting to start looking at clothes in a completely different way: 3D printing is a great tool for mass customisation, and the fashion industry is heading that way. But I don't think it will replace traditional techniques. To begin with, it won't even be used for clothes. Luxury in the future could be using technology to make something completely your own."
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But what of the piracy threat that comes with consumers being able to print their own work at home? "Just as with the music industry and other industries, it happens, and we'll have to find ways to protect it. But for me personally, I don't mind sharing my work."
If Herpen's foot is to the floor, step in Mr Alber Elbaz who, while an ardent advocator of change, also has a good argument for slowing down the system.
"We need to make the system work for us and not be slaves to it," he said to the room of delegates. "Ideas start with intuition and fear, which is the essence of creation. Computers don't have intuition, they are machines – machines with brains, but not hearts. Before I came here I asked my friends – many of whom are architects and artists – how do they start designing? 'With a pencil and paper,' they said. 'Why not a computer?' I asked. 'A computer is too precise,' they replied. 'It never doubts.' We designers don't work with a calculator, we work with dreams and visions."
But, while he is maintaining traditional values of fashion design, Elbaz welcomes the technologies that Herpen is developing, even if they do come with problems of their own.
"We recently used a smart fabric, but it was double the price," he revealed. "The traditional sewing machine totally destroyed it so we had to sew by hand. It took five days to make a piece that would usually take two. But, while the result doesn't always work and the result can be disappointing, it's important to be a part of the conversation and be open to innovation."
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Elbaz's openness to innovation provided a collection of hilarious anecdotes, with the gathered crowd applauding and laughing throughout. From his battle with his iPhone ("If you don’t have a PhD in Engineering or are 16 and a half – it's hard"), to Instagram ("You have to be so photogenic these days, if Instagram was around when I started I wouldn't be where I am!"), to complex lighting systems in hotels, technology is not always his friend.
"I was on a plane travelling to Paris recently and the stewardess asked me if I'd like to sit in a 'smart chair', saying, 'You can navigate the seat',"he recalled, smiling. "I told the lady, 'I'm not a navigator, I'm just a fashion designer – let the pilot fly us safely to Paris and let me read a book with my feet up. Is that too much to ask from a smart chair?' But then I stopped before I ruined my reputation."
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Despite the warm humour, Elbaz's words of wisdom were profound when it came to looking to the future.
"We in fashion envy the world of tech because it's the industry of change today. In fashion we produce eight or more collections a year, but it's just changing clothes. The system remains the same. We should not be afraid of change – we should look to the future with no fear. We can combine yesterday and tomorrow. You can create a product that is a strong product and a smart product. We can make it smart, but less intellectual, less cold, more friendly."
At a recent dinner party, Elbaz noted the difference between his fashion friends and the innovators at Apple that he had met with earlier in the day.
"The fashion industry looked a little tired, a little confused, a little stressed. But the Apple boys looked sexy and beautiful and like they were having fun. I couldn't stop thinking about it and I was sad. How did technology take over the glamour of fashion? But time has made me realise that fashion is an industry but also a family – sometimes dysfunctional but still a family. We can create with simple things, a seamstress, a needle and some thread."
From Lauren's marketing, to Herpen's design development, to Elbaz's loving embrace, this morning's sessions showed how technology is transcending the industry in a multitude of ways.
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