Phase one of the project will see Roberto Cavalli implementing Google Apps Premier Edition that enables the company to move across from the systems currently used by the group to a single Gmail system, while keeping the robertocavalli.it/com domain.

Phase two will see the company adopting Google Sites, which the staff will use as an easily accessible, searchable image repository for the fashion designer’s picture archive.

Google said that the Italian fashion house is also planning to use Google Video to upload catwalk videos, making them available in real-time to all of Roberto Cavalli’s boutiques.

This project will use another feature of Google Apps, Google Video, which acts like a private version of YouTube that only members of the corporate domain can access. They will be able to upload, download, and share up to 3GB of videos per user account.

Cavalli said that Google Docs allows users to create and share documents, presentations and spreadsheets in real-time. Google Sites facilitates to create website easily, while Google Video for Business helps companies make content and communication more personal, visual and engaging.

The heart of the digital campaign consists of an experiential website built around a 3D video that guides the user through the B.zero1 world where users discover the new collection and the artist, Anish Kapoor. Download the iPhone app and other B.zero1 “goodies”, including screensavers and wallpapers, at http://www.bzero1.bulgari.com.

In an area of the site called “The Experience”, Bulgari fans may leave a wish for the future that can be shared with friends via Facebook and other social media websites. With each new message, a point of light is added to a digital sculpture. The evolution of this collaborative sculpture, along with all wishes, may be seen on the website.

We talked with BVLGARI on the goals for the campaign.

Macala Wright: Who is the app target towards? Luxury consumers, aspirational customers, men, women?

BVLGARI: With the B.zero1 iPhone app, and with the B.zero1 campaign in general, Bulgari wanted to reach out to our existing customers and brand enthusiasts who are spending more and more time online and on their mobiles. We also wanted to reach out to other people, men and women, who appreciate luxury, but may not know Bulgari very well or may perceive Bulgari to be “distant”.

MW: Why did Bulgari want to create this app, was it to reach a broader audience much like Burberry Art of the Trench?

BVLGARI:: We wanted to create a greater level of brand engagement and interaction with people in a coherent, connected way across all of our online communication channels – website, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. We felt that this campaign – celebrating our iconic jewellery collection and in collaboration with contemporary artist, Anish Kapoor, who is renowned for curved forms and reflective surfaces – provided rich material for an intriguing and fun iPhone app.

BVLGARI:: How has Bulgari’s digital campaign effected the brand thus far – positive reception, broader brand awareness, engagement?

BVLGARI: It is still too early to fully understand the effect of the campaign on the brand. However, we are happy with the indications so far – the number of visits to our website, the level of participation in the interactive digital “Wish Sculpture”, where people have been leaving messages and sharing with friends & family, as well as the amount of positive feedback on our official page on Facebook.

FMM Verdict: I love the “experience” of that the Bulgari apps gives the user. For a luxury brand app, it’s much more engaging and “social” than previous luxury brands’ attempts at creating application. I think the Bulgari app goes to show that luxury can approachable while aspirational and social without losing that mystique that a luxury brand is built on. This app just replaced the Hermes app as the one luxury branded app on my iPhone.

I’m going a step further and filing the Bulgari app under “digital pretty”; I will definitely employ it’s use while shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or in the luxury wing of South Coast Plaza. Enjoy the app and the video.

Coach’s tactics to increase their profits from accessories seem to be working, but it seems to be a slow and steady race.  What might really give Coach that extra boost to make a big splash in accessories’ sales?

The answer: Men’s accessories.

Don’t worry, I’m not talking about man bags (although who knows, maybe Coach will one day specialize in man purses (they do have messenger bags, that really close). Men’s accessories include shoes, belts, eyewear, wallets and watches.  A recent Forbes article reports that  Coach currently has 3% of the share in men’s luxury market, and since men’s luxury markets in the US, UK, China and India are booming compared to women’s luxury, Coach could really benefit by targeting and tailoring products to men.

Coach hopes to get 14% of the share in men’s luxury in upcoming years.  With the growth in men’s luxury all around the world, that percentage is achievable but not without some hard work.  For one, men’s luxury is still a niche market and might only appeal to those in very big cities where style is paramount; men’s accessories might not have universal appeal, and Coach has to think hard about how to go about putting men’s accessories in stores.

Men’s luxury, moreover, mostly consists of eyewear and watches.  Coach’s leather products are its most famous items, so if Coach makes male accessories in leather (wallets, belts, perhaps even the dreaded man bag), it might not be able to cash in on the male luxury boom.

It’s a tricky situation, but if Coach handles it right, the brand could reap huge successes.

Photo Credit: Coach

In an interview on the viability of small luxury brands, former Valentino chairman Matteo Marzotto discussed the future of luxury and the rise small French houses, such as Vionnet, which Marzotto bought in 2008.

“We are living an historical change. There are many more brands, the market is saturated, much more competitive, you need ideas,” the 43-year-old businessman told Reuters.

Small brands can carve out a safe niche for themselves in an overcrowded fashion market, adding that ideas count more than money in the crisis-hit luxury industry.

Marzotto said the “crazy days” of luxury were gone. “At Valentino we sold haute couture clothes for hundreds of thousands of euros, because we were in a very exclusive niche,” he said, remembering his five years alongside designer Valentino Garavani, who also left the maison in 2008.

Image: Vionnet Paris

Dolce & Gabbana already know this and have produced live streamed shows for iPhone and the Android.  Recently, they have added a new — and amazing simple — twist to the relationship between fashion and technology.

One weekend in June, at the 20th anniversary Dolce & Gabbana menswear show in Milan, the brand hung 28 iPads showcasing images of D&G’s 20 years of menwear in the Pilazzo Marino —  Milan’s city hall that has existed since the 16th century.  Dolce & Gabbana also added 48 LCD monitors to create an electrifying display that fused together history, modernity, fashion and technology.

Like Jason Wu and his recent launch of the Create by Jason Wu digital camera, Dolce & Gabbana seem to understand that technology is fashion and that only in a backdrop of beautiful, digital devices can true luxury  be made even more luxurious.

The list was created with the help of Brent Hoberman (Co-founder, lastminute.com), Hilary Alexander (Fashion Director, The Daily Telegraph), Kate Russell (Website and Technology Expert, BBC Click) and Denize Hewitt (One of the UK’s biggest online shoppers).

The Online Fashion 100 lists Britain’s top online fashion influencers in alphabetical order and does not rank them.  However, here are ten (some of them in pairs, the same way Online Fashion 100 grouped them) listed on the Online Fashion 100 that we knew and recognized and wanted to share so that you can get a taste of what the list is like:

(In no particular order)

The Deal Makers

Dr. Vincent Cable MP (Business Secretary, Her Majesty’s Government), Jeremy Hunt MP (Culture, Olympics, Media & Sport Secretary, Her Majesty’s Government)

Dr. Vincent Cable’s support of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) might really boost the way online fashion run their businesses, and Jeremy Hunt is a politican who loves social media — having recently met Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg about Facebook and its relationship to social engagement. Both Cable and Hunt’s political careers could become an interesting mix of politics, social media, business and culture that could really boost online fashion up to the top.

Caroline Rush (CEO, British Fashion Council)

Caroline Rush has led the British Fashion Council through its Digital Schedule of livestreamed shows during London Fashion Week, cementing technology’s place on the runway.

The Bloggers

Ella Gregory (Fashion Blogger, Coco’s Tea Party)

Ella is a 19 year old Londoner who has been blogging for over four years.  She gave Topshop customers advice about fashion blogging during London Fashion Week, and her modesty (Ella rarely shows pictures of herself on her blog) and love of the Olsens is endearing. Her ‘Hit and Miss’ weekly critiques make her blog a fun read, and with her sharp eye and good writing skills, she just might become the next (online?) Anna Wintour.

Shini Park (Fashion Blogger, Park & Cube)

This recent graduate of Central Saint Martins was born in South Korea, raised in Poland and now lives in London.  Though her degree is in Graphic Design, Shini dabbles in DIY fashion projects that are high style and well constructed.  Proving that getting attention doesn’t have to mean showing a lot of skin, Shini’s layered outfits are stylish, globally influenced and eclectic.

Katie MacKay and Joe Sinclair (Bloggers, What Katie Wore)

What Katie Wore stands out from other outfit blogs by offering a simple twist: Katie shows off her outfits, and her boyfriend Joe writes commentary.  It’s a cute, personal and effective way of drawing readers in not to just Katie’s creative outfits but also to Katie and Joe as real people who are in a loving relationship.

The Online Stores

Sophie Croydon (Founder & Jeweller, Rent Your Rocks)

Have you ever wanted to drip yourself in diamonds and pearls for an event but just didn’t have the money to do so?  Rent Your Rocks is here to help lucky Brits do just that.  Similar to Rent the Runway and the way that celebrities ‘borrow’ jewelry for red carpet events, Rent Your Rocks is an smart and affordable way to make yourself feel like a queen for a week.

Johnny Challenger (Co-Founder, Style Compare)

It can be hard comparing prices on the Internet: Too many open tabs, haywire browsers, Google eye strain.  Style Compare makes comparison shopping easier, letting you save time and energy by putting over 70,000 fashion related products in one place.  Johnny has also helped my-wardrobe.com on its search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

Natalie Massenet (Executive Chairman, NET-A-PORTER), Johann Rupert (Chairman, Richemont)

Both Massenet and Rupert have smoothly transitioned their companies during some big changes: Massenet launched theOutnet.com for NET-A-PORTER, an outlet version of NET-A-PORTER that also carries high end designer clothing, and Rupert — the Chairman of Richemont – helped to oversee  Richemont’s buyout of NET-A-PORTER.  Both Massenet and Rupert have expertly demonstrated that luxury is online and here to stay.

Iris Ben-David (Founder, StyleShake)

You don’t have to have training in fashion design, nor have your own sewing machine, to design your dresses with StyleShake.  Available for customers around the world, but particularly targeting customers in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe, StyleShake lets you browse the designs of other customers and buy them yourself.

The Organizers

Julian Gregory and Daniel James (Founders, F.TAPE)

F.TAPE provides a free to use A-Z listing of fashion industry talent and functions as a sort of niche Google directory for fashion professionals.  It’s definitely a great resource for those who need agencies, models, advertisers, photographers and other creative talent.

The Online Fashion 100 is free for download, and you can check the Twitter @theonlinefash

Louis Vuitton staff has left tips on venues around London. Foursquare users who follow the company will see them when they check in at or near venues with the tips. Other users can see them when they browse nearby tips or on the company’s profile page.

To unlock the LV branded badge:

Make sure you’re following the Louis Vuitton page on foursquare and checkin at Louis Vuitton in London three times.

Luxe Request: When Burberry does their branded badge, can they please put Emma Watson on it?

Image Source: 4Sq Badges

We now know the consequences of credit cards, loans and impulse buying, and recession hit consumers are now focusing on saving and paying off debts.  So do these behaviors and trends spell the death of luxury?

The answer is no.  While the current state of luxury is quite different from what it was almost a decade ago, luxury exists and is actually doing well.  Luxury brands like Tiffany & Co, Nordstrom and Coach have recently experienced a resurgence in profits, perhaps as a result of their understanding that luxury consumption has changed.

No longer trying to flood the American market with more and more stores, brands are very strategically opening up stores in the US and are looking globally forward by opening up stores in Asia, the Middle East and South America.

When it comes to the American market, savvy luxury brands know that luxury doesn’t attract just one kind of consumer. The luxury market consists of a diverse set of consumers who are mainly interested in quality in regards to the amount they pay, turning away from buying clothing and accessories just for the sake of wearing a brand name.  So while the very, very rich haven’t changed and buy only the most elite, most affluent consumers are careful about their spending habits and are interested in a wider range of price points.

Ron Kurtz of the American Affluence Research Center explained, “The affluent consumer is a careful spender and an aggressive saver—they typically don’t buy items that are associated with luxury…It’s only that top one percent that seems to be knowledgeable about those brands.”

Nordstrom, for instance, is reaping the benefits of being able to reach out to diverse luxury consumers.  Unlike Saks and Neiman Marcus, who focus on a more traditional and niche luxury market and have recently suffered financial setbacks, Nordstrom sells luxury items at various price levels and plans to open four new regular stores and 13 clearance Nordstrom Rack stores.

Kelly Tackett of Kantar Retail says that while emerging markets overseas are profitable for luxury brands, the American market still has room for restructure and growth:

“I think the [luxury] retailers that have the most exposure to the U.S. were more hard hit…That’s why you’ll see a lot of brands focusing on growth outside of the U.S.—in the Middle East, Asia and even Brazil. Those economies are starting to be a little bit more attractive. Even though Dubai was hit with the real estate market collapse, there is still a huge consumer demand for luxury goods and American brands.”

That luxury brands that cater to more thoughtful and careful American consumers, as well as cater to emerging markets overseas, are the brands that are discovering profits and success.  As the Unity Marketing report on luxury confirms, consumers see luxury items as investments, not just flashy pieces of brand name fashion.

Photo: Aston Martin.

Guest Post By Amalia Agathou

Fashion and technology always look in the same direction: Forward. Knowing this, what happens when two of the most fast paced industries race side by side to the future?

While fashion seemed to be going at a slower pace than technology a few years ago, now fashion is catching up and is actually making waves.  The landscape of fashion 2.0 is only starting to take form, but it looks like brands are finally understanding the need for a presence on the Internet.  Furthermore, from what I gathered at the recent Luxury Interactive conference by WBR in London, it seems like brands are also eager to unleash their creative forces online.

So in a world in which reviews by friends are weighed equally, if not more, to a nod of approval by Anna Wintour, what are the Dos and Don’ts of fashion online?

DO go for cohesive! Shenan Reed from Morpheus Media, the agency responsible for the Marc Jacobs/Foursquare partnership, talked at Luxury Interactive about Transmedia — storytelling across multiple forms of media (TV, PC, mobile, etc.).  The stories in each medium are unique and independent elements that work together like different pieces of the same puzzle, thus broadening your impact and enticing the viewer/user to get into your world. Aim to make your online store, Facebook page, magazine campaign and physical store a cohesive, compelling shopping experience.

DON’T panic! There are so many ways to connect with people that sometimes it can be overwhelming. Connecting is easy, but connecting with the right audience can be tricky. You don’t need to be everywhere, just be where your clients are.

Take time to figure out where conversations happen before you join them so you can see how your clients “move” online. Each brand should choose the platforms they see best fit their clients and their values.  For instance, Patrón Tequila chose to build its own social network to enhance the sense of exclusivity, while Fabergé has built a fancy custom made site with IBM to simulate a real world guided shopping experience.  Many fashion brands, however, choose to keep their focus on Facebook and Twitter. Don’t forget that the focus is still the same no matter what platform you use: The people, not the tools you use.

DO mingle! Brands are in doubt as to who to trust in the tech world. Big brands trust big brands because that’s what they know and are used to. On the other hand, maybe working with a way more flexible start up  can inspire  better creative vision and innovation, and you can accomplish more that way. Matchmake and talk to people who are different than you.

DO Know your people! Discover and nurture the ambassadors who are fans of your brand, and work hand in hand with bloggers, YouTubers and other creators on the web. Ronit Weinberg, Vice President of Ecommerce and Online Advertising at Diane von Furstenberg, referred to the DVF experiment, the Tavi phenomenon and crowdsourcing as examples of how brands and online fans can work together. Collaboration can also provide valuable insight. The NikeiD app is one such example, and in this app, you can create your own shoe and give the company valuable info about the colors and designs that come first in preference among their customers. Build relationships by building products.

DON’T ignore mobile! Mobile is hot, and the announcement of iPhone4 and iAds just made it hotter. Don’t create an app just for the sake of having an app, though. Get creative, and combine the emotion of storytelling with the interactivity of the web. Mobile is key to mixing the off and online brand experiences, which Ronit Weinberg refers to as the non-line world.

DO iPad shopping apps. iPad is intuitive to use and is easy to use even to people who never went online before. For someone who finds the Internet intimidating,  it is way more easy to trust branded apps than web addresses. On top of that, iPad loves images, making it ideal for the world of fashion. Welcome the iPadorians!

DON’T be a control freak! Luxury brands fear that being too accessible may cheapen them.  On the other hand, they find it difficult to hold back themselves when they see their business grow online. “Narrative is no longer owned by the brands, for every pompous video you upload on YouTube, 10 parodies will be up in 2-3 days,” said Ian Jindal, Editor in Chief at Internet Retailing. Maybe you should face your business the same way as do your closet: Stick to your personal style, but be playful. Embrace your network!

DO show your love! Don’t save the VIP treatment for Lady Gaga alone. Offer your customers an extraordinary shopping experience on and off line. “Think relational not transactional! The transaction is the result of everything else not the aim,” pointed out Fabrice Paget, Chief Marketing Officer of Fabergé. Brand values, service values and the right personnel are keys to a successful CRM, but don’t rely on “gurus”. “In great companies the system is the star not the individual,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of Luxury Institute.

DON’T make your brand a museum As Milton Pedraza, CEO of Luxury Institute, wisely observed: “If you don’t cultivate the younger generation, you will turn your brand into a museum”.

DO look East! The Chinese and Japanese are top customers.  Because the economies of Europe and America are still shaky, brands are setting their eyes (and investments) on the East. The challenge lies in understanding Asia and their uses of technology in order to unlock a powerful market.  Steven Davis by GSI Commerce mentioned that for a leading Japanese fashion site, 35% of sales are via mobile phone.

Do let go! In the words of Carmen Busquets, founder Couture Labs, founding investor of Net-A-Porter: “In order to scale you need to let go as a founder.” Don’t fall too deep in love with your idea, take in criticism and adapt to change when necessary.

You can also read the recap of London Luxury Interactive conference in an article I wrote for The Next Web. If you are interested, the Luxury Interactive Conference will take place in New York on June 28 to 29 ,and you can always follow Luxury Interactive on Twitter.

Amalia Agathou is the technology editor for Glamour Magazine in Greece and technology writer for The Next Web. You may follow her on Twitter at @Amalucky.

President of Unity Marketing, Pam Danziger, explains why The Luxury Report 2010 was created and how it might be helpful to those working in luxury:

“We designed the Luxury Report 2010 as both a powerful desk reference and a source for insight into the future trends in the luxury market. The new report provides the kind of detailed facts and figures about trends in the luxury consumer market that will delight data-driven executives. But it also focuses on the mindset and attitudes of the luxury consumer, making it an invaluable tool for luxury brand executives to plan for the future of their changing marketplace.”

The Luxury Report 2010 examines many trends, and includes some interesting information and stats about luxury spending.  For instance, luxury consumers are — on average – spending more on luxury items and goods than before,  and this spending has increased about 30%  Home and personal luxuries (bed and bath, wine, art, furniture), as well as automobiles, are all things that luxury consumers are buying more of.

However, money spent on traveling is down.  This doesn’t mean that luxury consumers aren’t travelling, though.  The number of trips luxury consumers take has gone up, which might mean that consumers are taking advantage of discounts or travelling less distances.  The Forecast for Luxury Travel Through 2010: A Luxury Trend Report explains more about trends in luxury travel, suggesting that luxury consumers are willing to spend more for personal — rather than business or professional – trips.

Another report by Unity Marketing, The Luxury Fashion Consumer & their Favorite Fashion Brands, examines luxury spending as related to fashion and clothing.  Having surveyed 1,245 consumers, the report shows that luxury consumers look for brands and clothing that are good investments.  Danziger commented:

“This gives the phrase ‘investment dressing’ a whole new meaning…The concept of investment implies that the purchaser gets a return on what they spend.  Luxury consumers expect their fashion brands to deliver a return on their investment in the form of timelessness, sophistication, and distinction, according to the survey results.”

While amount of spending is not where it used to be before the recession, luxury spending is increasing compared to recent years.

The Luxury Report 2010 is $3,500 and can be bought and downloaded at the Unity Marketing website.