Virtual Runway

Chloe explores Internet tools as the label expands its reach in China, Gan Tian discovers.

Beijing fashionista Xu Xinyan became upset every time she was invited to a show. She had to spend hours doing her hair and nails, picking a suitable dress, and waiting for a taxi ?usually it was a mission impossible. But for Chloe's most recent show, Xu had a feeling of release. She was wearing pajamas, her hair undone, and crouching in her cozy bed ?she was watching the French label's live broadcast show from its website. Far away at the Shanghai Expo Center where the show was held, fashion watcher Jiang Wei turned on his iPhone camera, took pictures of Hong Kong star Gaile Lai and South Korean pop band Wonder Girls attending the show, and uploaded them to Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter, with a few comments on their dresses.

It was Chloe's first show in China. It was also the first time that the 59-year-old line of high-end women's-wear did an online live broadcast via its Chinese blog, www.jesuischloe.com, and official website www.chloe.com. And it was the first time it had invited some Chinese fashion bloggers.