Fashion

Why The Fashion Crowd Should Care About SXSW

by Hayli Goode
The fashion crowd sitting next to a pool at the South by Southwest (SXSW)

Today kicks off an extended weekend of music, film, and technology, also known as South by Southwest (SXSW). Each year, Austin, Texas welcomes droves of people for numerous presentations and panels about where the digital, film, and music industries are heading, as well as film screenings and musical performances. Although not as much of a destination for the style set as, say, the recently concluded fashion month, SXSW should not be ignored by the fashion crowd.

According to the Huffington Post, SXSW is hosting over 47 panels focused on style and beauty this year (and no, they aren't all about wearable tech) meaning that tons of stylish bloggers, editors, and writers will be descending on Austin, Texas this weekend in order to partake.

SXSW seems to be fully embracing this new-ish demographic for their festival, calling the style-focused programming SWstyle (expect to see that hashtagged by plenty of beauty bloggers and fashion insiders in the coming days). Although the focus hasn't been on fashion before, here are five reasons why you should book your ticket to SXSW before it's too late! And ICYMI, check out the full SWstyle schedule.

1. Digital Know-How Is Important In Any Industry

Fashion editors and beauty bloggers know all too well that a general understanding of technology is important in any industry. Not only does this make them more marketable to potential partners and employers, it also enables them to exercise control over their own websites, lending a bit of personal style.

2. The Fashion World Is Increasingly Influenced By The Digital One

It seems like every day a new shopping app, fashion-related Instagram account, or wearable piece of technology crops up and changes the conversation about style and beauty.

3. There Are Tons Of Panels Led By Industry Experts

As stated earlier, there will be over 47 panels focused solely on style at the 2015 SXSW festival. Panelists include Michelle Phan, Eva Chen, and Joe Zee and discussions and events will cover everything from mobile shopping, Cosmopolitan's Style Lab, and "10 Inventions That Will Revolutionize Retail."

4. Top-Notch Career Advice

Beauty and style heavyweights such as Hayley Barna (creator of BirchBox), Jess Lee (founder and CEO of Polyvore), and Karlie Kloss will be on hand to provide insight into "making it" in the fashion industry. Even if you are still in school, this could be a great networking opportunity.

5. Learn More About Fashion Journalism

Fashion is no longer just about clothes hanging on a rack or displayed on a retail website. People who work in the industry have all sorts of social media accounts to utilize. It can become overwhelming, but it's important to know how to run a complete online empire in this business. One person can have a million jobs these days, from freelancing to writing web code. Take advantage of the panels that discuss running a fashion empire or how magazines branch out from print.

Images: Kris Krug/Flickr; Getty; Giphy (5)