For the past few years, designers at New York Fashion Week have been paving the way for digital innovation during their fall and spring showings. Like these five retailers did for Fashion’s Night Out (the new kick-off to the fashion-crazed week that follows), three international brands are using the shows themselves to utilize a multi-channel philosophy.

SEE By Chloe, ICB and Pierre Balmain, will debut their Spring/Summer 2013 collections to press and buyers in an online-only format during New York Fashion Week. This effort builds on the breakthrough trend started by the introduction of KCD’s Digital Fashion Shows platform last season.

“New York now sets the pace for newness between digital and fashion,” said Rachna Shah, Managing Director of KCD Digital. “From business-to-business platforms, like Digital Fashions Shows and Fashion GPS, to live-streaming and runway social media applications, the American industry is pushing the digital envelope further and further each season.”

Shah explained how the three pre-taped Digital shows provide “online shows for the industry without boundaries,” opening them up to a format accessible from various locales apart from the rows of seats at Lincoln Center and Milk Studios in NYC. See by Chloe was taped in Paris, ICB in Brooklyn, and Pierre Balmain in Beijing. All three shows will debut for invite-only press and buyers online during New York Fashion Week.

These digital fashion shows are easily accessible and viewable via computer, tablet or smartphone. The purpose of these digital shows is to provide viewership to buyers who may not be able to swing the travel budget to NYC, or to busy show hoppers in transit, or to those press professionals and retail buyers who simply prefer watching the shows in the comfort of their homes.

“Fashion is embracing all aspects of digital – the forward movement of technology mirrors fashion at its best,” said Shah.

Will these digital fashion shows ever replace the real thing? Methinks no. But it sure does show a multi-channel trend being set by some of the most aspirational designer brands, some of whom have their own retail outposts and some of whom can be found at favorite retailers like Saks, Nordstroms, Macy’s and more.

How much influence does Fashion Week have on your digital strategies?