Remember when Dolce & Gabbana’s invitation to tweet during their Winter 2012 show seemed like news? If this Fashion Week proves anything, it’s that viewer commentary is more welcome than ever.  The Fall 2012 shows kick off today, and if your invites are still lost in the mail, don’t fret.  In conjunction with YouTube, Maybelline is once again sponsoring “Live From the Runway,” a real-time online screening of over 30 of the shows.  (The cosmetics giant sponsored this in September, too.)

Beyond the convenient livestreaming, we’re personally enamored of the everybody-in mentality embodied by the Fashion Week Facebook invitation.  Listing the viewable shows in an organized, welcoming format over social media isn’t just efficient, it’s downright egalitarian.  And the summons to comment on the shows with the hashtag #liverunway?  Even more so.

In other digital news, though these shows won’t be open to the public, the fashion PR firm KCD is launching an industry-only Digital Fashion Show initiative this month.  They’re kicking things off with Prabal Gurung’s first presentation for the label ICB, which will be shown exclusively online.  Though the program is still in the cat’s whisker stage, we’re interested to hear what kind of feedback it gets and if, of course, invite-only digital screenings might catch on for younger designers and editors who can’t make multiple trans-Atlantic journeys.

It’s not quite an invitation to the front row, but we’ll take it.

Last but not least, Levi’s is following in J. Crew’s mainstream footsteps and staging a show during Fashion Week, on February 15th (sadly, they won’t be livestreaming).  Alongside their presentation, the denim brand is also promising something more interactive than a mere catwalk, though no details have yet been released.

All in all, though the egos and sunglasses worn indoors will probably show themselves as usual, the theme of this season’s NYFW could be “egalitarian.”  Will you be livestreaming any shows?  If so, will you be commenting on what you see?