High-fashion houses have long cultivated their mystique by keeping the adoring masses at arm’s length. But in these extraordinary times, certain brands are abandoning the old ways and inviting the world’s cooped-up fashion fans into style’s innermost sanctums – virtually.

Using social media to spread the word, these veteran companies are sharing candid footage, rare dispatches from creative directors, and peeks inside their ateliers. The goal, it seems, is to generate the same frisson of excitement that fashion lovers feel when they step into a bricks-and-mortar boutique on Bond Street or Madison Avenue.