Etsy Find: Personal Branding Goes Offline

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

So there I was, surfing Etsy tonight to see if there were any new Twitter inspired pillows and I found these fabulous stockings. Posted just yesterday, these “tattoo socks”, as they’re called, sell for only $18. Though the person who’d wear them would certainly show that they know all about personal branding, but how much of a Twitter fanatic would you have to be to wear these?

Besides, are these even super cute… or are they super creepy? I’m not sure, but seeing most of my friends call me a (fashionable) nerd anyway, I might just have to wear them sometime and see what sort of reactions I get to find out for myself!

Fashion and Technology, as Woven Together by Lynne Bruning

Posted on by Ashley Laurel




What do you do when you don’t have a television? Get productive! At least, that’s what Lynne Bruning, textile enchantress, does.
Bruning grew up surrounded by textile artists, and by second grade had completed her own weaving project, which her mother still proudly has saved. Through a myriad of neurophysiology and architectural studies in school, Bruning eventually returned to textile weaving.
Go back to what you liked what you liked when you were seven and go with that, Bruning says. You instinctively have it.
Bruning’s inspired by Russian constructivism, urban environments and the artists and engineers she seeks out to meet. She truly does like to be in the middle of everything, “weaving it together”.
Her popular Mrs. Mary Atkins-Holl dress, a combination of 19th century style with modern technology, was created for “Fused Textiles”, a wearable art competition. But Bruning is a big advocate for getting beyond making eye catching items, or “blinky blink”. She really loves to help others and sees wearable technology as a way to change the world for the better.
Her Sonar Coat for the Blind is fashionable, and more importantly to Bruning, lets wearers blend in to the community. And it’s adaptive technology that’s DIY-friendly.
Bruning’s commitment to Creative Commons lets anyone have access to her project details after they’re completed.
What’s next for Bruning?
“I have a dictionary of possibility to create,” she says.
Check out more of Lynne Bruning’s work on Flickr.

Social Shopping Without Hitting the Mall

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

If you’re looking for a shopping buddy who won’t talk your ear off or with whom you have to tire out your poor stiletto clad feet with at the mall, than look no further than StyleFeeder.

StyleFeeder, a social shopping website based in Cambridge, MA, offers users the perfect opportunity to find someone to shop “with” that has a similar taste in style, in the form of a StyleTwin.

Shoppers can be matched with one another based on a whole list of product attributes with people from just about anywhere. In fact, according to VP of Business Development Shergul Arshad, StyleFeeder chooses StyleTwins for other shoppers based 100,000 product attributes.
The site, founded by Philip Jacob in 2005, lets shoppers browse 14 million products all on one page. Today, 2 million shoppers use the site each month, but just two years ago, in 2007, StyleFeeder had a small fraction of that number, says Arshad, who joined StyleFeeder in 2006 with a resume including experience at companies like Armani and eBay. But though 2 million shoppers seems like a high number at first glance, a large part of the population isn’t represented as about 80% of shoppers on the site are women, and most of them are between the ages of 15 and 35.
Though only a small fraction of the population is represented, all brand ranges are represented equally. So someone searching for one particular item, like a headband, will find that a range of products from stores including Saks, JCrew, Amazon, and Etsy, will show up in the product browser. Though the StyleFeeder is focused on personal style, Arshad points out, most people will find more products by larger brand names because these brands simply have more items.
Within just the past month, StyleFeeder was a nominated for the 2009 MITX Awards’ “applied technology” category due to its new product browser and geotargeting technology. This new technology helps shoppers better find relevant items based on their location (in addition to price, brand, color, etc.) – most likely a user in Alaska wouldn’t search for sandals as often as a Floridian would, for example. It’s all about location, location location.

And if sharing your shopping details with others on the site isn’t enough, click on the option to share your new picks with your Facebook friends.
 

 

Side Note: Though I was hoping that my Style Twin would wind up being one of the celebrities that uses the site (like Ashley Olsen), I was excited to learn that she’s still a world away from me, in Malaysia!

Techie Time Pieces

Posted on by Ashley Laurel
For someone who relies on her cell phone for the time, the high tech intricacy and innovative style of these watches leaves me in awe. Check out the list below to see what I mean!

O-Ring Digi by Philippe Starck for Fossil

Price Point: $110
Why It’s Hot: Hours are shown by small numbers that appears around the o-ring, while minutes fill up the space in blocks. For those that appreciate sleekness, this minimalist watch is perfect. And, it’s only available in simple black or white.

 

 

Platinum World Time by Patek Philippe
Price Point: Around $4 million
Why It’s Hot: Being in two places at once isn’t possible, but looking at this watch will make you feel like you can get anywhere you want in under a minute.

Opus 9 by Harry Winston

Price Point: Unlisted
Why It’s Hot: First of all, time is shown in a linear way. Secondly, two parallel chains of more than 30 baguette diamonds rotate past the lines of hours and minutes. And 6 garnets are strewn throughout the diamond chains so you can see what time it is by the placement of the garnets. Even hotter? Only 100 of these time pieces were made.
Dogne by Cognitime
Price Point: $839
Why It’s Hot: This watch, available in white, rose gold and silver satin, displays time in the figure of Infinity. The AM hours are represented within the top part of the sign and the PM hours are shown within the bottom part of the sign. Minutes are displayed within the ring surrounding the infinity sign. Cognitime has created a watch that’ll be cool pretty much forever.
Winch Vertical Tourbillon by Cabestan
Price Point: $275,000- $400,000
Why It’s Hot: This watch has 1,352 working parts. Designed by Jean-Francois Ruchonnet, hours, minutes, seconds or how much power is left in the watch are all visible on individual aluminum-engraved “drums”. All watches, available gold or nickel plated, boast two crystals, indicating the exact time so you don’t get confused by this crazy watch “face”.
Ok, so which one do you think is the most innovative?

ThredUp: A Site to Lose Your Shirt Over

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

Ever have one of those times when you opened your closet and couldn’t find anything to wear? Last fall, this is just what inspired Harvard Business School alum, James Reinhart, to start a company based on helping others with this predicament.

ThredUp, based in Cambridge, MA, is a peer-to-peer online clothing exchange. It’s not like eBay or Craigslist where things are bid on or sold based on looks. On ThredUp, users cannot see pictures of inventory, but only enter specific information into the database about what type of item they’re looking for.

It’s like getting Christmas presents, co-founder Chris Homer says. People generally know what you like, but don’t have a specific list.

At the moment, the site boasts a variety of high-end brand men’s and women’s shirts ready for purchase. Why no other clothing items yet? The focus right now is getting the whole method working to perfection, Homer says, though the next step is to expand the site to kids’ shirts (hopefully during Spring 2010).

For $25, you get three envelopes in which to place the shirts you’re ready to exchange. Have a shirt you hate to iron or a tee you’re just plain tired of? Exchange it for something better. But remember, you get what you give. The FAQ section of the site clearly says to only trade items that are in style, specifying “No MC Hammer pants please.”

If you gets a bad item, or “dead thread”, make sure to fill out a review on the item. If it’s bad quality, or a “dead thread”, the sender gets a mark against them and the receiver is put back into the queue (at or near the beginning) for a chance at another item.

We want people to do “the least amount possible to make the most successful trade”, Homer says.

With more than 4,000 people signed up from across the country- access for people in the states of Alaska and Hawaii are being worked on- ThredUp is quickly growing in popularity, and therefore in inventory.

To start, register on the site , add each item you want to get rid of to your “closet”, set a minimum number of preferences and purchase your first package of envelopes. And then start “ThreddingUp”.

I can’t wait to see what these self-proclaimed knitwits do next.

UNIQLO Creates Interactive Virtual Fashion Show

Posted on by Ashley Laurel


Ready for this? A virtual fashion show that’s not only visually stimulating, but also lets you choose outfits literally off the models to learn more information while the show continues on- no more waiting for details until after the show.

UNIQLO, a Japan-based casual wear clothing brand that’s been around since 1984 (the same year Steve Jobs debuted the first Apple Macintosh computer) has become super tech-friendly in its recent endeavor. New York Fashion Week may make more headlines where I live, but UNIQLO’s Tokyo 2009 Collection is the most unique show I’ve seen in months, in terms of technology anyway.

My only complaint is that you can’t check out what other show “attendees” are wearing- half the fun of attending a show.


 

From Vogue to Twitter- Three #NYFW Bloggers Discuss The Changing Scope of Fashion Week Coverage

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

Ah, Fashion Week. The freshest high fashion looks draped on sexy models. Camera flashes blinding those lucky enough to sit front row. Fashionistas swarming to New York in skyscraper high heels to catch a glimpse of Anna Wintour or Phillip Lim. And, wait… the Internet?

The Internet, or more accurately, social media, is becoming increasingly infused with high fashion marketing techniques. And this year, social media plays the biggest role yet in Fashion Week history.

New York-based Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of MyItThings.com Yuli Ziv has found that in the past year alone, social media based fashion marketing has increased due to three factors: the economic situation (which causes brands to get innovative with their marketing), the platform for brands to directly interact with customers and the image control brands can maintain by responding to customers’ complaints or questions.

Crosby Noricks, founder of PR Couture: a blog focusing on fashion PR, marketing, social media and promotion, agrees that social media is playing a growing role in how fashion brands are marketing themselves.

“As brands work hard to build their following on sites like Facebook and Twitter, there are new opportunities to engage directly with the brand. Whether that is a photo contest, live chat or a design your own handbag contest, individuals begin to own a piece of the brand and to tell their part of the story,” San Diego-based Noricks says.

However, others are also adding to the story.

This year, more than 80 bloggers have teamed up to cover New York Fashion Week through InsideTheTents.com, a site dedicated to exposing the world to what really goes on inside the Bryant Park Tents through technologies like Twitter, Flickr, live blogging, and video streaming.

Nadine Kam, features and style editor for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and fashion writer/stylist for HI luxury magazine, is one of these bloggers. Kam, who’s been doing fashion writing for about 12 years, covered New York Fashion Week as a blogger two years ago.

“This time around, I’ll also be adding a video component to my blog and I may do some live Tweeting,” Kam says.

Noricks, who’s attending New York Fashion Week as a blogger for the first time (and also part of InsideTheTents.com), followed the site’s coverage last year and found it very informative.

“InsideTheTents does a great job of providing a format to showcase all the great content that comes out of Fashion Week in a way that legitimizes the voice of the fashion blogger and respects their contributions,” Noricks says.

Hawaii-based Kam finds that social media has allowed her to quickly stay up to date and in touch with the fashion centers of the world, and she believes that it will help everyone keep up to date with Fashion Week this year.

“I think Twitter will be indispensable this year in getting out last-minute party, fashion tweet-ups and event notices,” Kam says.

Follow Yuli Ziv, Crosby Noricks, Nadine Kam and other InsideTheTents.com bloggers on Twitter to keep up to date on their Fashion Week adventures.

 

Fashionistas to Turn Gamers?

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

What do 505 Games, IMG and Pat McGrath have in common? Offering gamer fashionistas a chance to get inside the tents during Fashion Week. Virtually speaking that is.


2010 will mark the launch of multiple Fashion Week-based games that will showcase models, clothing designers and the runways of Paris, New York, LA, and Milan. McGrath and pal Noel Gordon came up with the original concept that will be playable on iPhone and Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony game consoles.


An online game will allow designers from around the world to create items online to be sold as virtual goods, and in some cases, as real goods, Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. said during an interview a few months ago.

The games will be promoted by way of retail stores, such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, and social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter.

“By combining IMG Fashion’s experience, expertise and relationships in this space with 505 Games’ abilities, I’m sure we will all soon become video game fashionistas,” IMG fashion senior VP Fern Mallis said in a statement a few months ago.

Since the games are still in early development stages, there’s much speculation as to what the game series will entail. A virtual encounter with an Anna Wintour avatar? A virtual backstage pass to a Zac Posen show?

Hopefully the game series will be fun as well as give players a real taste of the madness that surrounds Fashion Week. At the very least, perhaps turning Fashion Week into a game will break a few stereotypes.

In Case You Missed It: Sneaker Campaign Gets Electrified

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

Concepted by Amsterdam-based ad agency StrawberryFrog for

Onitsuka Tiger, a heritage brand of ASICS, the 2008 Electric

Tiger Light campaign focused around the Electric Light Shoe.



After seeing the concept, designers Janne Kyttanen (known

for his skilled use of rapid prototyping technology) and

Mads Thomsen of Freedom of Creation (FOC), took the idea

one step further: literally creating a one meter long shoe

illuminated by electric light.




The campaign also featured miniature versions of the original

Electric Light Shoe in key ring and illuminated

USB versions, and store display versions.





Click here to read the original

press release from FOC last

year, which includes many

more images of this impressive

project.

 

Mobile Marketing Remains in Fashion

Posted on by Ashley Laurel


From Chanel to H&M, some of the most high profile fashion labels have turned to mobile marketing as a creative (and tech savvy) way to reach consumers. These brands are using mobile marketing for text, banner and video ads, which include promotional content focused on brand awareness, upcoming sales and other events. And so far, the smartphone using population of the 156 million Americans with a mobile device are being heavily targeted- especially those owning iPhones.

*(Image edited by Meg O’Connell)

While Armani Exchange, Chloe, H&M, Christian Dior, and Chanel have been testing out their marketing skills on the mobile platform, Donna Karan is so far the brand that’s decided to just get personal, by recently launching an iPhone app that really lets users feel they’re connecting directly with Karan.

According to MoblieMarketingWatch.com, along with The Media Kitchen and ad network AdMob, Armani Exchange launched its first mobile campaign to promote their spring 2009 collection. The focal point of the campaign was the tagline “Instant Message. Instant Style”. This campaign, promoted on Exchange shopping bags, let customers text a keyword to a short code for a chance to win a shopping spree.

Chloe launched an iPhone friendly website and free app which featured viewing options for ready-to-wear collections and accessories, and runway show video. iPhone using fashionistas could also gain access to a Chloe news feed and store directory.

While some fashion brands are just beginning to use mobile marketing, H&M has been at the forefront of this promotional wave since 2006. Their 2007 campaign, conceived by Miami Ad School, let smartphone users purchase H&M items through their phones, with H&M charging their cell phone bill instead of credit card.

Even haute couture fashion houses Christian Dior and Chanel have been recently getting in on the the fun. Dior was the first haute couture brand to jump into mobile marketing, in promotion of their Lady Dior handbag. iPhone user Dior fans are able to watch the trailer, entire movie and behind the scenes clips of the Lady Dior handbag inspired retro suspense movie “The Lady Noir Affair”.


“Luxury brands, particularly designer labels, have been earlier than some of their more mainstream retail counterparts to embrace the mobile channel,” said Mack McKelvey, vice president of marketing for Millennial Media, Baltimore, MD. “There is a world of opportunity in mobile for fashion and other luxury brands, as they are focused on appealing to consumers on an individual level.”














Chanel, who first made a leap into mobile marketing, by creating an app called “Chanel- Haute Couture Show Fall/Winter 08/09”, recently launched yet another iPhone app called “The Chanel Ready-to-Wear Cruise 2009-2010”, where iPhone users can gain access to news about the brand, find a boutique near them and view the Chanel fashion show right from their mobile screen.

But the most personal fashion branding done on the mobile platform to date has been that of the Donna Karan label. The Donna Karan brand gets especially personal with options for iPhone users to access the newly released Donna Karan application on August 7th.


The app features “Donna’s Journal” (where content is added weekly), “Donna’s Must-Haves”. According to a press release released by Donna Karan earlier this month, this application is pretty innovative because it showcases Donna Karan explaining how to use clothes in versatile ways in a video called “System of Dressing”, lets app users to create an item wish list and forward this list to a personal shopper.

Donna Karan partnered with Atmini Software Inc. to launch the application just in time to go with her Fall 2009 collection. This free app has been available since August 7th.

 

 

“The design method applied to the iPhone application was to truly allow Donna Karan to connect with her clients in as personal a way as possible,” said Scott Michaels, Atimi Vice President, said.


Fashion is helping keep the iPhone seriously fierce.