the new e-commerce 24
Designer Spotlights pixels to fashion 4
FASHION &TECH
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Profiles Fashion & Tech 10
3d clothing 16
Styles We Like 46 Companies to Watch   60
new digital media strategies 42
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EDITOR’S LE T TER
a new frontier
F
ashion tech companies are among the top venture capitalist sectors for 2012, and it seems like notable startups are popping up every minute. So it wasn’t a surprise that the initial response to feature fashion tech companies came to the tune of “It’s about time someone did this” from many of the people we interviewed. Fashion & Tech is the first publication dedicated to fashion e-commerce sites, mobile apps, brands, flash sale sites, fit software programs, and other companies who have contributed to the advancement of fashion through innovative use of technology. In our main ‘Fashion and Tech Profiles,’ we have rounded up the most distinguished companies to date in the fashion tech sphere and the individuals who contributed to their success. These fashion tech gurus have provided a behind-the-scenes look on everything from where they shop (both online and offline) and how they define their personal style to what they are working on for the future and even what hardware they use. The ‘Styles We Like’ section showcases fashionable techies who make it chic to be geek. We’ve got the inside scoop on everyone from well-established industry moguls to the hottest newcomers. In ‘Companies To Watch’ we profile some of the brightest up-andcoming fashion tech startups. Our first issue highlights just a few of the thousands of great fashion tech companies who are at the forefront of the fashion 2.0 frontier. Enjoy, stylish techies!
Robyn Stark Editor in chief
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designer spotlight
Anrealage takes pixels to fashion
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ow that terms like ‘megabyte,’ ‘gif,’ ‘jpeg’ and a wide range of words beginning with a lower case ‘i’ have made their way into our everyday diction, it’s about time digital technology started influencing garments coming down the runway. Or at least, that’s what Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga went for with his Fall/ Winter 2011 collection for his fashion company ANREALAGE. The stunning collection, debuted during Japan Fashion Week, is an 8-bit interpretation of fashion, taking color and geometrical shapes into a brand new realm. Simply entitled Low, the pieces are made to appear as if you’re staring at a lowresolution photo. From the mosaic tailored suits, mix-and-matched layered dresses, multicolored tights, elegant polka-dotted trenches, casual baseball jackets to the final
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anreal age signature inflatable suit, each piece is pixelated down to the smallest detail. Models graced the runway with extravagant translucent eyewear, cubed accessories and stunning block-heeled pumps to live piano music reminiscent of early 80’s Nintendo video games. Perhaps most surprising is how the designer manages to take conventional pieces of clothing and transform them into avant-garde retro graphic art, while still retaining elegantly wearable separates. Morinaga launched ANREAL AGE — a play on the words “A Real,” “Unreal” and “Age” — in 2005, winning the Avant-Garde Grand Prix award. He follows a design motto based on the concept of “God is in the details,” something he exquisitely executes and continues to stun audiences with collection after collection. —Lisa Roolant
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FASHION & TECH Published by FIDOO Inc. Founder/Publisher
Enrico Moses Lorenzo Lee Editor-in-chief
Robyn Stark Assistant Editor
Jacqueline Chambers Account Manager
Rachael Yahne Contributors
Lisa Roolant Liza Kindred Jessica Surbaugh Printed by Castle Press
CO
Fidoo Corporate Office 1401 West River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55411 www.fidoo.com
St pu of fa to
Inquiries: editorial@fidoo.com
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Fashion &Tech Profiles
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BEACHMINT
DIEGO BERDAKIN/JOSH BERMAN
BeachMint Co-founders Diego Berdakin and Josh Berman @JewelMint, @StyleMint, @BeautyMint, @ShoeMint
com and ShoeMint.com of course! But for our own shopping, we like Amazon, Zappos, and Soap.com. What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Diego: Blackberry Josh: Blackberry / iPhone combo
BeachMint has created an innovative technology platform that delivers not only an unparalleled shopping experience to customers but also the ability to personalize exclusive product to match their individual style. Some of their upcoming integrations include various social media platforms, specifically around live programming within an e-commerce shopping experience.
Are you a Mac or PC? Josh: PC Diego: PC Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Technology and social media, specifically, are transforming the traditions of the fashion world and shopping is turning into a more communal and transparent experience – with customers having access to designers and value in a way never before possible. As an exclusively online company, which manufacturers our own exclusive product, BeachMint brings incredible value to our customers, which traditional retailers can’t offer.
In three words, describe your personal style: Josh: Casual, Classic, Sophisticated Diego: Casual, ‘Flip-Flop Start-Up Chic’ What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores? Josh: Malibu Country Mart, Fred Segal, and Elyse Walker Diego: My friend’s store, Charming Charlie What are your favorite online stores? JewelMint.com, StyleMint.com, BeautyMint.
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DAILYCANDY
SUCHIN PAK
DailyCandy.com Correspondent SuChin Pak @suchinpak @dailycandy
What are your favorite online stores? jillaikoyee.com, coldspringapothecary.com What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Macbook Air
DailyCandy was one of the first sites to use email to promote undiscovered and emerging fashion brands from around the world. Building on their original email model, DailyCandy has expanded to promote designers and their collections via social nets like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr, allowing them to widen the scope of their audience and increase exposure for up-and-coming designers.
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac! Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Over the years, technology has made fashion way more accessible, which has significantly impacted the way our DailyCandy editors discover the newest and best nationwide. In addition to scouring the streets of each DailyCandy city, thanks to the interwebs and all of its devices, we access hundreds of websites a day in search for the most exciting, up-and-coming designers around.
In three words, describe your personal style: Downtown indie chic What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? New World Order for vintage, Gargyle for indie designers, Top Hat for quirky gifts, Poppy for chic every day staples and Opening Ceremony to make sure you know what’s what!
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FAB
BRADFORD SHELLHAMMER
Fab.com Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Bradford Shellhammer @youngbradford @fab
new brands that up until now have not had a mass audience. Good design, whether technology, architecture, industrial, or fashion, when coupled together will always be more compelling than when design is not a priority.
Fab.com created a new way to shop for design, fashion included. With technology innovations such as their Inspiration Wall, Live Feed and a new Social Shopping App for Facebook Timeline, they’ve enabled over 2 million members to share and learn from what their friends are discovering and created a marketplace for emerging designers that did not exist before. In three words, describe your personal style: Bold. Colorful. Off. What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? I love Adidas stores, so much fun. Nothing like walking into Prada, the stores, the architecture, the clothing are all so classic yet modern, bold yet not begging for attention. Paul Smith in every city curates a fantastic assortment of things. Fisch For the Hip is NYC’s best second hand store! What are your favorite online stores? I only shop online for clothes in two places: Fab.com and eBay. What is one tech device you simply could not live without? I look at my iPhone 5,000 times a day at least. Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Our site is equal parts design and technology. We’re changing the way people shop and discover online by creating features that allow us to showcase
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FACECAKE
LINDA SMITH
FaceCake Founder and CEO Linda Smith @FaceCake
Are you a Mac or PC? I don’t view them as mutually exclusive… at the FaceCake offices we have both, although my primary machine is a PC.
FaceCake’s patented visual demonstration software allows customers to apply products virtually to their own image. From trying a wedding dress in a streamlined silhouette, to chunky statement necklaces, fashion is at the heart of many of their applications. Their latest innovation is the Swivel™ Virtual Dressing Room -- the first full-length, full-motion, real-time 3D virtual dressing room that allows shoppers to “try on” and style themselves in the latest clothing and accessories from any angle. In three words, describe your personal style: Classic, Simple, Streamlined What are your favorite online stores? I shop eBay for vintage, Zappos for shoes, including hard-to-find kitten heels, and BLUEFLY for cashmere sweaters.
Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? The proliferation of tablets and smartphones allows FaceCake to put our powerful “Try-On” and brand marketing tools onto a whole class of new platforms that are the most personal and ubiquitous devices shoppers own. Combining our technologies across platforms with the realistic application of products-- and in the case of Swivel, realistic movement of clothing and accessories-- has kept us at the forefront of personalized visual demonstration. Our content team works closely with the tech team to ensure that clothing, accessories and beauty products apply realistically so the user has the ultimate “try-on” experience.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPad
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FASHISM
BROOKE MORELAND
Fashism founder Brooke Moreland @audrabrookie @fashism
What are your favorite online stores? I LOVE Asos! I also like Modcloth and The Outnet
Fashism is an app that lets customers quickly post photos and ask style questions to the community using a mobile device. Their iPhone app also allows you to see which stores are nearby and what has been tried-on by other Fashism users at those stores. In three words, describe your personal style: Fun, bohemian, sexy What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? I really like Cadillac’s Castle on 9th St. for vintage and Pinkyotto in Williamsburg.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone, for sure. (But I also have an iMac, Macbook Air, iPad, Kindle, Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy tab!)
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Are you a Mac or PC? Mac. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Fashion and technology are at the core of everything we do. We are a tech company that allows people to connect over fashion, discover new stores and styles, and get real-time feedback on their outfits by connecting with other viewers through their smart phones.
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FASHIONGPS
EDDIE MULLON
FashionGPS CEO Eddie Mullon @fashiongps
What are your favorite online stores? Amazon, Mac store, and Mr Porter
FashionGPS (FGPS) creates digital tools to bring efficiency to the fashion community. Their GPS event products (including those used at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week) have made the tiresome check-in process more accurate and efficient and GPS samples have allowed swift management of the press sample loaning process. FashionGPS’ newest web and iPhone application, GPS Radar, is a powerful tool that centralizes global fashion weeks by managing invitations, event updates, calendar exporting, mapping routes through Google maps, amongst other features.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Mac Airbook Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? FashionGPS is built around the dynamic intersection of fashion and technology. At our core, we are a technology company that strives to bring efficiency to fashion companies, and the people that interact with them. As more fashion companies move towards the digital space, they are essentially fashion people becoming “techy.” This lets me explore my own creativity to create a future for fashion.
In three words, describe your personal style: Mid-Atlantic(somewhere between London and New York), Tailored, and Utilitarian What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? I shop in Paris because I have a more European physique. Two of my favorite gentlemen shops are IKKS and Bruce Field, both in the 6th Arrondissement.
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designer spotlight
Noumenon makes clothing 3D
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s we enter a Post-Steve Jobs era, it’s about time a designer brought fashion to another dimension— in the most literal sense. Taipei-based label Noumenon, headed by Taiwanese designer Nouio Tri, blends fashion with technology by creating 3D prints that give off a stunning effect with (or without) 3D eyewear. the Combining these futuristic aes tics with clean silhouettes, Noumenon’s Spring 2012 collec tion Tridulum fea tures everything from a t-shirt maxi dress with a woozy fern leaf pattern, to classic over-the-knee aline dresses, tunics and knee-length jackets all with a similar double-image effect. Shot at dusk, post-rainfall, on a damp road against the backdrop of a dewy rainforest, we can only imagine what the pop-out effect might have given
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noumenon
Taipei, Nouio Tri is a prime example of the innovative design talent coming out of Taiwan and quickly leaving a mark in the West. If anything, Nouio Tri’s digitally chic take on fashion unquestionably takes us to new dimensions. –Lisa Roolant
with a pair of 3D glasses on-set of the line’s lookbook shoot. The collection, which aims to make a satirical statement in bringing nature and technology together through fashion, was shown at Berlin Fashion Week this past summer. A recent fashion graduate from Shih Chien University in
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GEOMAGIC
PING FU
Geomagic Founder Ping Fu @geomagic @pfugeomagic
What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? 3D printed shoes by Janne Kyttanen at Freedom of Creation (FOC.com)
Geomagic uses their ground-breaking software for form-fitting custom design of clothing that truly fits the person who wears it, from custom designed ski-boots to 3D printed shoes, to custom-fit and 3D printed dresses and face masks. They are pushing the envelope on what it means to have personalized, smart fashion. Geomagic software is also used by Bespoke Innovations (San Francisco) for custom fittings designed for amputees’ prosthetic devices, taking medical devices into fashion.Â
What are your favorite online stores? Fab.com, Gilt.com, Fancy.com What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone Are you a Mac or PC? Both Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Combining technology and fashion has injected fun into the company, increased brand awareness of our products and wins as a platform to present at SXSW.
In three words, describe your personal style: Artsy, Edgy, Techie
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GILT GROUPE
ALEXANDRA WILSON
Alexandra Wilson, Co-Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer Gilt.com @giltgroupe @giltalexandra
What are your favorite online stores? Do you even need to ask? Gilt.com of course! What is one tech device you simply could not live without? I am a newly converted iPhone gal! I love it.
Gilt Groupe is a members-only shopping site, one of the first and most successful of its kind, that turned shopping online for coveted designer pieces into a first-comefirst-serve race for the sale. Alexandra Wilson’s extensive experience in retail includes Retail Operations at Bulgari and Leather Goods Sales Planning for Louis Vuitton before her time at Gilt. She is involved in a number of non-profits including: Dress for Success and Endeavor Global and is an official mentor for Tech Stars. In three words, describe your personal style: Classic, colorful and accessorized What brands or designers do you love? So many! Marni, Valentino, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Roger Vivier, Lanvin the list goes on and on…
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Are you a Mac or PC? PC for work. Mac at home. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Gilt Groupe epitomizes the cross section of fashion and technology. This powerful combo is our DNA, internally in our company culture and externally to our members around the world who can shop 24 hours a day with ease on our site or via their mobile devices for fashion.
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IDEELI Allison Kellman, Senior Product Manager of ideeli @ideeli ideeli provides its members with the “ideel” shopping experience: access to the most sought-after products at discounted prices. They were also one of the first e-commerce sites to use gaming and social media to appeal to customers. Allison Kellman’s focus, as Senior Product Manager at ideeli, is site design and customer experience. She works with a team to think up new features to interact with customers and create the best overall shopping experience. In three words, describe your personal style: Casual. Comfortable. Classic What are your favorite online stores? ideeli (obviously!). I also like ShopBop for clothing and accessories and Piperlime & Zappos for shoes. Fab.com and Etsy are my go-tos for home goods. And I use Amazon and Soap.com for all my basics.
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ALLISON KELLMAN What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPad! I love being able to review various site design ideas while heading to work on the subway and it’s more convenient for meetings than my big laptop. Are you a Mac or PC? Mac devotee! Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Our members love the thrill of a deal, the gaming and the urgency provided by the strategy behind our model. We’ve built terrific loyalty among our members and have increased traffic to our site by leveraging technology—from engaging in a constant dialogue via social media, to providing ease of access to shopping with us through mobile devices. In the year ahead, I think we’ll see retailers of all kinds look to leverage social media and developing technologies to try to create a stronger connection with consumers.
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LUCKY MAG
LAUREN SHERMAN
Luckymag.com Executive Digital Editor Lauren Sherman @lapresmidi
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? That’s really hard. I guess my iPhone, because it’s really changed my life and makes it so much easier to cover Fashion Week. But my Macbook Air is a close second. It’s just so light and easy to use.
Lucky Mag has always had the best fashion picks, styling tips and beauty advice—but now they are also at the forefront of the social shopping and ecommerce trends, with their one-of-a-kind Lucky Stickers app, text-to-buy options in the print magazine, and Lucky Shoppe iPhone app along with many other tech developments earning them a spot on our top list.
Are you a Mac or PC? MAC!!! I am confused by anyone in fashion who is a PC.
What brands or designers do you love? Proenza Schouler, Steven Alan, Chris Benz, Band of Outsiders, Katie Ermilio, Acne, Raf Simons
Photo provided by Josephine Schiele
What are your favorite best-keptsecret stores, local shops in your area, or boutiques? I spend a ton of time at Bird in Brooklyn (Jen Mankins, the owner, has the best taste EVER.) What are your favorite online stores? Hmm, I think my best-kept secret is Ssence online. It’s a high-end Canadian boutique that has amazing sales on everything from Proenza to DVF around the holidays. I also spend a ton of time on Net-aPorter, Opening Ceremony and ASOS. (I know, shocking!)
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MODCLOTH
SUSAN GREGG KOGER
Modcloth founder Susan Gregg Koger @susangkoger @modcloth
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Definitely my iPhone – how did we do it before?! The camera on the 4S is really spectacular.
ModCloth is an innovative online retailer specializing in fashion and decor from independent designers. Founded by husband-and-wife team Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger, ModCloth has grown from its humble beginnings in a Carnegie Mellon dorm room to a 275-employee operation. With a love of thrift shopping, Susan started selling the vintage items that she no longer had use for, and in 2006, she changed the assortment to new items from independent designers, but maintained that same vintage-inspired aesthetic. The user-friendly and sleek site is partially due to the company’s use of now popular development software Ruby on Rails.
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac. The user experience is just luscious; the design is truly ingenious Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? We’re getting more real-time feedback through our ‘Be the Buyer’ program and customer reviews are helping us make more intelligent buying decisions, influencing not only individual product selections and quantities, but also showing us what trends our customer is really interested in. In addition, shorter lead times give us the flexibility to really base product selection on our customer demands, rather than what we think they’ll want seasons from now.
In three words, describe your personal style: playful, classic, experimental! What are your favorite online stores? ModCloth.com, naturally! I also love Etsy and Birchbox for beauty supplies.
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OF A KIND
CLAIRE MAZUR / ERICA CERULO
Of a Kind co-founders Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo @ofakind
What are your favorite stores (online or retail) ? Erica: Bird and Dear Fieldbinder on Smith Street in Brooklyn, I always pop into. I am a huge fan of the start-up Community Collection, which donates 20% of every sale to a variety of non-profits that it works with. Pour Porter is another online shop that I visit way too often—the aesthetic of the site itself makes you feel pretty good about spending your time there. Claire: Am I allowed to say Of a Kind?
Of a Kind is an e-commerce site with a twist. Combining shopping with an editorial element, they commission select emerging designers to create limited-edition pieces sold exclusively on the site, and tell the stories behind the creators and their work. Their use of story telling to breath life into the products we buy has earned them a spot on our top list.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Erica: My Kindle...I’m obsessed with it. Claire: My iPhone.
In three words, describe your personal style: Erica: Really big shoes. Claire: Changes every day.
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Are you a Mac or PC? Erica: Mac! Claire: Mac. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Erica: It would have never occurred to us to get into the retail business if we thought we had to open up an actual retail space—for some (naïve) reason that seemed a lot more daunting. Claire: I don’t think we’d be able to tie together storytelling and retail in the way that we do if we weren’t operating on the Internet. It allows us to really enhance the shopping experience and hopefully make it more meaningful.
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designer spotlight
Fashion startups: the new e-commerce
A
By Liza Kindred
SubCom, companies. Many new companies are following this model, selling everything from shoes (ShoeDazzle, JustFab) to commodities like coffee and shaving cream. One to watch is Panty By Post, who ship out a piece of gorgeous underwear monthly. Started in Paris, they bill themselves as ‘the world’s most luxurious subscription service.’ We like them because they have managed to grow to a base of thousands of customers through a niche focus. As founder Natalie Grunberg tells us, “The subcom model is an excellent
fter years of courtship, fashion and technology finally got hitched – and then they made a baby. Lots of babies, actually. Fashion tech startups are changing not just the landscape of the fashion industry, but are threatening to change the way consumers shop for everything. After years of falling behind, fashion has become an exciting space once again. This is due in part to the maturing relationship between fashion and technology. There are literally hundreds of fashion-tech start-ups out there today, each trying to capture the new ways that consumers want to buy things. Let’s look at what’s happening, and who the standouts are. Subcom You’re likely already aware of some subscription commerce, or
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liz a kindred business concept. You have customers The reason that machines can’t deterwho love to see your product and brand mine taste is that it is rooted in our every month, and each month is an- emotional centers. Enter peer-to-peer.” other opportunity to wow them!” Hybrids Peer 2 Peer Combining online and offline With the rise of ‘social shop- retail is a shrewd way that startups ping,’ customers have become ac- are making their mark. Several sites customed to interacting with their (like Boutiika and Boutiquing) disocial networks while shopping. rect online shoppers to the best inThere are “Should I buy this?” sites dependent boutiques. (such as Fashism) and others where Our one to watch here is Shopusers vote on which lines a designer tiques, a clever service that offers should make (such as Lookk and traditional retail boutiques a way to Would You Rock This?). sell their merchandise online to an Our one to watch is Buyosphere, exclusive audience. a peer-to-peer recommendation enShoptiques founder Olga Vidigine. Users describe what they are sheva tells us, “The online/offline hoping to buy (and for what price) hybrid model allows a company to and real people in their extended draw synergies from having a physinetworks make recommendations. cal location without actually having It’s a great way for customers to get one.” She adds, “We don’t actually their networks helping them search incur the risk and costs of building a for that one perfect piece. brick and mortar store.” Buyosphere co-founder Tara Of the hundreds of companies Hunt tells us, “One of the toughest that are flirting with fashion and nuts to crack online is determining technology, we believe that these someone’s taste. Even Google’s top AI businesses – and their business geniuses admit openly that machines models – are making smart steps toare decades away from understanding ward servicing the new generation the nuances of a person’s preferences. of shoppers.
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OPENSKY
JOHN CAPLAN
OpenSky CEO John Caplan @JohnCaplan @OpenSky
What are your favorite online stores? Jcrew.com What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My Macbook
OpenSky uses technology to dis-intermediate the big players by connecting individual people based on interest data. Through the OpenSky marketplace, consumers can connect directly with relevant industry experts (who have access and experiences that most consumers do not) to discover and buy products they love--from niche designers to exclusive access of known brands.
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac In three sentences or less, describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Buying a scarf or a dress or an accessory is a lot more fun and a less risky decision when Molly Sims is telling you which one is the best to buy, how to wear it and why it works.
In three words, describe your personal style: It’s just me. What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores? The Juice Bar outside of the Coffee Shop in Union Square. I can’t live without good green juice.
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POSE
ALISA GOULD-SIMON
Pose Director of Marketing and Communications Alisa Gould-Simon @alisagouldsimon @pose
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac squared. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Pose is at the forefront of where fashion and technology meet. Technology has greatly democratized fashion and Pose is doing its part by helping empower and connect a global community of style lovers. Thanks to its mobile technology, Pose allows anyone to share, discover and connect with fashion and beauty anywhere, any time.
Pose is a smartphone app that allows you to follow friends and trendsetters as they shop in real-time, as well as track the latest releases from top brands and retailers. Alisa Gould-Simon has worked as a journalist, covering culture and fashion for the New York Times, the Guardian and Style.com among other outlets. She joined Pose in late 2010 as the Director of Marketing and Communications. In three words, describe your personal style: Whimsical, timeless, evolution. What brands or designers do you love? A.L.C. for comfy, sexy; Olivier Theyskens for genius; Zara for affordability; Nicholas Ghesquiere for vision; Arielle de Pinto for metal; Loeffler Randall for beauty; Carven for (French) flair; Madewell for reliability. What are your favorite online stores? I love Ssense.com, especially for its sleek design. I will forever want to live in LaGarconne.com. And, I love Madewell.com’s messaging and genius marketing as much as their clothes. (Full disclosure, I sometimes contribute to their blog because I’m such a fan.) What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone 4S is never more than an arm’s length away.
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POSHMARK and KABOODLE MANISH CHANDRA Poshmark and Kaboodle Founder Manish Chandra @Poshmarkapp
Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Poshmark is using technology to simplify how fashion is bought and sold. The simplicity of the Poshmark user experience is deeply integrated with a custom marketplace commerce system and backend infrastructure that allows each user to have a unique and curated shopping experience. Through our virtual shopping parties, Poshmark is delivering real time streaming to the mobile phone allowing users to have deeply engaging social and commerce experiences from anywhere.
Poshmark is an iPhone app that simplifies buying, selling, and shopping for fashion. Â Core to the Poshmark experience are themed, real-time shopping events called Posh Parties where people gather to shop, share, and sell fashion, right from their phones. Manish Chandra was also the founder & CEO of Kaboodle, one of the first social shopping sites, which was acquired by Hearst Corporation in 2007. Chandra founded Poshmark with the vision to take Kaboodle one step further by utilizing technology to transform commerce (specifically mobile commerce). In three words, describe your personal style: Independent, contemporary, and bold. What are your favorite stores? One of my favorite stores is a chain of local boutiques called Therapy. They have always been a hit with my team and have furnished key parts of our offices with fun and whimsical items. What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone of course. Are you a Mac or PC? Definitely a Mac.
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REFINERY 29
JUSTIN STEFANO / PHILIPPE VON BORRIES
Refinery 29 Co-founders Justin Stefano and Philippe von Borries @Refinery29
What are your favorite stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? Justin: Steven Alan, Odin NY, Rag & Bone
Refinery29 connects women to the greatest fashion and products from around the world. Their platform allows designers to promote their products to millions of engaged women every month through content, product reviews and commerce. In the coming months, Refinery29 will be launching more social curation tools, a better product recommendation engine and an entirely new search platform.
What are your favorite online stores? Justin: Amazon, Barneys, and Refinery29 – of course! What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Justin: My android phone. We are all Google over here. Are you a Mac or PC? Justin: Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Justin: Without technology our company would cease to exist.
In three words, describe your personal style: Justin: Rustic, refined, clean
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RENT THE RUNWAY
JENN HYMAN
Rent the Runway CEO and Co-Founder Jennifer Hyman @renttherunway
and Narciso Rodriquez are just some of my favorites. What are your favorite online stores? Net-a-porter.com.
Rent the Runway is a website that provides access to designer dresses at a fraction of the cost. Started by Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss—two former classmates at Harvard Business School—the site’s impressive use of social media and modern marketing techniques earned them a fast following and a spot on our top list.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone! Are you a Mac or PC? Mac - I don’t even know how to work a PC. I constantly have to ask for instructions. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company. Technology is the backbone for our entire company. We are bringing a new customer behavior online and changing the way women think about their closet, converting those 30-40 percent of purchases that women only wear once into rentals where they can experiment with new trends and new designers around all the occasions in their life.
In three words, describe your personal style: Strut, your, stuff! What brands or designers do you love? I am historically drawn to more sophisticated, feminine styles or I’ll channel the large part of me that wishes I were in a rock band and whip out my leather leggings. Matthew Williamson, Alexis Bittar, Helmut Lang, Proenza Schouler, Prabal Gurung
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RNKD & ZAPPOS
NICK SWINMURN
RNKD and Zappos founder Nick Swinmurn @rnkd @zappos
What brands or designers do you love? Dethrone, Nike & Seven for all Mankind What are your favorite stores? Zappos.com, Bloomingdales, Lids
RNKD is an online platform and mobile app that rewards customers for sharing what’s in their closet. It is the first loyalty program that creates a direct relationship between customers and their favorite brands online. Nick Swinmurn also founded popular ecommerce site Zappos.com, and came up with the idea for RNKD after he banished all the Adidas from his closet, replacing it with Nike apparel. Swinmurn thought brands had a right to know who was actually buying their products over just “liking” them or “tweeting” about them. In three words, describe your personal style: simple, casual, repetitive What color do you wear the most? Black or blue
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What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone but iPad getting closer! Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? The sheer volume of choices in fashion combined with technology has given RNKD the opportunity to create personalized experiences for an infinite number of shoppers. This would not be possible in the real world.
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SHOPKICK
CYRIAC ROEDING
ShopKick Co-founder Cyriac Roeding @shopkick
What color do you wear the most? Blue
Shopkick rewards shoppers just for walking into fashion retail stores like Macy’s, Target, American Eagle, Wet Seal and Old Navy, and it’s made other advances into the fashion world through innovative partnership with companies like InStyle by extending the magazine’s content to shoppers on their smartphones through “Shop By Color” – a virtual Pop-Up store on shopkick. “Shop By Color” offers users product recommendations, styling tips and immediate access to fashion trends from InStyle right on their smartphones. Another aspect of the Shopkick app that personalizes the shopping experience and helps shoppers find the best deals and offers from nearby fashion retailers is the “Faves” tab. Users can mark the stores they go to most frequently in the “Faves” tab on the app, which showcases deals and offers from most of the top 200 retailers.
What brands or designers do you love? Apple, Christian Louboutin, Victoria’s Secret, Ben Sherman
In three words, describe your personal style: Classic, preppy, casual
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What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? Sigona’s (best olive oil selection in Palo Alto), El Mercadito Latino (best vegetables in Redwood City), Robert’s Market (best grocery store in Portola Valley and Woodside), Not Too Shabby (great consignment furniture in San Jose) What are your favorite online stores? One Kings Lane, Hautelook, Bluefly, Amazon.com What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone Are you a Mac or PC? Thinkpad + iPad Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Shopkick is all about rewarding yourself while you shop. So you walk into your favorite fashion stores like Macy’s with the app, and earn rewards just for doing that. And when you walk out, you not only have clothes in your bag, but also rewards like dinner vouchers, iTunes songs or gift cards waiting for you on your smartphone.
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SNAPETTE
SARAH PAIJI
Snapette CEO and Co-founder Sarah Paiji @spaiji and @snapette
What are your favorite online stores? Mikkat Market, Asos, Net-a-porter, Etsy and Fab.com
Snapette is a mobile app that helps women discover and share great fashion product in stores near them. While it’s easy to search for items online, before Snapette, there was no easy way to find great products available in stores around you. Snapette let’s users easily see both nearby shopping finds of other users as well as products that retailer and brand partners are posting, all of which are tagged with their locations.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone Are you a Mac or PC? I take my Macbook Air with me everywhere, but still a PC girl at heart (I know more PC keyboard shortcuts than anyone you know) Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Fashion is constantly changing, both what styles are trending as well as what inventory is being carried in stores. The ease of creating and sharing content while onthe-go through a mobile phone enables Snapette to provide its users with real-time updates on hot, near and new products.
In three words, describe your personal style: Black, eclectic, fun What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores? Just moved to the Lower East Side right next to this great little vintage store Narnia. All of my favorite NYC boutiques can also be found on the Snapette app including Albertine, Otte, Steven Alan and Edon Manor.
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SNEAK PEEQ
HENRY KIM
Sneak Peeq Co-founder Henry Kim @sneakpeeq
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone; can’t function without it.
SneakPeeq uses technology to enable the discovery and purchase of new designers, new products and “next-season” merchandise from more established designers. Using social media tactics to drive sales for brands we know and some we don’t, Sneakpeeq makes online shopping entertaining by replicating real-world shopping interactions.
Are you a Mac or PC? Definitely PC. In three sentences or less, describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? We are social shopping so what better product to sell than fashion items or items that people are passionate about and are willing to share their views. By combining fashion with technology, we have been able to grow very fast.
In three words, describe your personal style: Athletic, Risk Taker (will always take the risk over the safe choice), Binary (I give 110% or I just don’t do it; very extreme) What are your favorite online stores? Sneakpeeq and Cliffedge (Japanese ecommerce site that delivers to US for free)
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STYKU
RAJ SAREEN
Styku Founder Raj Sareen Styku created a fit technology that finally empowers consumers to find the right fit and size of all clothing. Consumers scan themselves at home or in a retail store using a Microsoft Kinect. They then have the ability to virtually try-on 3D garments on their virtual body in a matter of seconds. Styku recommends the right size using a sophisticated fit and size prediction algorithm, eliminating the hassle of trying on multiple items to find the right size.
user-friendly voice driven publishing applications.
What are your favorite online stores? Amazon. Seriously. They just have it all. What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My laptop for sure, emails on mobile devices are still not as easy. Though, with the onset of voice recognition like Siri, we’ll probably see much more usage of
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Are you a Mac or PC? I’m a Mac. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? People are often consumed by the glitz and glamour of fashion, but often don’t realize the complexity and skilled engineering behind the scenes that is 90% responsible for the existence of their clothing. That’s where technology plays a huge role. Our team has a broad spectrum of experience that covers everything in fashion (designing, pattern making, production, sourcing, merchandising, and retail) and technology (virtual try-on, cloth simulation physics, infrared and depth sensor engineering, gesture and touch recognition development, scanning technology)
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STYLEBOOK
JESSICA MOORE
Stylebook Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Jessica Moore @stylebookapp
pieces in beautiful colors, Joe Fresh and C Wonder. What are your favorite online stores? I love paper products and stationery, so riflepaperco.com, paper-source.com and russellandhazel.com. TheOutnet.com is also a great place to find amazing deals on accessories.
Stylebook is an iPhone and iPod Touch app that helps you manage what’s in your closet and create outfits by taking inventory of your merchandise. You can also organize mood images and inspirations for future outfits. Founder Jessica Moore is a pioneer in the world of fashion technology, earning her a spot on our top list.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Besides my iPhone, I can’t live without my Epson flatbed scanner. I use it all the time to scan magazine pages, paperwork, Stylebook artwork - I use it basically every other day. Are you a Mac or PC? Mac, of course! Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Our company is all about the intersection of technology and fashion. Technological developments like the creation of the iPhone and the App Store made it possible for us to get off the ground and the development of fashion apps by major fashion brands and magazines has helped the fashion community embrace technology more.
In three words, describe your personal style: Classic, bright, simple What brands or designers do you love? J. Crew because they offer so many versatile
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STYLECASTER
ARI GOLDBERG
StyleCaster CEO Ari Goldberg @arisgoldberg @stylecaster
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Two months ago I finally made the switch to an iPhone (from which I’m sending you this now) and damn, this thing is cool! I’m a person who’s on my phone a lot as people can attest. To put it in perspective I took a nasty fall skiing a few weeks back and had to go to the ER. My first question when I got there was “Do you have an iPhone charger?”
StyleCaster offers a page where people can join conversations on fashion with a team of editors, give the thumbs up to other users’ styles, and win favor for the things they like. You can also comment on other platforms and share photos in the process. StyleCaster is the perfect medium between micro-blogging (Twitter) and curated content (Tumblr) with the unique angle of editors creating premium content to spark a sophisticated and exciting conversation on style. In three words, describe your personal style: Euro-chic + weekend Tribeca hipster through the lens of Midwestern sensibilities
Are you a Mac or PC? In the words of Jay-Z, “Me, I’m from the Apple,” which means I’m a Mac. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? In old media content was king, in new media conversation is king. We’re creating a platform where we can move the conversation forward with content, experiences and tools that will merge conversations between platforms creating the ultimate home page for style.
What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? Odin, Surface to Air, APC What are your favorite online stores? I’m a huge fan of everything the team at Gilt Groupe is doing.
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STYLEOWNER
JOEL WEINGARTEN
StyleOwner Founder Joel Weingarten @styleowner
What are your favorite online stores? myxxology.styleowner.com trends4you.styleowner.com gypsysoul.styleowner.com/
StyleOwner allows anyone to create an online store and personalize it for their social network by curating from an amazing catalog of fashion brands. STYLEpreneurs provide friends with customized recommendations and make a generous 10% commission on every sale. True social selling for the first time.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Macbook Air Laptop Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? At, we believe that THE best marketer is a recommendation from a trusted source. With this in mind we’ve built a world-class product that StyleOwner allows anyone to start their own online fashion shop and then market it through their social graph. Combining a love and passion for style with a large digital sphere of influence is our recipe for success.
In three words, describe your personal style: Goofy, Fun, Classic
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STYLESIGHT
FRANK BOBER
Stylesight CEO and founder Frank Bober @stylesight
What brands or designers do you love? Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Armani.
Stylesight has driven the concept of Fashion & Technology to the business-tobusiness design research space, and is the undisputed leader in combining worldclass fashion content with organizational and collaborative tools (software) for the fashion industry. They are the inspiration behind the inspiration so to speak, because so many global “A-List� companies use Stylesight as their first point of reference for research and product development.
What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? Not necessarily a secret but Double RL is my favorite store. What are your favorite online stores? iTunes. What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My Macbook Air. Are you a Mac or PC? MAC.
In three words, describe your personal style: Passionate, driven, curious. What color do you wear the most? Black.
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Stylesight is
visionary content
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STYLETREK
CECILIA PAGKALINAWAN In three words, describe your personal style: Downtown meets Uptown. What are your favorite online stores? Of course StyleTrek but I also shop at Shopbop, Zappos, Gilt and Bluefly.
StyleTrek founder Cecilia Pagkalinawan @ceciliany @styletrekkers StyleTrek, a website that provides designers with new ways to reach customers online with unique social media and e-commerce tools, started out crowd-sourcing emerging designers from around the world. Over 500 designers were submitted and the company launched with 25 designers from 5 continents ranging from Trosman from Argentina to twentysevennames from New Zealand. StyleTrek also provides a network for consumers to find new designers and give input on their design process. Cecilia Pagkalinawan is seasoned in launching e-commerce businesses for brands like Nine West, Burberry, and most recently, Frette and La Perla. She also has experience running and working for fashion start-ups, including BoutiqueY3K, an e-commerce consulting firm.
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What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone. It’s everything I need at the palm of my hands – from GPS to music to camera to email, my apps, and social media access – and, let’s not forget, a phone. Are you a Mac or PC? Mac. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Technology allows us to connect, communicate, and interact with people all over the world. We get to experience other cultures, trends, and styles via pictures, video, words, and music from our seats. That we can discover a designer from Sao Paolo or Denmark and enable customers from 91 countries to discover and buy from them is incredible.
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THISNEXT
MATT EDELMAN
ThisNext CEO Matt Edelman @matt_edelman @thisnext @stylehivebuzz
What are your favorite online stores? Zappos, Barneys, Diapers.com What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone
ThisNext.com provides women with the ability to create personal ‘Shopping Guides’ that can be used to organize, compare, and share products from every retail site on the web. The sight also empowers brands to create guides showcasing the products they want to promote in a given season or for a specific promotion. ThisNext’s audience browses the hundreds of thousands of Guides on the site to discover new products and discuss with friends and members of their community what their next purchase should be.
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Technology has enabled retailers to make content an important part of the digital merchandising experience. Pioneering brands like Net-a-porter and Gilt are transforming online retail by using content to tell stories about clothes. That plays to our strengths and has helped us expand our business, as we provide women with tools that help them create content connected to their favorite items. This summer, we’ll be launching a new application that provides even more ways for women to express their taste and style and communicate with friends about trends, sales, favorite looks and the hottest items available at retail.
In three words, describe your personal style: Relaxed, urban, geek-chic What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores (local shops in your area, or boutiques you frequent)? Vince, Club Monaco, Alternative
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designer spotlight
New digital media strategies
T
By Jessica Surbaugh
o measure digital media’s rapidly increasing effect on return on investment (ROI) we needn’t look further than the Super Bowl 2012 ad phenomenon. Commercials are a well-known spearhead for viewership of the Super Bowl. This year, companies used social media to its fullest extent by prereleasing commercials set to air during the big game weeks ahead of time. The result was a feeding frenzy. H&M’s steamy commercial fea turing David Beckham posing in his underwear— released 10 days before the game— received over 1 million views on the company’s YouTube channel. Early release of the video onto a platform that costs the company absolutely nothing resulted in over 1 million views before it had even been aired—I’d sure say they’ll garner some return on investment. While its influence can no longer be questioned, measuring ROI in the
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digital realm is still met with some confusion—traditionally, it’s been an area that has evaded the quantitative calculations of ROI. Since receiving funding is often a goal of fashion tech startups, proving that your new company will yield a high financial return is a priority. Investors are no longer looking for just an abstract idea—they want to see that consumers are engaging in the service and that revenue is being created, even if it’s minimal. So what is the role of digital media in increasing ROI? According to Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry (a known giant in the digital sphere), using video to engage with their market is one of the company’s most successful initiatives. A primary remaining barrier in taking e-commerce to the next level (and skyrocketing the conversion rate) is the ability to recreate the offline experience through online engagement with the consumer. Video not only increases the company’s visibility 42
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jessica surbaugh
with little financial commitment, it also has the ability to appeal directly to the emotions of the consumer and strengthens their likelihood to buy. Plus, there’s the added bonus of sharing across multiple platforms. Mobile and augmented reality are the next steps in the equation. Even if the mobile app isn’t directly creating the revenue (although this is certainly a plus), immediacy and personalization are key. Have To Have is a great example of this. The app is basically a universal shopping cart where the user can save items from every possible website, and then share the lists with their social networks. By connecting to consumers’ social networks, they also create the opportunity to deliver ROI. The beauty of this attractive and potentially prosperous equation is the enhancement of actions that the user would be taking anyway. It’s the natural evolution as we search for further stimulation and greater interpersonal connection
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within our networks and markets. Augmented reality (AR) is a true future extension of mobile. It’s technology supplements reality by overlaying digital information; it isn’t about simulating an experience, but rather enhancing one. Net-A-Porter is blazing the AR trail—in September 2011, its augmented reality app allowed visitors to scan the company’s Fashion’s Night Out “Window Shop” pop-up store. Viewers could see the windows, watch models coming to life wearing the pieces, shop the looks directly from the app, and even have a chance to win the items! This is a perfect example of using digital media to enhance engagement with the consumer—a direct line to increasing ROI. Strategies and tools for tracking and increasing the return on investment in regard to digital media channels are continuing to evolve but one thing is for certain—it’s definitely happening and is sure to accelerate. 43
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Styles We Like Profiles
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FASHION’S COLLECTIVE
ELIZABETH CANON
Elizabeth Canon, Fashion’s Collective Founder and Editor @FashCollective
In three words, describe your personal style: Modern. Mercurial. Evolving. What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores? Castor & Pollux, Sportmax, Kirna Zabete, Kisan, Housing Works (Upper East Side location), Edit
Fashion’s Collective is an insights company and resource focused on new-age marketing. Their objective is to inform, enlighten and empower their audience about advances in fashion and technology through three core offerings: their publication, FashionsCollective.com, FC Labs workshop series, and their intimate, invitation-only FashionForward conferences. Prior to starting Fashion’s Collective, Elizabeth Canon was partner and director at a NYC-based interactive agency where she created digital strategies for top global fashion brands. Her passion for digital marketing compelled her to launch Fashion’s Collective as an open and independent resource. Based on the platform’s success, Elizabeth has spoken at TEDx in Bali, Casa della Creativita in Italy, Fashion 2.0 in Germany, Luxury Interactive in New York and SXSW in Austin.
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What are your favorite online stores? MyTeresa.com, Couturelab.com, Net-aPorter, Luisa via Roma What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone. Are you a Mac or PC? Mac, all the way. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Simply put, my company wouldn’t exist without the collision of the fashion and digital worlds. I was really fortunate that I worked in the interactive space, and fashion was the sector I was most passionate about. I decided to channel that knowledge and passion at a time when the industry was clamouring for information, and I was lucky enough to find other really intelligent, savvy and experienced people who shared my enthusiasm for moving the industry forward.
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HUNCH
SHAIVAL SHAH What are your favorite online stores? For an Internet guy, I don’t shop all that much online. I still love the experience of shopping in-store, trying clothes on, trying to pair various items together to form looks and to ask a bunch of questions. But, when I do shop online, my musts are Topman, SSense, Mr. Porter, Oi Polloi, Matches, Luisa Via Roma, Prive, GiltMan, Oki-Ni and Restir.
Shaival Shah, GM and VP of business development Hunch.com @hunch Shaival Shah has a hybrid background. He’s spent half of his career on the investment side at VC and Private Equity firms such as TA Associates and Polaris Venture Partners. The other half has been in operating roles across large companies (Electronic Arts) and tech start-ups like Hunch. His quirky euro-sporty style and happy-golucky personality earned him a spot on our top list.
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Without a doubt, my iPhone. I could live without my laptop before dreaming of living without my iPhone. Sometimes, I just take it out and just look at it. It’s a bit of an obsession.
In three words, describe your personal style: Preppy, athletic, euro
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Are you a Mac or PC? Mac, no doubt. I enjoy using products that are well engineered and beautifully designed. Plus, the Mac subculture is a thing to admire. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? At Hunch, we built a highly sophisticated predictive technology. A technology that can predict your interests and tastes with an uncanny level of accuracy. Fashion, by nature, is a taste-driven market. Being able to predict people’s fashion tastes is incredibly difficult and this challenge has always been a wonderful benchmark for the team to strive for.
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LEARNVEST
ALEXA VON TOBEL
Alexa von Tobel, Founder & CEO, LearnVest.com @alexavontobel and @learnvest
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac Describe how your company uses technology to promote your product, what tech-forward advances have you made and anything ground-breaking in terms of media, apps, etc that you are working on. Technology is core to the LearnVest platform: it allows us to distribute dynamic email newsletters and bootcamps, it powers the My Money Center (a personal financial management tool that helps users track their spending), it connects us with our audience via social media (be it Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.), and most importantly, it allows us to revolutionize the financial planning industry with affordable and accessible financial plans.
LearnVest is the leading site for women and their money online. When Alexa was graduating from college, she was in the market for a personal finance resource that was comprehensive, easy to understand, and fun. She recognized a huge gap in the space and created LearnVest, which offers content, tools, and support to help members live their richest lives. In three words, describe your personal style: Sophisticated, classic, colorful. What are your favorite best-kept-secret stores? Albertine on Christopher Street, NYC What are your favorite online stores? Dannijo, BaubleBar What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My iPhone
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LOMOGRAPHY
ALEXANDRA KLASINSKI
Alexandra Klasinski, Chief Online US at Lomography @alexandrak @lomography
email, so any device that allows me to accomplish that is fine by me (I’ve worked off the Kindle experimental browser into web mail before. It is not ideal but works in a pinch) though I would prefer either a Nexus One or an iPhone.
Alexandra Klasinski’s unique work experience (designing records, backing vocals, and taking photographs all over the world) only made her all the more interesting in terms of style. Her comfy-chic west-coast style is both effortless and covetable in the fashion-tech world (let’s be honest, sitting at a computer all day generally calls for comfortable clothing over skinny jeans), and we must give her snaps for her photographic style!
Are you a Mac or PC? I’ve been a user of both and like my phones, I am happy using either. Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Lomography has always tried to take a fashion-forward approach to design and brand identity, so as fashion and technology have become more intertwined, we’ve tried to always be as innovative as a startup, and as fashion and design conscious as a high-fashion brand. With much of technology leaning the other way, we’ve found the room to grow in both ways and establish our own niche as an analog photography brand. The combination of both has allowed us to remain unique and fresh through innovation, design, and community identity.
In three words, describe your personal style: Simple, comfortable and Californian What color do you wear the most? Black and red What brands or designers do you love? James Perse, AllSaints, Rodarte What is one tech device you simply could not live without? Any of the above! My work exists mostly in
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MASHABLE
PETE CASHMORE
Pete Cashmore, CEO, Mashable @mashable
Mashable has been named a “must-read” site by both Fast Company and PC Magazine and is ranked as the most influential media outlet by Klout. Founded in 2005 as a blog with a general focus on “up-tothe-minute news on social networks and digital trends,” Mashable is perhaps one of the most influential tech-hub sites on the Internet. Pete Cashmore was named one of Ad Age’s 2011 influencers, a Time Magazine 100 in 2010, and a Forbes magazine web celeb 25. He was also named a Briton of the year by the Telegraph in 2010. Pete is a World Economic Forum 2011 Young Global Leader.
“The media is becoming social. Social media is the media.” Pete Cashmore, the sexy CEO of one of the largest and most popular destinations for digital media tech news, isn’t just your average Silicon Valley nerd. This Scottish-born techy runs Mashable from the UK, which no doubt has an influence on his dapper wardrobe. Cashmore’s frequent collared shirt, blazer, and jeans combo is effortlessly cool and whether it’s Armani or H&M, we love it!
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Photo by Jessica Grieves
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MARISSA MAYER
Marissa Mayer, Vice President Location & Local Services, Google @marissamayer
little that goes through without Mayer’s approval. And with her sharp wardrobe, sprinkled with pieces from Oscar de la Renta and Armani alike, Mayer has made her stake on the Google campus. Marissa’s contributions and leadership have been recognized by several publications, including the New York Times, Newsweek and BusinessWeek. Fortune magazine has listed her for the past 3 years on their annual Most Powerful Women list, and she was the youngest ever to appear on the list. In 2010 Marissa was honored by the New York Women in Communications, Inc. with a Matrix Award. She was also named Woman of the Year by Glamour Magazine.
Marissa Mayer, the self-professed “proud geek,” not only leads the product management and engineering efforts of Google’s local, mobile, and contextual discovery products, she does it with style. The 35-year-old Stanford alum is the youngest member of Google’s executive operating committee, and one of the most puttogether individuals in the tech scene. Marissa’s signature bright colors and Marimekko-type prints even show up in Google’s aesthetic – the charismatic logo and unfussy interface. In fact, there’s very
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Photographed by Brigitte Lacombe
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We are Fidoo
IDOO, or Fashion Information Distribution Organization Online, is a digital search engine that can pinpoint the availability of any brand in any store in any location within the USA, and eventually globally. Consumers can create their own profile on FIDOO and share their style with the community, as well as discover more about their favorite brands and stores. Our database of brand and store profiles serves as a cohesive platform for social media updates, bios, websites, store hours, sales, events, and much more. Editorials are no longer images on a page, FIDOO has re-defined the Lookbook with our interactive
photo shoots from which viewers can instantly search featured brand profiles with one click. Consumers are enticed via articles on fashion and tech news, events, trends, store reviews, and other interesting stories in our News Stream, updated daily. FIDOO is at the forefront of cross-market promotion, social media marketing, social gaming capabilities, and much much more! We strive to present our consumers with a fun way to engage in fashion from a social platform, learning about new designers, brands, and stores through our many initiatives, all the while creating a quick and easy way for PR reps, designers, store owners, and industry folk to present their brand or business.
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Our mission at FIDOO is to provide a premiere online synergetic platform, merging consumers with their favorite brands, stores and designers with a parallel emphasis on those same brands, stores, and designers to have a centralized information hub to all of their online resources.”
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— Enrico Moses, President and co-founder 52
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Our database is comprised of easily searchable profiles that provide one comprehensive platform for images, store hours, links to e-commerce sites, social media feeds, and much more‌ Finally, a search engine dedicated to fashion!
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Color Codes:
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These techies are known for wearing their signature colors.
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DIGITAL LA
KEVIN WINSTON
Kevin Winston, CEO Digital LA @DigitalLA
What are your favorite stores (online and offline)? See above
Digital LA is the largest networking organization of professionals and friends who do digital entertainment for movies, TV, web series, music, video games, VFX, marketing, and social media, with 5000 in our Facebook group! Attendees work at WB, Sony, FOX, Paramount, Disney, Universal, CAA, WME, ABC, NBC, Activision, EA, and other entertainment, studios, agencies, and startups. In three words, describe your personal style: Upbeat, innovative, bold What color do you wear the most? RED!
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? iPhone Are you a Mac or PC? Mac - switched from PC to Mac about 2 years ago. Once you go Mac, you never go back... Describe how the combination of technology and fashion has helped in the success of your company? Digital LA has put together several panels around fashion, shopping and technology, as fashion has started to use more digital tools in the design, production and social media marketing and apps.
What brands or designers do you love? Zara, American Apparel, H&M, Monarchy, Armani
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PULVER.COM
JEFF PULVER
Jeff Pulver, CEO and founder Pulver.com @jeffpulver
What is one tech device you simply could not live without? My purple Mophie juice pack plus and my iPhone because it keeps me connected to my friends.
Jeff Pulver is an Internet cavalier best known as the founder and CEO of Pulver.com. He is also involved in a number of activities, including conference series like his State of NOW / #140conf which provides a platform for people from all walks of life to share their stories through real-time on the web. #140conf exposes guests to the power the Internet has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create synchronicity. By total coincidence, Jeff is also part of a stealth mode startup in the “social communications” space called 3-Rings (the name of their service is purple, of course), which will launch this year.
Are you a Mac or PC? Mac but I’m a new iPhone user. I only recently gave up my Blackberry. Describe how the technology has helped in the success of your company? #140conf brings together 800+ people, and our live stream is seen by 100,000+ during the course of the event. The words of the conference are seen by millions of people. The evolution of the real-time social web (and the underlying platforms & tools) provide a platform which enables me to connect in theory with hundreds of thousands of people each time I tweet. But more than anything, it also offers the ability to feel their warm energy and provides a channel to connect in meaningful ways never before possible.
In three words, describe your personal style: young, relaxed, comfortable What color do you wear the most? Purple from my glasses down to my sneakers including my shirts.
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MARI SMITH
MARI SMITH
Mari Smith, Social Media Speaker and Author of “the New Relationship Marketing” @MariSmith
ness, Mari helps businesses to accelerate their profits by integrating proven social media marketing strategies. She also travels the United States and internationally to share her wisdom and provide social media keynotes and in-depth training. Plus, Mari mentors up-and- coming social media professionals in a variety of specializations. One hundred graduates have gone through Mari’s intense social media professionals training since 2009 and many continue to be under her mentorship. With her popular blog at MariSmith.com, and her large, loyal following on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ Mari is considered one of the top resources and thought leaders in the world of marketing. She regularly appears in media locally and nationally in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Inc., Forbes, Fortune, and Success Magazine.
Mari Smith is a Relationship Marketing Specialist and one of the world’s foremost experts on Facebook marketing. She is author of The New Relationship Marketing and coauthor of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day, both published by Wiley. Her turquoise strong wardrobe started by total coincidence when Mari happened to be wearing the color for a photo shoot with no intention of building her brand around it. In fact, Mari recently led a webinar and wore purple — the first time she’s worn anything but turquoise in public for over 4 years — and it became quite the topic of conversation with nearly everyone on the webinar commenting on it! Through her consulting and training busi-
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Companies To Watch Profiles
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CAKESTYLE
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akeStyle is effortless personal style, straight to your door. You’re given your own personal stylist who guides you through your fit and wardrobe interview. Your CakeStylist then uses that information to pull looks for you and shoot a video of each look on a mannequin, explaining how to wear and accessorize it. They send that to you in a gorgeous package, and you keep what you love and send back the rest.
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CakeStyle is funded by Sandbox Industries, and has been featured in TechCrunch, the Chicago Tribune and the DailyCandy. “Our dream is to use tech to help women find their own personal style quickly and easily.”
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FITIQUETTE
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itiquette utilizes a patent-pending technology that gives users a 360 degree view of the fit and drape of a garment on their actual body dimensions. Taking more than just the fit into account, they incorporate the weight, thickness and natural drape of each individual garment, so users can experience how different fabrics and sizes will fall and fit on their body -- just as they would in a store fitting room. For the beta launch Fitiquette is working with select young contemporary women’s brands including: FACTORY by Erik Hart, BB Dakota, Dolce Vita and Harputsown.
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Upon signup, Fitiquette members are guided through a step-by-step process to create a 3D personalized size model to replicate their actual body dimensions. Model creation begins with users identifying what sizes of popular brands they wear, and selecting a body shape from body shape templates. Sizes can be further customized by entering height, bust, waist and hip measurements. The entire size run of every garment is digitized through Fitiquette’s technology that precisely measures both size and fabric properties such as weight, thickness, fiber and stretch.
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IMAGINE FASHION
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magine Fashion (iF) is a groundbreaking fashion and luxury digital destination featuring the most innovative store windows from around the globe. The first of its kind, iF Windows allows consumers to ‘window shop’ in real time regardless of location. iF will select and curate the very best windows produced by retailers such as Harrods, Bergdorf Goodman and brands such as Hermes and Louis Vuitton, as well as unique boutiques such as Jeffrey, New York and Collette, Paris.
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Imagine Fashion also released two of its own editorial fashion films in 2011, offering a revolutionary level of interaction as viewers were able to Share & Shop on all featured fashion, accessories and beauty within the films and purchase directly. Premiering, prominent directors included Francesco Carrozzini with ‘A Letter’ and Dusan and Hilde Reljin’s, ‘Matchstick Girl.’ This year, iF will be launching a bespoke shopping experience, where viewers will be able to not only view all featured fashion and accessories in greater depth but also shop instantly from the window gallery.
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STYLITICS
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tylitics is a first-of-its-kind web platform that allows consumers to better manage their style, connect with their favorite brands, and be rewarded or receive perks for participation. Working like your smart personal style assistant, Stylitics tracks details about what you buy, own, and wear. It remembers your outfit history, alerts you to trends in your area and finds deals, rewards, and recommendations based on your tastes. Stylitics’ features also include the Style Profile, which is a portion of the site that is dedicated for users to share and upload stylish and meaningful images and content. This ranges from being able to showcase your style icons and inspirations, to the trends you love and items on your wish-list. Friends and followers can share or comment on images. For brands and retailers, Stylitics is an innovative analytics platform that gives
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a direct look into what consumers wear, own, and buy on a daily basis. Measuring many variables and data points, Stylitics’ “Bloomberg style” dashboard gives a window into real-time consumer behavior, helping clients make smarter business decisions and stay current in an increasingly fragmented marketplace. Stylitics has been featured in Inc Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Oprah.com, Mashable and several other publications. The company was incorporated in early 2011 after winning the Wharton Business Plan Competition, and now has a member base that is made up of users from around the world. Additionally, Stylitics works closely with a number of universities and colleges and has a growing student Ambassador network, active on over 50 campuses throughout the US.
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VAULT COUTURE
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ault Couture is an innovative luxury service designed for those seeking the ultimate wardrobe management solution – offering not only state of the art storage for members’ wardrobes, eliminating the stress of having 100 boxes falling on you every time you open the cupboard door, but also organizes and catalogues each and every piece, so finding that Alaia dress you bought in 2004 is easier than ever. Through their technologically advanced website with the help of genius software, developed by Vault Couture, you can access your entire wardrobe at the click of a button – think Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, only 10 years of technical innovation later! This genius software not only allows clients to view and manage their clothes, but allows for global delivery, available 24 hours a day, anywhere in the world. The expert cataloguing service involves each piece from your wardrobe professionally photographed from all angles, recording every stitch, as well as brand, size and any damages incurred. Clothes are then bar- coded and the information stored on their online database for clients to access through their personal, comprehensive, online catalogue before being stored in a state of the art, temperature-controlled vault to ensure your wardrobe is kept in pristine condition.
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Additionally, Vault Couture offers an online boutique marketplace, ‘Vault Boutique,’ which allows members to buy and sell preloved pieces from past collections. Perfect for those who don’t have the heart to throw out treasured pieces which they no longer need, as well as those longing to get their hands on past season’s must-haves.
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VIZL
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IZL™ is the social shopping app for the fashion industry, a “personalized digital dressing room in your pocket” – providing an interactive, social shopping experience online, in stores, at home, anywhere and anytime. Combining smart devices and augmented reality, and connected with social networks, VIZL™ leverages the growth of mobile and consumer demand for more features and functionality to provide a compelling digital shopping experience for fashion customers to try it on, see how it fits, get sizing recommendations, share and buy no matter where they are using their iPhone or tablet. Shoppers create profiles for people they shop for, access the latest fashions
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(apparel, jewelry, eyewear etc.) from select retailers and brands from anywhere, then digitally try on the items, get size and fit, share and buy. Retailers, who until now have struggled with how best to leverage the tectonic shifts of both mobile and social, can use the VIZL™ platform to target shoppers with their latest fashions, engage them with fun, interactive team activities and competitions to earn exclusive offers and rewards, and recruit new customers as shoppers share. VIZL™ is growing into the VIZL™ Styles Network; a community of shoppers, retailers, brands, stylists and trendsetters – enabling real-time sharing of the latest trends and collaborative shopping.
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