Posted: March 2nd, 2011 | Author: Jennifer Van Grove | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: democon, ecommerce, Fashion, Microsoft Kinect, online shopping, Startup, Swivel, technology, Web Apps, Web2.0 Startups, zugara | Comments Off
Modern women dream of the day when they can buy a super cute dress or practical pair of pants online that will fit perfectly on arrival.
That day is not yet here, but two new products from Zugara and FaceCake Marketing, presented at the DEMO Spring conference, combine augmented reality with online shopping, hoping to take womankind one giant visual leap forward. Regrettably, they also fall short of that mission.
Swivel, from FaceCake Marketing, taps into Microsoft Kinect’s motion-sensing technology to offer a virtual at-home dressing room. Users grab an item of clothing or accessory, and get to see how it could look in real life. Shoppers can select a background to see how items translate to settings, say a ski slope.
In demonstrations, Swivel feels more like a game than a shopping tool. Clothes shopping, more than any most areas of commerce, is a matter of precision. Will the clothes fit in a flattering way? Will the real-world fabric or color, which may be a shade different from its on-screen counterpart, still compliment your skin? Is that pair of shades just the right shape for your face? Swivel could make online shopping more entertaining, but won’t solve many of your real e-commerce challenges. At least for now.
Zugara’s solution is the Webcam Social Shopper. It is equally appealing in principle, and disappointing in practice. It will work for anyone with a webcam-enabled PC. Visit a partner retailer’s website, hit a button to try on apparel and see first-hand if a style is right for you. You can also snap a photo and share it on social networks to solicit feedback from friends.
Despite the delight of experiencing something avant garde and high-tech, I found trying on several dresses to be terribly disappointing. Not one came close to fitting the on-screen me. If augmented reality cannot help me envision the real thing, there’s nothing real about the experience at all.
Neither Zugara or Swivel will be a panacea for marketers, brands or retailers, who are looking to lower the rate of returns. Swivel’s virtual shopping experience creates a false sense of hope, while Zugara layers items in a way that could discourage sales, not improve them.
For now, women (and men) are still best served with a more practical product like Polyvore for creating new looks.
Image courtesy of Flickr, doublebug
More About: democon, ecommerce, fashion, Microsoft Kinect, online shopping, Swivel, zugara
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Posted: February 27th, 2011 | Author: Christina Warren | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Channels, Fashion, Film, mobile apps, News, Oscars, oscars-2011, the oscars | Comments Off
Tonight is
Oscar night and that means that Twitter and Facebook streams will soon be filled with quips about who is wearing what, the jokes that bomb or land, and of course, who is taking home the big awards.
Like the Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes, Oscar is finding his way into the 21st century. Check out these mobile and web apps that can help augment and enhance the Academy Awards experience:
This special edition of the Vanity Fair Hollywood app is a treat for iPhone and iPad users alike. The free app lets users fill out their own Oscar ballots. Users can also compare their picks with their friends on Facebook.
Users can also follow Oscar tweets, see photos from the red carpet and get a glimpse of the famed Vanity Fair Oscar party.
The $0.99 iOS app gives users a backstage look at the Oscars. As we noted in our original review, the app is designed to let users view the red carpet from several angles and get a backstage glimpse of the action taking place off-screen, all while enjoying the Oscar experience on TV.
This app, which will continue at the post-awards Governors Ball, is the biggest digital push that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has ever done.
E!'s Live From the Red Carpet app for iOS and Android is a great way to watch the red carpet coverage on your mobile device. See who E! is interviewing live look at pictures and photos from past award shows and connect via Twitter to share your thoughts with friends.
We love E!'s commitment to pushing its red carpet coverage across digital channels.
Get Glue has special Oscar stickers for users who check in to the award show using the iOS or Android app, GetGlue.com or the Facebook page for the Academy Awards.
In addition to its iOS app, PC and Mac users can also enjoy the backstage Oscar experience with the All Access pass from ABC and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. Access is $4.99 but for users without an iPhone or iPad, it's a great way to get access to all the action.
Oscar.com will be updated on Monday with highlights from the big show.
Here’s how to watch the Oscars 2011 online.
More About: academy awards, Oscars, oscars-2011, the oscars
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Posted: February 27th, 2011 | Author: Amy-Mae Elliott | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: clothing, Converse, custom, customization, ecommerce, Fashion, features, gallery, Lists, Nike, personalized, pop culture, shoes, Shopping Lists, sneakers, trainers, Vans, web | Comments Off
You’re not still wearing off-the-peg sneakers, are you? Tut, tut, how very 2009. With a wealth of affordable personalization options online, nowadays you can easily create your own customized footwear.
We’ve found six online solutions that will help you design funky footwear that’s unique to you. So why not show off a bit of your creativity and stand out from the rest of the boringly-shod crowd?
If this sounds good, then put your best foot forward and take a walk through the gallery below. Let us know in the comments which design-your-own services you’ve tried out and if you haven’t yet, then the ones that you like the look of.
![]( "1. <a href=\"http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeid/index.jsp\" src=")
Nike's well-established customization service lets you start with one of the company's designs and change it to suit your taste, or start with a totally blank canvas.
The service is perfectly suited to anyone looking for proper training shoes, rather than fashion sneakers. With the ability to change the color of every element of the shoe's design, you can create a cool custom pair of kicks that will stand out from the crowd on any court where you play.
As well as personalize the color-way of your new shoes, you can change the text on the heel, and then when you're happy with your design, share it to your social networks and add it to the NIKEiD gallery.
Sample cost: Nike Air Mogan iD -- $105
Vans keeps its service simple with just four shoe types to customize, one of which is its now-classic slip-on number in both white and black.
As you'd expect from the brand, as well as colors, there's a wide range of contemporary patterns to choose from, and in the case of the slip-on shoe, you can mix and match designs.
As well as starting with a totally blank shoe, you can start with a patterned model and than tweak it to your heart's content, choosing different colors for the binding, foxing, collar lining and even the elastic gore (the stretchy bit on the top!)
Sample cost: Slip-on -- $60
Converse's "Design Your Own" service is seriously fun -- and offers far-reaching customization options. There are around 20 types of sneaker and baseball boot styles to choose from as your blank canvas. As well as a palette of vibrant colors to pick from, there's also a ton of funky, and in some cases unusual, patterns.
Perfect for those who pay strict attention to detail, you can change the color of the laces, the eyelets and even the stitching! There is also an option to add text to the heel of the shoe -- with a choice of two fonts to select from.
Sample cost: Chuck Taylor All Star Ox Canvas -- $67
Offering a variety of sneaks to personalize, Adidas's take on the customization process is comprehensive and changes with the shoe you choose.
For example, with the Gazelle (pictured) you can make each stripe a different color while the mi adizero Rose design process will see your name laser-etched on the shoe's bumper. Or you can pick a personalized number to appear on the lace's tag.
This means it's worth playing around with the web-based design app to see what options each shoe offers; just don't get too carried away and order the set!
Sample cost: Mi Gazelles -- $95
Sole Creator takes customization to the extreme with its online design service offering tons of backgrounds, a huge album of clip art, the ability to draw designs freehand, add as much text as you can fit on, and even upload an image.
With brands to choose from such as Converse, Vans, DYO and Ethletic, it's worth noting that Sole Creator offers worldwide delivery, so it's a great option for those outside the States (because many of the U.S.-based in-house sneaker design services don't ship internationally.)
Sample cost: From around £25 (approx $40)
![]( "6. <a href=\"http://www.sneakart.com/bin/WebObjects/SneakArt\" src=")
If you're on a budget and don't want to splash out on a whole new pair of shoes, but still want to personalize a pair, then SneakArt offers flexible, durable, waterproof, adhesive skins in a massive range of patterns so that you can DIY your own designs in the comfort of your own home.
Sample cost: From $19 per sheet
More Fashion Resources from Mashable:
- 3 Ways to Design Your Own Clothes Online
- 9 Ways to Geek Out Your T-Shirt Collection
- 10 Great Geek Tees For Kids
- 6 Ways to Design Your Own Jewelry Online
- 7 Pairs of Stylish 3-D Specs for Fashionable Film Fans
More About: adidas, clothing, Converse, custom, customization, fashion, gallery, Nike, personalized, shoes, sneakers, trainers, Vans
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Posted: February 25th, 2011 | Author: Lauren Indvik | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Fashion, ipad app, mobile apps, News, Ralph Lauren | Comments Off
Ralph Lauren has launched a heavily interactive iPad app to promote its RLX (Ralph Lauren Extreme) sportswear line.
The photo and animation-rich app [iTunes link], the first the publicly-traded fashion company has created for the iPad, invites users to perform different actions that underline the apparel line’s various properties.
Users can use their fingers to paint in color on a black-and-white photograph (highlighting the collection’s colorful palette), tap to freeze model-athletes in various acrobatic poses (conveying agility) and blow into their iPad’s microphone to demonstrate the “light-as-air” fabrics (this appears to function without the blowing, I found), among other things.
It utilizes much of what the device has to offer: its built-in accelerometer, digital compass, assisted GPS and multi-touch capabilities. Users can shop the collection within the app, share images via Facebook and e-mail, and save images to their photo library.
Like most fashion apps, the vast majority of users will open it once and never again — but that appears to serve Ralph Lauren’s purposes well enough, given that the app promotes a single collection.
For a more comprehensive look, check out our screenshot gallery below or download it for yourself in the App Store [iTunes link].
Tilt the iPad forward and backward to navigate between models.
Tilt the iPad forward and backward to navigate between models.
Blow on the iPad microphone to spin figure.
Blow on the iPad microphone to spin figure.
Hold the iPad and turn your body for a 3D view.
Hold the iPad and turn your body for a 3D view.
Tap the screen to capture freeze frames.
Use a finger to color in the figure.
Use a finger to color in the figure.
Tilt iPad side to side to view two different looks.
Tilt iPad side to side to view two different looks.
Tap the screen to capture freeze frames.
Tap the screen to capture freeze frames.
Slide different layers to reveal different models.
Slide different layers to reveal different models.
Tilt your iPad side to side to move figure.
Tilt for broader view.
More About: fashion, ipad app, Ralph Lauren
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Posted: February 23rd, 2011 | Author: Lauren Indvik | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: calvin klein, ck one, Fashion, MARKETING, mobile apps, News, social media | Comments Off
Calvin Klein will begin unveiling March 1 its largest digital initiative to date — a global multi-platform campaign that includes online, mobile, print, outdoor and plenty of social media.
The campaign is designed to transform ck one, previously the name of a line of unisex fragrances, into a global lifestyle brand that includes jeans, underwear and fragrances. It also aims to introduce a younger demographic to the ck one brand, which debuted in 1994.
The heart of the initiative will live on ckone.com, where visitors will be able to explore the brand, shop its products and learn about the more than 30 cast members featured in the campaign. Calvin Klein designed the website to be highly interactive. The company will invite users to contribute to the campaign by uploading their own videos to the site and and discussing the brand on-site and also off-site using Facebook, Twitter and other popular social networks (such as Ren Ren and Weibo, which are popular in China). The cast also will ask users questions.
Mobile apps have been created for iPhone, Android and Symbian devices to further the experience with additional content, augmented reality features and social media integration.
All of this won’t be fully available, however, until March 1. A teaser for the initiative debuted Wednesday on ckone.com. LED advertisements for the mobile apps will grace Calvin Klein’s landmark billboards in New York, Los Angeles and other major cities as well as at select subway locations beginning March 1. Print ads, featuring still shots of the videos and encouraging readers to connect on the web and via their mobile phones, will appear in the April editions of major magazines.
Although Calvin Klein has used technology creatively for marketing purposes in the past — particularly in the brand’s use of live streaming and its much-buzzed-about QR code billboard — the campaign marks a further commitment to social media than in past promotions. Users are connected to their networks and each other at every facet of the campaign and, like Burberry’s Art of the Trench, invited to become part of the campaign themselves.
More About: calvin klein, ck one, MARKETING, social media
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