London is known worldwide for it's fashion names, from Alexander McQueen to Kate Moss to Isabella Blow, we have some of the top dogs in the business, but there are a few new members, bringing something a little bit different to the fashion scene and well they are doing nothing but expanding their empires fast. What do all of these new members have in common? They are bringing Fashion AND Technology together and their ideas are only getting more inventive and technology based! From digitally printed shoes and fabrics, bringing interactivity to our brick and mortar stores, finding our desired products with the click of a camera as well as making shopping a whole lot more social online, the possibilities are endless!
The Fashion Technology scene in London is particularly successful, with many a noteworthy company claiming it their stomping ground, as Jenny Griffiths, Founder and CEO of Snap Fashion states:
"The London Fashtech scene is such an exciting space to be working in. Everyone knows everyone, so it's such a friendly environment and we're always sharing ideas and contacts. It's a proper hotbed of innovation here - everyone's genuinely trying to make online and offline shopping a better user experience and everyone has amazing insights into what the problems are in that space at the moment. When you see the variety of companies in this space and the way that we're all working together to solve a wide selection of problems, it makes you realise that online shopping is going to be really cool in the future."
Why would they want to be anywhere else as Suraj Kapoor the Co-Founder of LookLab told us:
"London is the city that the rest of the fashion world takes its cues from in terms of innovation and creativity so it's no surprise that fashion tech has carved out its place in the start-up eco-system."
To pay homage to the Fashion Technology game changers, in this two-part article, we will be showcasing 12 noteworthy companies working out of London who are ones to watch for 2014! Here on the Huffington Post we have given a quick synopsis, for the full goodness visit the chloédigital blog here.
The following companies have been interviewed: Depop, EDITD, LookLab, Lyst, Nuji, Poq Studio, rufflr, Shopcade, SilkFred, Snap Fashion, Styloko, and Thread, for this article we will be looking at the first six:
Depop: http://www.depop.com/en/
Who?
Depop is a mobile shopping application.
What?
Depop allow users to upload something to sell straight from their phone, chat to friends and discover new products all in one go!
How?
The main focus for Depop is to keep things simple and fun. It's not only a place to sell your things but also a place to make friends and create a real community vibe.
Insight:
The biggest highlight for them has been capturing the interest of the people and brands Depop have on board for example Katie Eary, Goodhood and beach.
EDITD: http://editd.com/
Who?
EDITD are an apparel data warehouse.
What?
Brands and retailers using their software are able to gain a global view of what's selling and at which price points across the market, and at any of their competitors.
How?
EDITD build software that is designed for buyers and merchandisers to help them make the right trading solutions.
Insight:
When they first set out, their aim was to bring together the most critical data-points affecting the fashion industry in one place. They've since built the world's biggest apparel data warehouse!
LookLab: http://www.looklab.com/
Who?
LookLab is your personalised online stylist.
What?
LookLab allows anyone to ask their personal style question to LookLab's growing community of fashion stylists for one-on-one style advice.
How?
LookLab suggestions are not based on computer algorithms but on the tastes of their stylist community, who are at the forefront of fashion trends.
Insight:
They have stylists based in all major fashion capitals around the globe, and this adds to the sense of community and the quality of suggestions.
Lyst: http://www.lyst.com/
Who?
Lyst is a social shopping platform.
What?
Lyst exists to make shopping for fashion easier, as they create unique online shopping experiences tailored to each of their fashion consumers.
How?
Lyst offer the world's most comprehensive fashion inventory, partnering with the world's greatest designers and stores. The company has grown over 1000% in the past 12 months and now generates tens of millions of dollars in sales.
Insight:
A major highlight for them was the launch of fashion's first-ever universal cart allowing Lyst customers to shop for millions of products from thousands of designers and check-out seamlessly in one step all on their platform.
Nuji: http://www.nuji.com/
Who?
Nuji is a social shopping platform.
What?
Nuji has millions of products and thousands of brands giving them the opportunity to build a new breed of online retail with social and personalisation built at its core.
How?
Curation and a high quality community are the strongest points of the Nuji product.
Insight:
The most rewarding part of building this company for Nuji has been watching small stores and brands thrive.
Poq Studio: http://poqstudio.com/
Who?
Poq Studio is a mobile commerce platform for fashion retailers.
What?
Poq Studio makes it easy for brands to get their own mobile app and mobile site.
How?
Poq Studio has a unique advantage because they only work with fashion. This focus means that they have collected lots of interesting data from the fashion retailers they work with enabling them to bring in new fashion-specific features that benefit their clients, and provide the best shopping experience to the customers.
Insight:
Poq Studio biggest achievement has been scaling their platform and customer base without losing focus. They have grown very quickly, but still maintain a high level of customer support.
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Make sure to check out the second part of this article available soon, celebrating these six noteworthy companies rufflr, Shopcade, SilkFred, Snap Fashion, Styloko, and Thread.
For the full article click here.