Picture this: You have a great idea for a new fashion tech company–something that will revolutionize the shopping experience– but you have no idea how to develop a website. Who and where do you turn to? Craigslist? Your friend from business school? Your old boss? Thanks to Sahadeva Hammari, there is one simple answer: CollabFinder.
Based in New York, CollabFinder is taking the struggle out of networking and making the process of finding collaborators easier than ever. Users join via Facebook and include their interests, skills and background. You can pitch your idea to other members, or let them pitch their project to you; find collaborators according to interest, skill or location.
Launched with seed investment from Betaworks in early 2013, CollabFinder already has a few success stories under its belt, including the recently buzzed about Art.sy and NYC-founded fashion startup, Maker’s Row. With over 1900 collaborators, and recent partnerships with School of Visual Arts’s Interactive design department and NYC.gov, CollabFounder is making a name for itself in the startup world.
TWF sat down with Sahadeva to get the inside scoop on how CollabFinder works and what the future holds for the company.
The fashion industry is growing at an exponential rate, but it’s not just the big brands that are reaping the benefits; small fashion businesses are popping up everywhere and changing all preconceived notions of how the market’s served. Recently, we produced a piece on the ways crowdsourcing is changing the way fashion startups gain insight and grow in their space. The newest venture that we can’t get enough of, and has seamlessly integrated crowdsourcing in their funding plans, is Manufacture New York. This NYC incubator and factory hybrid is empowering designers through collaborative spaces and access to production.
Check out how the founder, Bob Bland, thought up the idea for Manufacture New York and all the different ways you can get involved. read more »
Fashions change over time, it’s a rule of life. A designer bubble skirt that was a hit last Spring, may no longer be in style this season– and the same goes for menswear. A few years ago, every working man was sporting the classic wide (or “fat”) tie with their suit. Today however, the most fashionable men (such Justin Timberlake to Karl Lagerfeld) are wearing sleek, thin ties aka”skinny” ties. Thanks to New York-based startup, SKINNYFATTIES, men can stay on trend without draining their bank accounts.
Founded by Joshua Adam Brueckner, SKINNYFATTIES custom tailors wide neckties, providing a more wallet-friendly alternative to buying new skinny ties at retail value. ”Not hating on fat ties. As a matter of fact, the patterns and materials are usually incredible. These fat ties just need a little help. That’s where SKINNYFATTIES comes in,” said Brueckner.
Following the example set by Warby Parker, SKINNYFATTIES donates $1 to non-profit organization Career Gear, which helps men transition into the workforce.
TWF sat down with Joshua to get the inside scoop on the business model, men’s fashion and skinny ties.
We all love a good party. There’s nothing better than great horde’euvres, some refreshments, and plain ol’ good company. Interestingly enough, these features are typically what make a business/networking event so successful. So why is it that so many startups choose not to host events? It’s an interesting paradigm but we’re siding with ‘you should definitely be hosting more events’. Here’s why: read more »
Here at Third Wave Fashion, we understand the amount of research and preparation that goes into launching a successful startup. There are trends to discover and analyze, as well as previous business models to dissect — from all the things that worked to all the things that fell short. Not every great idea will translate into a solid business. VentureBeat coined the term, ‘Enthusiasticus Founder Syndrome’ (we’re not kidding) wherein a novice entrepreneur allows the enthusiasm of his or her idea to take over, and ignores the critical mistakes of inexperience. Other times that isn’t the case at all. There are plenty of fashion tech startups whose business models are so effective and downright innovative that even major brands have adopted their models into their older, more mature fashion tech functions. Here are two of the most recent that we’d like to explore: read more »
In the past few years, we’ve seen a number of online jewelry sites popup, making beautifully made jewelry more accessible than ever. We’ve also seen numerous crowd sourcing companies enter the marketplace, helping independent designers find a market for their one-of-a-kind designs. Yet until we came across Shopbevel, we had never seen the two come together.
Founded by Stanford Business School Graduate, Courtney McColgan, Shopbevel works with independent designers to bring the best in jewelry design to market. Designers submit designs, the community votes and Shopbevel produces the selected winners with designers receiving royalties. Shopbevel’s first design challenge, held in January 2012, received 68 entries and attracted over 4,000 votes. Hundreds of design entries later, Shopbevel is on its way to changing the jewelry industry.
Excited to learn more, TWF sat down with the Founder and CEO, Courtney, to ask her a few questions of our own.
Since moving to New York nearly six years ago, I have been warmly welcomed by the startup community. In a city of 8.2 million, you can easily be intimidated and feel like a tiny speck, but in the New York tech scene I have found a supportive family. I believe that New York is the best place to get your startup going. According to SeedTable.com, last year 127 startups were founded in the city, nearly equal to the combined 131 that launched in San Francisco and Palo Alto, California. Here’s why I think it’s the best: read more »
They say The Fashion 2.0 Awards Show is attended by the fashion industry’s social media stars, and they’re absolutely right! Last night we had the opportunity to sit next to the social media and digital elite of the fashion industry, and it was an event of true celebration, admiration, recognition, and laughs…lots and lots of laughs.
We are all familiar with celebrity stylists, such as Rachel Zoe or Nicole Chavez — paid to pick out and put together fashionable outfits for their well-known and high paying clientele. With the launch of Stitch Fix, however, you no longer have to be a celebrity or high-end consumer to have a personal stylist. read more »
Last night we attended WIM Accelerator’s Meet the Innovators: Social Video Marketing event at the Apple Store in SoHo. Some of you may remember our recap of the Social TV event that happened earlier this year and we were thinking the same thing you were: “How’s this going to be different?” Well, it was… completely different.
Here are stories of the companies that participated that helped us embrace the amazing growth and potential in social video marketing. read more »
