4 posts tagged “fashion”

With the recognition and success of niche social networks, Fashionising looks to make their mark on an overall segment of culture.  Fashionising is dedicated to the people that love fashion, and is looking to offer more than simple conduits for conversing online, but tools for effective networking within the industry.  Fashionising wants to spur opportunities for its users and bring a higher level of purpose to the manifestation of our online behavior.  Building on the basics of social networking, in order to bring about a lifestyle network.

I recently got a chance to hear from Fashionising's Daniel P. Dykes.
 

So tell me what Fashionising is all about?

Fashionising is a social network built for people who love fashion and buy it, and those who love it so much that they work within the fashion industry. We’re particularly focused on creating a community that supports upcoming talent in the industry, including models and designers.

 You mention that social networking isn't just about making friends anymore.  What else is social networking for?

MySpace’s focus on music, and the success of members such as Lily Allen and the Arctic Monkeys, really proved that social networks can be a driving force in our world. Instead of just talking to random people, they can become an area where people can create opportunities for themselves. For Fashionising, it’s about opportunities in the fashion world. It might be something as simple as front row seats at a fashion show, or something much larger such as providing a struggling, but hugely talented designer, with the opportunity to find a consumer base which would otherwise be closed off to them.

How do you bring the added value to social networking?

Unlike most social networks, we’ve approached Fashionising from the content side of things. Profiles and messaging systems, which usually are the main focus, aren’t our major focus. Instead we’ve concentrated on tools and features such as our Fashion Diary, which is a mashup of street style and fashion show videos and photos from across the net, and one main blog, which all members can contribute to as opposed to giving each member their own blog. We develop content laden features, which we then ‘plug’ the membership base into, allowing them to contribute, comment, and collaborate. It’s more-or-less a reverse of the model of social networks, but we believe it’s where longevity and value really exists.

 In a way, you're providing a lifestyle network.  How does that come into play for users' interaction within the site?

One of the most interesting effects is the way members represent themselves. They’re amongst peers, and trying to show that they have a lifestyle on par with others, or one that we should be envious of. As a result, people are much more aware of how they represent themselves. It’s nearly always with pride, dignity and respect because they feel that they personally are on show and that their name is tied to their actions. It’s the sort of ‘ownership of actions’ that exists in the real world, but isn’t always on display on the internet.

How does that come into play for other aspects of life, such as jobs, etc?

We hope we’ve made a positive change to many of our members lives. I know one member describes himself as having going from ‘fashion faux pas to fashionista’. That’s something that we’re proud of.

In much the same way we’ve tried to expand people’s lifestyle options, particularly through getting them out and about in places they mightn’t have been before. For instance, to tie in with the Melbourne Fashion Festival, we organised three guest lists at high-end clubs and bars that aren’t the most necessarily the easiest to get in to.

They key to it all is the quality behind what goes on. Whether it’s in our members interaction, or the opportunities we provide them, quality is key.

 What are your goals with Fashionising?

To build a vibrant fashion centric community, and to help the industry change in a positive way. Working within the fashion industry you notice there is a lot of resistance to change, and many a person has told us that they either don’t understand, or don’t want to understand, fashion on the internet. If they keep that mind set, they’re going to end up in the same place where a large part of the music industry currently finds itself – the consumer has moved years beyond where the major players think they are. We don’t want that to be the case for fashion.

 What are the next steps for Fashionising?

We’re going to continue to focus on providing opportunities for people within the industry be they upcoming or established, and at present we’re building a portfolio platform for stylists, models and photographers. We’re hoping to have this completed by our official April launch, but beyond that we’re going to continually add to the site and refine what is already there.

We’re also looking for key partnerships to expand Fashionising. There’s a lot of great content, and a lot of opportunities out there relevant to our audience and we see little point in reinventing the wheel unless it has previously been handled in completely the wrong way.

Aside from tools to help the industry, we’re looking to build tools for more fashion and lifestyle content. This will help expand our audience, and give the people we’re trying to help a reach previously restricted to those lucky enough to be featured in the likes of Vogue.