In the Instagram age of fast fashion, consumers are increasingly wanting to be one step ahead of their peers when it comes to trends. Gone are the days when they want to be early adopters of followers of fashion, they want to create it!
More and more consumers are after a fashion brand, and collection, that is adaptable, fashionable, and personal.
Over the last five years, there has been a steady rise in the emergence of customisable fashion brands that provide consumers with the tools to take their creativity to a whole new level.
Notable brands are already out there that are harnessing technology to build their brands and disrupt the fashion industry, these include:
Spreadshirt – Customisable tees
Spreadshirt describes itself as a global platform for personalised clothing and accessories, and a go-to-place for anyone looking to realise their creative ideas on quality fabrics.
The brand cites “freedom of expression” as one of its core values, which is arguable spot on considering the service they offer.
It could be argued that they’ve taken an idea that has been done many times over in the corporate branding world and has repackaged it and placed it as consumer facing – Very clever!
Zazzle – The Make Engine
With a pretty bold statement such as “We believe that dreams should be indulged, ideas explored, and creativity set free. Our mission is to give anyone, anywhere the power to make anything imaginable” – you’ve got to be pretty confident that you can back it up.
Mapping customisable creative imagery provided by the customer, Zazzle can create unique products from phone holders, to tables to t-shirts and shoes. It’s run by a group of people who truly believe in their mission to allow creativity to be set free.
FRILLY.COM – Why wear what everyone else is wearing?
This bold company is certainly ruffling a few feathers with its strong mantra that essentially does what is says on the tin: “We’re not here to tell you what to wear. We’re here to empower you to create a look that is completely yours.”
Frilly.com is a one-stop-shop when it comes to creating your own look, from hardware to hemline, and of course; fabric.
Arise Collective is a new player in the field that wants to own customisable designer quality eyewear.
As revealed in its Kickstarter campaign , it aims to bring fast fashion to its customers, providing the power to create a pair of fully customisable premium Italian designed eyewear. The campaign aims to bridge the gap between consumers following trends and setting them.
The plan is to bring customers an amazing eyewear (eyeglasses or sunglasses, prescription or not) experience at factory direct prices.
Positioned between an innovative tech start up, customers will have the ability to design customisable versions of their work. Started by a serial entrepreneur, a fashion designer and an Italian design team, it began as a platform to harness the full potential of customisable eyewear, at affordable prices.
The team believes choosing the right pair of glasses and sunglasses is much harder than it needs to be. Different people with different needs. After taking all of this into consideration they came up with a plan: to create fully customisable eyewear available in six frame shapes and five lens options including sought-after round semi-rimless and metal aviator glasses and sunglasses.
Kickstarter information:
- Fully customisable eyewear
- Personalised content on frame
- Limited edition number on frame
- Six iconic frame shapes: Salvario, Aurora, Veneto, Capri, Dante, Asti
- Five premium lens types: Clear, tinted (sunglasses), smart fade, digital blue block, polarised
- Frames are cut from the highest quality Italian acetate
- All lenses are prescription ready and include prescription at no extra price
- 100% UV protection layer on all lenses
- Anti-scratch coating applied on all lenses
The Arise Collective Kickstarter project was launched on the 28th of November and will run for 30 days.
Zozo also allows you to customise your clothes.
Japan’s own Yusaku Maezawa has spearheaded proprietary pattern generation technology, aka – the Zozo measurement system: The Zozo suit and Zozo App – allowing you to attain a personalised 3D body scan. Once the scan is done, without the need to try anything on, you can order the clothing you want with the confidence that it’ll fit your frame – whatever that is – to perfection.
All items are under $US100, with massive expansion on the horizon. It’s a truly remarkable innovation in clothing. If you’re an ‘early-adopter’ by nature, catch this wave and join the street-ware avant-garde.
Find out more about Zozo Suits here.
