Garmz – a potential game changer for the fashion industry
Today I am going to shamelessly promote an Austrian startup that I believe has the potential to change the ways of the fashion industry, and more specifically, the role that the designer has in the process – provided enough designers learn about Garmz. com. Hence this promotion.
Garmz seek to achieve no less but „to give the fashion industry a new spin“ by relaying the decision on what gets and what doesn’t get produced from the industry to the consumers, i.e. to those who will eventually buy (and WEAR) the pieces. How? Think fashion industry + crowdsourcing + mass customization = Garmz!
First of all, you do not have to be an acclaimed designer to pitch your designs – you may simply upload sketches of your designs to the Garmz website.
Secondly, anyone who uses the site can participate in the decision making: by voting for the designs which you like and would like to see produced.
Thirdly, the most popular designs are realized as prototypes by professionals, put on the website for pre-ordering, later produced in Europe (and I take this means sweatshop free) in a small series and then sold on the webshop. Designers are rewarded with more than just a badge or public recognition: They actually get a cut from the revenue.
Garmz have just recently been selected as one of the ten winners in the fourth round of Seedcamp, earning them € 50,000 in investment (for which they are obliged to take on board Seedcamp investors as minority stakeholders; see this Guardian blogpost to learn more about Seedcamp Europe 2010), so there is some air for them to breathe. For now. But, to make it a true success story, they need fashion designers from all walks of life, enough users to visit the site and get themselves involved in the decision making process, and – at one point – buyers.
Right now, the first prototypes are already being sewn (e.g. this ninja pullover by Paul Brown), those who favourited them will be notified once they hit the webshop for pre-ordering. Like the idea? Then go and spread the word about Garmz.com!
Learn more about how it works or read their blog.
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Lest I forget: The upcoming weekend (Saturday, September 25) is FashionCamp weekend in Vienna – be there, not only because this is going to be a chance to meet the Garmz folks.
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Disclaimer: Notwithstanding the shameless aim of this blogpost I have not been approached by the Garmz team to write this blogpost, I just wanted to put a little more copy in English about Garmz on the web, so that others can learn about it too.
wow, look at me! ich bin ein böser kommentar-spammer ;))
(aber wenn’s grad passt)
ich freu mich sehr für das garmz-team! außerdem träum ich schon lange von einem strickhosen- und oberteildings mit pelzbesatz an den knöcheln… die chance lebt! 🙂
I don’t get it – warum bist du ein Kommentarspammer:) Ach so, Links zu hochwertigem Content sind immer angebracht:) Drum hab ich zurückgedingst!
boooring… useabrand.com (also from vienna) has been doing this for over 2 years now
Possibly, but apparently, they have previously not been able to draw my attention:) Having a good idea does not suffice – you need to be able to project it, too! Maybe the Klinger folks are better at that than useabrand.com
(And the designs that are being showcased on useabrand look like not-kinky-enough American Apparel rejects – I don’t like AA designs, btw)
EDIT: And btw, I don’t think the email address you, legstdinida, were using is legit – don’t pretend you’re someone you’re not, plse.
nachdem hiervermutlixh die selbe person kommentiert hier einer kurzer verweis auf wienerpost
http://www.wienerpost.at/2010/09/hooked-on-fashion/
jana ich hoffe das ist so ok fuer dich
btw: wow! feeling honored 🙂
ich finde die ganze diskussion inkl. bashing lächerlich.
puma und adidas machen auch das selbe und haben beide erfolg damit
garms wird man erst beurteilen können wenn sie kleidung herausgebracht haben denke ich.
bis jetzt ist es ja noch theorie.
viel glück an beide projekte, denn ich finde beide auf ihre art gut.
@ina welche Diskussion?
ich mein jetzt nicht hier. ich hab nur schon ein paar mal leute darüber dikutieren gehört….
Ah, verstehe, danke fürs wieder kommen und aufklären!