California Apparel News

Pooltradeshow founder Ronda Walker is anticipating launching her latest project—a virtual trade show—this month and predicts that by 2012, the site, called The Factory, will have 3 million users. Walker, who sold Pool to MAGIC parent company Advanstar in 2005, announced plans for The Factory earlier this year. She envisions an online site that allows the fashion industry’s designers, retailers and consumers to conduct business and relate to each other—virtually. Walker describes the site as an environment in which these industry players can connect, engage in friendly competition, and build a taste-making community through social networking and technology. The Factory will allow designers to showcase their collections year-round—and extend their sales season. A feature called the personal broadcast sales network allows designers and retailers to gain insight into consumer purchasing decisions and preferences. Designers can respond to the “marketplace,” saving both time and money on production costs and sampling. Retailers will also have the opportunity to interact with consumers, who, in turn, will be more active in the ordering process. “Only so much can happen between walls. There are an odd number of designers and retailers represented at trade shows, so not everyone can be successful,” she said. “Therefore, you have to invite the consumers in. You have to give everybody a chance.” Walker’s team of programmers includes developers of early social-networking sites, but Walker was looking to create something more visionary and cutting edge. With their help, Walker has curated “a one-stop fashion community where everybody has more visibility, where designers, retailers and consumers are able to communicate on multiple levels,” she said. The entire site is built on a collection of galleries where designers, retailers and consumers can easily navigate through a host of threads, groups and stores. And with a huge broadband base, along with added customizations and enhancements, an expected 5 million users can be on at one time without any interference, Walker said. The site will feature live broadcasts, fashion shows and trade shows, differentiating it from other sites that showcase similar live feeds. “The social broadcast sales network is huge. You can have a runway show in Europe, and retailers can go ahead and pipe through here and be able to buy looks off the runaway [immediately],” Walker said. Educational forums—what Walker dubs “Fashion 101”—led by design schools such as Parsons The New School for Design and The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising will educate Factory consumers about fashion-related topics. Interactive blogs will also be featured as a tool to engage like-minded “fashionistas.” (Leading blogs—including StyleBubble, Garbage Dress, Show Studio, Hintmag and Fashionsphere—have already been pre-selected.)“We have the largest brain. You can search anything and it will appear,” Walker said. Designers can set any key word in The Factory’s search engine and take retailers or consumers directly to their space. The Factory will host a designer’s space, much like an exhibitor booth at a trade show, where retailers can view a collection and make a purchase. Buyers and members are welcomed to browse and place orders, and all of this is compartmentalized into galleries, where it is easy to pilot through and network with members. Designed for innovationThe Factory welcomes designers who are “on the cutting edge,” Walker said, referring to those who are “the threading to the needle ... [who] inspire the people behind them.” She is strategic in her selection process, extending The Factory community to fresh and innovative talent. “And the people in front of them need to sit next to them, or they are going to miss out on something special,” she added. On the logistical end, after designers are approved to join, they can customize their space through a content-management system. They are able to upload product images, video content and website information. Every designer will have created their own group, and consumers will be invited to join where they can see who belongs to what group. “It is all very voyeuristic,” Walker said. Shop by trends and taste Accessibility and efficiency are what Walker aims for in a retailer’s experience. Retailers can shop the latest fads and order pieces based on consumer ratings. Consumers are encouraged to rate a designer’s or retailer’s merchandise, and a score will appear in its space.These supplementary features make “retailers feel like they are taking fewer risks because all of the information is systematically recorded and more tangible than visiting an on-site trade show,” Walker said. For retailers, the content-management system is designed to check on ordered goods, input style numbers and track how well a specific style or item is selling.Consumer participationAccording to Walker, the core of the site is built on the personality of every user. “What we are doing is building a #8232;self-service site for designers, retailers, broadcasters and trade shows so they are able to build their businesses through the idea of ’Factory people,’” she said. There is also an e-commerce component to The Factory. When a consumer logs on to The Factory a few days away, new designers, broadcasts and products will immediately appear on the homepage. Consumers can roam around the site, previewing the latest fashions from designers and retailers. In the consumer’s profile, each will have a closet where clothes can be added. Closets are public, so people, including designers and retailers, can view what has been collected. The Factory is also building closets for celebrities so fans can shop what their “favorites” are donning. Walker noted the “closet space” is perfect for special occasions. Like a bridal registry, users can look through a friend’s closet for gift ideas. For The Factory, consumers represent the social vibrancy of the site, Walker said. A member can make a profile, make friends, join groups, upload videos and more.“The Factory is different from Facebook, where it is a tiny community of just Facebook friends. We are trying to build a community of all fashion lovers and bring everyone together,” Walker said. As soon as designers and retailers are logged on to The Factory, an update will go straight to their fan page, and, naturally, fans will be notified, driving traffic to the site.There is a game aspect to The Factory, as well. When consumers rate items and broadcasts, they can earn points. Those points either make you a “brat” or “spoiled rotten.” And the consumer can win money to spend on any product, Walker said. Plus, consumers can see what their friends and other Factory users are collecting or buying, which will help them decide what to buy.For Walker, The Factory has become a viable platform that will provide something fresh for the fashion industry. “These users aren’t just anyone,” she said. “They are actual fashionistas, so they will be active and eager to participate.”