California Apparel News

The past decade has seen the rise of the virtual showroom and the e-market.

On these platforms, brands post line sheets, photos and other content. Then retailers can view and make orders for the lines. Virtual showrooms and e-markets have enjoyed a lot of success, but Eme Mizioch, founder of fashion sales company Joken Style Showroom said that that the e-showrooms missed a human touch. She and her partners Ashley Thweatt and Randy Prado hope to supply a human touch and the depth of their fashion experience to the virtual showroom business. Their angle on the e-showroom will take a bow with their new company GrooveNStyle.

They are working on a beta site for e-showroom company, which recently went live at the website www.groovenstyle.com. The site is currently registering brands and buyers. GrooveNStyle is officially scheduled to take a bow in the Fall.

“Other sites just post line sheets,” Mizioch said. “Because we come from the showroom side, we are a connection to buyers. We assist with sales.”

Thweatt said that GrooveNStyle executives will advise brands on how to present styles online and how to avoid dealkillers such as poor lighting on clothing pictures. “Other sites give no feedback on how to sell,” Thweatt said.

Prado has a background in fashion production, sales and tech. He worked for Calvin Klein’s Australian licensee more than a decade ago. Currently, he serves as chief executive officer for Republisys, a software developer with runs offices in the Philippines and Australia.

He said that GrooveNStyle’s artificial intelligence will connect brands to buyers. GrooveNStyle also will serve as a matchmaker between vendors and factories.”We will link shops to trade shows, stores and production,” he said.

One focus of the new site will be advising overseas brands on working with the American market. At Joken, Mizioch and Thweatt have worked with clothing brands from countries such as Australia and Italy.