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Year In Review

Year In Review: Editor’s Picks – Biggest News Of 2015

January 4, 2016

2015 Year In Review Wrap Up_Editors Picks Top Stories Wearables Fashion Tech Environment

From smartwatches, to connected dressing rooms, to recycled clothing, 2015 was an incredible year for fashion and technology. We saw advances to help us be better global citizens, encourage kids to be smarter, and keep us connected at all times. While 2016 promises to be the year that fashion tech and wearables begin to find their audience, 2015 laid the groundwork!

Head past the break as we take a look at the stories we believe shaped the industry in 2015 and that will define where the integration of fashion and technology is headed.  

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by Doug Parker
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Designer

Rebecca Minkoff Continues Tech Push At NYFW

September 14, 2015

Rebecca Minkoff Drone Watch Charging Wallet

Rebecca Minkoff continued their technology push at NYFW this week. Days after debuting last spring’s runway show in VR, the company announced and released a slew of iPhone and Apple Watch accessories and integrated drones into their fashion show. While not the first designer to make use of drones at a runway show (Fendi was last Fall in Milan), the company stressed using the drones was more than just a gimmick. According to Uri Minkoff, the brand’s CEO and co-founder, the company feels that technology such as drones represent the brand’s vision. Uri is looking forward to a world where pocket-size drones such as Nixie and Lily are common place, saying, “We wanted to incorporate drone technology into the show because the millennial woman is probably going to have her own drone in the next couple of years.” He continued, “In the next couple of years we’ll see the selfie stick go away and maybe we’ll all have personal drones.”

For those who like things a bit more tangible, Rebecca Minkoff has released the first designer Apple Watch bands. Unlike the Apple Watch Hermes, Rebecca Minkoff is selling the bands only (not requiring a Watch purchase) and they are available immediately for between $80 and $100. Also debuting is a line of iPhone wallets with built-in charging capability. The wallets are able to more than double your phone’s battery life and are rechargeable via micro-USB. They include a special case for your phone that allows it to easily slide and lock into place. Like the watch bands, the charging wallets are available immediately; they sell for $120 and are compatible with the upcoming iPhone 6S.

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by Doug Parker
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Designer

Rebecca Minkoff Debuts VR Content During NYFW

September 11, 2015

rebecca minkoff VR headset NYFW

Rebecca Minkoff is definitely not a stranger to technology. Besides offering jewelry with things such as notification support and integrated Lighting cables, her boutiques have among the highest tech dressing rooms in existence. This year the brand is looking to push things even further and is offering a VR experience of their NYFW show. By simply placing your phone in a special cardboard holder and downloading an app, users can feel like they are experiencing the designer’s collection for themselves. The video was filmed last spring, highlighting the Fall 2015 collection, and is the first VR experience of a runway show by any designer. While Rebecca Minkoff is not planning to record their Spring 2016 show in VR this week, the company is planning more VR content in the future. If you want to check out the virtual runway show, all you need is a mount similar to Google Cardboard. Rebecca Minkoff offered their own version online but it sold out very quickly (UPDATE: back in stock).

This is becoming the year of recorded content for NYFW. Ralph Lauren is streaming their show via Periscope, Instagram has launched a first-of-its-kind dedicated NYFW channel, and WME/IMG is streaming shows and launching a fashion network on the upcoming new AppleTV. No matter where in the world you are, NYC, Kansas, or China, you can feel part of Fashion Week – and now with VR even more so. As the event struggles to find its voice and regain its edge, I wonder if broadcasting worldwide to a mass audience accomplishes that.

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by Doug Parker
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Rebecca Minkoff Connected Dressing Room
Retail

Connected Dressing Rooms Continue Push Into Retail

May 14, 2015

Rebecca Minkoff Connected Dressing Room

We have talked about several different connected dressing room / digital mirror technologies in the past. It seems that the technology is starting to gain some traction. If you look at the numbers it is not surprising that retailers want to improve the dressing room experience. According to retail consultant Paco Underhill, 71% of shoppers who try on clothing in the fitting room make a purchase, but only 28% of shoppers enter the fitting room. Just 36% of visitors to a store exclusively browsing buy something. Driving more people to the fitting means more sales. If you have been to a clothing or department store recently, it is obvious it wouldn’t take much to improve the dressing room experience, so the concept of the connected dressing room is a huge leap forward. New technologies allow you to share photos of your try-on experience, record 360 degree views of you in the clothing, virtually try on different colors and styles, compare looks, and request different sizes.

Rebecca Minkoff has led the charge by adapting a feature rich version of eBay’s solution in its boutiques in New York and San Francisco. The small size of the boutique has allowed the outlet to deploy as many features as possible and gain meaningful analytics about its success. The boutiques allow you to use a touch screen mirror to request items for a dressing room and be alerted when your room is ready. The clothes are tagged with RFID so the dressing room can display what items you have brought in. Through the mirror in the room, you can browse “looks” for the clothing, request different sizes, store what you tried on to your account, and even purchase items you like. According to Minkoff, the two test stores have sold product 2.5 times faster than expected and customers making purchases are spending 30% more. The company is so pleased with the technology that CEO Uri Minkoff has announced the Chicago and Los Angeles stores will also adopt it when they open later this year. Head past the break to see what the Rebecca Minkoff shopping experience is like:  

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by Doug Parker
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Watches

Google Launches Designer Watch Faces

December 16, 2014

Rebecca Minkoff Android Wear Watch Face

Google has made its first foray into offering designer watch faces for its Android Wear devices. Unsurprisingly, Rebecca Minkoff is the first big name designer to dive in and offer watch faces. The label has made a name for themselves in 2014 by being very progressive with technology. This year Rebecca Minkoff has launched RFID enabled smart dressing rooms and two wearable devices, a Charging Bracelet and a Notification Bracelet. The new watch faces are rolling out as part of Android Wear 5.0, which includes an API for the creation of watch faces. Some of the other bigger names jumping into the fray with virtual watch faces include Porsche and X-ray artist Hugh Turvey. Check them all out on Google Play. The move by these designers is made more interesting by the fact that several other designers and watch brands have just revved up their legal engines to go after anyone offering digital clones of their watches.

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by Doug Parker
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Gift Guide 2014 Wearable Devices
Gift Guide

Gift Guide 2014: Wearable Devices

December 5, 2014

Gift Guide 2014 Wearable DevicesIs the person on your gift list not very tech oriented but always missing their phone ringing or the important text (or Snapchat) that you send them? Maybe they need something that discreetly hides just enough technology to keep them better connected. Do you know someone who isn’t afraid of tech but is looking for something that is functionally very targeted. Perhaps they need a device that serves a very focused purpose.

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by Doug Parker
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Retail

Nordstrom Trials eBay’s Smart Fitting Room

November 30, 2014

Nordstrom eBay Smart Fitting RoomThis week Nordstrom will begin trials of a smart fitting room in two of its department stores. The eBay designed fitting rooms feature touch screens integrated into full length mirrors. The technology is designed to allow a shopper to have many of the conveniences available via online shopping in the store. If you need an item in a different size or color, simply scan the tag on the garment and a list of different options will be provided.  Select the size or color you want and the item will be brought to you. Nordstrom is looking to see how the technology, that has only been tested in boutiques at this point, benefits a larger retail environment. Look for the fitting rooms in the department store’s Seattle and San José locations.

eBay has already developed more bells and whistles for its smart fitting room, which Nordstrom might add at a later time. The tech company’s smart fitting room is already being tested in two Rebecca Minkoff boutiques, New York and San Francisco. The boutique is able to offer additional features, such as RFID to identify clothes that are in the dressing room with you, the ability to begin the checkout process from the dressing room, and the option to remember clothes that you tried on. Head past the break to see a demo of Rebecca Minkoff’s dressing room. 

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by Doug Parker
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