STORES Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 32)

EXECUTIVE SUITE / FIRST LOOK Fashion icons from Coco Chanel to Madonna are represented through inspirational/aspirational quotes. Focus on interactivity But what truly sets Fashionology LA apart from its off-therack, mall-based competitors is the element of interactivity. There are touch-screens and communal work stations where the tween-agers can work together. Then there’s the 70-inch flat screen monitor flickering with images of the girls modeling their newly made clothes. Wiatt and Tisch selected Big Buddha Baba, a Los Angelesbased experience design company better known in theme park and museum worlds, to create a brand voice, the interactive design pads where it all starts, graphics, software, animated media, the Fashionology photo stage and the company’s website. Big Buddha Baba’s project portfolio includes Paul Allen’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle and the reimagined Spaceship Earth at Epcot in Orlando. The idea for Fashionology LA, according to Big Buddha Baba founder Barb Groth, was to apply location-based technology to retail without getting “too far away from the heart and soul of Wiatt’s and Tisch’s original concept, which was to design a fun, interactive and social experience.” The result is a seamless experience that averages 30 minutes for a single item of apparel, though many girls opt to make several garments. Customers select a plain garment at the Design 32 STORES / NOVEMBER 2008 Pad touch-screen station. There, Fashionology’s animated rainbow-striped heart icon helps the girls choose among five fashion “moods” rather than trends. Planned to change seasonally, the store opened with looks labeled Juka, Peace, Malibu, Pop Princess and Rock ‘n Roll. Side-by-side creativity From there, the girls create a printed Design Plan and move to the uBar Station, where they can choose gems and embellishments — and where moms have a chance to see the cost of those selections. Prices start at about $20 and run north of $100, depending upon the type and quantity of add-ons. After the garments have been designed, the Fashionology icon displays the price and asks, “Are you cool with that?” Girls then proceed to the Make It! station, a communal table where they create their new looks side by side. Along the way, they can seek help from design assistants called Fashionologists. Once their creations are complete, the girls model their new threads on the Fashionology Stage, where a photographer takes a snapshot to capture the moment. That image is broadcast in the store and, with permission, is e-mailed home to be shared again and again. The company has launched an e-commerce site, and Wiatt says Fashionology LA plans to expand “in a smart and thoughtful way.” StORES Janet Groeber is a Cincinnati-based business writer. WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - November 2008

STORES Magazine - November 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Every Cup Counts What Shoppers Think Less Park Time, More Shop Time 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Retail Held Captive First Look Concept2Watch Marketing Technology Custom Software PCI Compliance Data Security Arts Update Newsbeat LP Issues: Q&A Cover Story Surveillance Systems Online Fraud Industry Perspective LOEB Retail Letter Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - November 2008

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