Lancôme has recently launched a mobile application for the iPhone, The Declaring Indigo collection with a tribute to its Parisian-style heritage. It is the first of its kind among global cosmetic companies where Lancôme hopes to make choosing cosmetics more “‘intuitive and truly personalized.‘”

According to Marketing Magazine, the app will enable users to create custom looks on their phone by choosing different colors and combination. Once created, these new looks can be saved for your next visit to the makeup counter. To further its interactive strategy, Lancôme also launched its own beauty blog devoted to make-up tips from Lancôme makeup professionals as well as access to artists, backstage photos and videos, and video make-up how-to’s.

This post was previously published on MobileBehavior’s Next Great Thing.

I was having a conversation with a digital strategist at one of the most awesome digital agencies in New York about interactive fashion communities and websites and StyleCaster came to mind.  I have been an active user on Style.com for nearly a decade. Creating a mock website on CSS/HTML sealed the deal with my intimate relationship with the very first fashion 1.0 site. Then came The Fashion Spot, a.k.a. TFS where I would gather over fashion tips and interact with fellow users. No other fashion magazine site or blog has been able to personalize these features.

So what is StyleCaster? Their mantra is “personal style experience uniquely tailored to your fashion DNA”. They describe themselves as the Web’s first truly personalized, integrated fashion channel, where you receive all news on fashion, beauty, breaking news, celebrity, shopping, and community just for you. It’s really an innovative way to receive news about fashion and join an interactive fashion community, aside from blogs and magazine websites. It’s the first venture into fashion web 3.0.

How did they come about? Stylecaster officially launched in February 2009. Last week July 1st, StyleCaster raised $4 million in Series A round of financing from investor Dan Gilbert, QuickenLoans.

Who is StyleCaster? There’s really no one person who is the face of StyleCaster, unless you’ve seen the prelaunch video of Jessica Joffe. It’s called “Transformations” and it’s a montage of Joffe getting up and ready for work, and walking through the streets of SoHo. StyleCaster is twofold: it’s a community and an authority.

You can even get weather and outfit forecasts on the StyleCaster App for the iPhone. “The StyleCaster Daily Look’s application delivers you three fully styled outfits based on your local weather. You can click on the outfit to learn more about it and the style influencers who created it.” What I get from this app is the relevant utility of it. I don’t think women seek to recreate the exact looks they offer, but they can get an idea or two about what to pair with and the local weather forecast. Also, the StyleCaster App features a range of styles to choose from and find its origins. So, when women are just out and about, they can use of the StyleCaster App and find out where to buy the featured item and any local sample sales. It really serves the essence of a mobile app.

StyleCaster App on Facebook

photo credits: StyleCaster

After eight grand collections designed at her namesake boutique on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, Sir designer Joanna Baum has opened her third shop in New York. Sir is located in the heart of Williamsburg at 129 Bedford Avenue and is the  designer’s latest exciting venture.

With Kirsten Dunst, Kate Hudson, Kiera Knightley, and Michelle Williams as regular clientele of Sir, the opening of a Williamsburg boutique near Bedford Avenue promises to enhance the cool. Since the beginning, Sir had gained a glamorous following through word of mouth and a simple retail model alone.

The new boutique will exclusively carry Ms. Joanna’s creations while serving a tightly curated showcase for her constant evolving collection of favorite designers. “I like to whip the sewing machine out in the shop, and let people watch if they are around as I stitch things into shape,” explains Joanna. “It’s something I did in my Brooklyn store originally that I also want to try when time permits.”

Sir’s specialty are its bias-cut silk pieces creating a great fit and a “well-loved feel.” She honed her skills at the world-renowned Rhode Island School of Design. Experimenting with different techniques, she washes her silks by hand (consisting of both chiffon and charmeuse) to give the luxurious pieces a “pretty, but roughed-up look.”

Featured at all Sir locations are this season’s fall dresses, artisian jackets, and an assortment of one-of-a-kind hand-dye Sir signature silk and jersey dresses that are perfect for taking you from the office to a night out in Manhattan.

Sir

129 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11211

Tel: 718-384-0700

Email: sirbrooklyn@hotmail.com

Hours: Tu-Sa 1-7:30pm, Su 1-7pm, Mon Closed

all photos courtesy of CoolHunt Inc.

]]> http://momokomashups.com/fame-fashion/putting-the-sir-in-williamsburg/feed/ 0 http://momokomashups.com/retail-therapy/ralph-laurens-palace-opens-in-paris/ http://momokomashups.com/retail-therapy/ralph-laurens-palace-opens-in-paris/#comments Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:49 +0000 Janice Momoko Chow http://momokomashups.wordpress.com/?p=169

Ralph Lauren’s lavish new three-level hôtel particulier on Avenue Montaigne is so Parisian chic it is easy to forget the American brand’s casual heritage. With almost 6,500 square feet, this is the largest Ralph Lauren store in the world devoted exclusively to women’s wear and the first opening in Paris since Ralph Lauren set up shop on the Place de la Madeleine in 1986.

“Paris has long inspired me for its timeless beauty and rich history. Avenue Montaigne is one of the world’s great shopping streets and the perfect location to showcase our women’s collection,” says Ralph Lauren. The mannequin in the window dressed in sleek black leggings, a soigné blanket plaid blouson and beret pierced with a dramatically long feather are trademark pieces of the store.

The 18th-century building was once the home and atelier of the 1920s couturier Madeleine Vionnet. The design team worked extensively with local artisans for the French limestone floor studded with cabochons, molded plaster detailing, and a sweeping staircase. Original art and crystal chandeliers greet you at the entrance and reinforce the Parisian home feeling.

The store’s ground floor is devoted to accessories, including the “Ricky” bag, which is offered exclusively to order here in 15 shades of crocodile, and the second floor is a showcase for collection pieces including an opulent evening-wear salon.

Ralph Lauren

52 Avenue Montaigne
75008 Paris
33.1.44.77.28.00

Hours
Mon 11-7
Tues-Sat 10-7
Sun Closed

From the owners of Circa Now comes contemporary fashion boutique, Court. Catering to the fun, smart, bold downtown girl and the guy she hangs out with, they are sophisticated and into fashion yet approach it with a sense of humor. Each season Court features a rotating cast of men’s and women’s designers curated with the vintage pieces that inspired the current collections. Favorite designers for the current collection include Grey Ant, Kerrigan, Judi Rosen, BiJules, Bliss Lau, Tashkent, Alice McCall, Society for Rational Dress, Anzevino & Florence, Mellisa Joy, Kova &T, Off Bowery, Dunderdon and Pointer, Mink Pink and LIPS Jeans.

The atmosphere is welcoming, laid-back and the experience is warm and polished. Lots of wood, lacquer, antique furniture and custom design create a sexy and surprisingly cozy interior. The custom wallpaper is by the New York City-based artist, Andrio Abero from Studio 33rpm.

For the holiday season Court will introduce a house brand leather collection including hair accessories, driving gloves, handbags, jackets and shoes. The approachable price range will make you smile with prices starting at $25. Courtshop.com will soon expand to include an online store.

Court
178 Mulberry St
NY, NY 10012
P/212-925-1022
www.courtshop.com
daily 12-8pm