By Tiffany Cullen
The dreary weather could not deter the committed fashion majors dressed to the nines nor the locals in their pearls and beige dress blouses.
Fashion design professor Anthony Miller moderated a panel of Jennifer Hyman, founder of renttherunway.com, Kelly Framel, blogger for theglamourai.com and Lauren Sherman, writer for fashionista.com as they talked about the direction of fashion in the new digital age. As usual, the panelists introduced themselves and told the attendants about their varied backgrounds.
Hyman talked about the inspiration to create her business. While at her sister’s apartment browsing for a dress to wear to an upcoming wedding, Hyman thought of ways women could find their ideal dresses for formal and cocktail attire.
With a degree in business and zero experience in fashion, Hyman opened Rent the Runway to much acclaim and some aversion from designers and shoppers alike.
Framel spoke about her background in fashion, her experience working as a designer in various houses around the country creating $10,000 gowns and her daily blog about everyday fashion culture.
Sherman, also a started her career in journalism with Forbes Magazine. So far she’s been with fashionista.com, a division of Breaking Media, for five months and loves every minute of it.
Miller opened the panel with a discussion on the differences between online shopping and in-store shopping and whether online shopping will ever replace the in-store experience. Hyman informed the audience about the numbers in the fashion game.
“Online shopping only accounts for four percent of the shopping done yearly in the US,” Hyman said.
She went on to explain that most women only buy brands they repeatedly buy over and over again online because of the fit.
“It’s all about trust. Women don’t tend to buy from a new brand online because they don’t know how that brand is going to fit,” she said.
Hyman said that most retailers with online storefront enjoy the digital space because they are not limited by floor space.
The next question Miller posed asked the panelists about the characteristics that went into a successful blog.
Framel, with her pixie hair cut and styled outfit, shone during this question.
“Blogs are very inspirational but also very attainable. Most blogs are written by everyday girls who love fashion,” she said. “Be open about your style. Blogs are like girl-to-girl styling.”
Hyman chimed in that she believed there are two types of women that love shopping.
“Type A will only ask family and friends, Type B will post pictures on Facebook to get a response from her 300 friends online,” she said.
Miller asked the panelists how they saw social media changing the face of fashion.
Framel said she noticed how quickly styles and trends change now as well as how the “Internet revolution is changing the role of the designer. Now it’s even more important to sell yourself and your idea.”
The panel left the students and local fashionistas with advice to live by—take risks, love what you do and pick the path less chosen. Never look at what you’re leaving in the past, always look forward to what’s coming. Above all, the panelists agreed that whether you are reporting for print or web, give it your all.
Editor’s note:
This article has been revised May 11, 2010 to reflect the following changes:
Fashionista.com is a division of Breaking Media not Forbes.
