TrendSeeder

Trend Seeder, my feature startup of the week, is a business in the fashion industry designed to help you fashion your business. What does that mean? Trend Seeder helps your business idea come alive. 

With the growing competitive nature of the fashion tech industry, it is only imperative that in order to secure a successful fruition of a business idea, an effective implementation must take place. Many times we have an idea in our head that is not necessarily executed as per our liking. We see this done in many cases, from putting together an outfit or how a party will pan out. Trend Seeder ensures that your expectations are translated closely with reality. 

The company has devised a four-month program that is tailored to help launch budding fashion companies by constructing their brand strategies, and as a result grow their businesses. It is a blend of fashion expertise, business acumen and mentorship to guide these companies to success. Trend Seeder specializes in taking seeds of creativity and planting them in a four-month incubator – an ideal and motto that resonates with the brand’s name. 

The company provides a funnel process and the necessary tools for a growing business to become the next big brand.  Trend Seeder extends beyond a series of lectures or classroom like sessions. With an advisory panel of seasoned professionals spanning from strategic consulting to public relations to financial and legal resources, Trend Seeder provides a network of mentors to assist these brands at every level. As further support, the company offers a plethora of networking opportunities with an array of experts to strengthen the launch of these businesses. Keeping in mind traditional practices and the progressive nature of business in becoming more digitized, Trend Seeder has covered all the necessary areas for effective growth and business development. The brand does not stop at only educating its subsequent colleagues, offering TrendSeeder.com as an initial selling and exposure opportunity for these brands. A strategic element implanted by the company to help mitigate risks for the participants and leverage Trend Seeder’s expertise. 

The company has been featured on a variety of publications from digital to print, such as Fashionista.com to The Huffington Post. The company’s validation is further warranted by a substantial backbone of its founder, Avani Patel and her brother. Their story stems from a personal experience - Patel endured as venturing off into the fashion world a decade ago. Realizing the complexities of not only launching a business, moreover a business in fashion, Avani decided to design a platform that would serve as a stepping stone for emerging companies in their process to fully blossom. 

Blossom, indeed, is what the primary focus of this program has become. Carefully qualifying ventures and bringing them to life, Trend Seeder has removed selfish motives and expanded their expertise in helping others realize their passions. 

Ess Kay Ji

Coming from an immigrant family, I remember the struggle I had with my mom in trying to wear the coolest clothes and trying to fit in with the kids at school. I guess this became a primary motivation for me to experiment with style and have a fashionable head on my shoulders. Similarly, my stylist feature of the week is an old friend from my hometown Toronto, Sandy Gill professionally known as Ess Kay Ji. Her eclectic fashion sense screams of adventure. From finding inspiration in Kanye to Disney to blurring the lines of fashion between genders, Ess Kay Ji is a bold stylist on the rise.  

Ess Kay Ji has succeeded in incorporating simplistic hints of edgy with glimmers of femininity. Elementary teacher by profession and exploring her passion in the fashion world, Sandy has blown up in the Toronto area. Her inspiration stems from the urban and hip-hop culture, but she doesn't fall short of proving herself as a versatile fashionista. Recently, taking inspiration from the world of Disney and up-ing the amp of our favorite characters like Snow White and Pocahontas, Sandy kicked elementary animation out the door and brought sass to her ensembles. She has succeeded in blending current trends much like the tribal prints and bold colors of our time with our favorite childhood memories to not only bring fashionably forward outfits but a tasteful self-image. She is daring in her approach to style and fashion.

Her thinking is simple. She preaches to make the best out of every situation. In her case, the best out of your wardrobe. Encouraging affordable and tasteful style, complemented by the pieces already in your closet. Inspiring her followers from all walks of life to embrace their identities and create the best version of themselves. Not to mention her DIY, unique pieces that literally bring her roaring personality to her clothing. 

Her journey has not been shy of excitement. Introducing a collection of personally designed clothing and accessories and working alongside acclaimed artists from a wide array of industries, Gill has proven herself to be versatile and applicable in the mainstream and niche markets. She aspires to work with designers and like-minded professionals within the fashion industry in the future. Exploiting the rise of social media marketing, Ess Kay Ji has found herself a worthy following both on and off the internet.

Her work and image has been elevated from a local girl expressing her style through images and social media to working alongside YouTube sensation Superwoman. 

You are a canvas. Paint as you please. – Ess Kay Ji 

JOOR

My feature startup this week, Joor, was one of the primary motivations for me starting this blog. Traditionally, we are used to hearing about people working in fashion as opening up a boutique or putting that boutique online and having an e-commerce platform. But when I came across this name, I was beyond impressed. Taking both of her passions of business and fashion, Mona Bijoor, Founder of jooraccess.com, exemplifies the term fashion tech.

Joor is an online wholesaling platform. As pioneers of a movement in this realm of the fashion space, Bijoor is showcasing her progressive personality and taking advantage of the technological advancements to propel the fashion wholesale industry.

“At JOOR, we’re passionate about building smart technology to keep wholesale vibrant. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel, just make it spin faster and easier.” Quintessential for a company like this! Here is a brief rundown of how Joor works. It is a premier online market place for wholesale buying that hosts 750 brands and over 80,000 retailers. Astounding figures for a company who has been in the market for a little under the five-year mark. The platform is to connect, browse and buy. A company requests to connect with a retailer or buyer. After the connection has been accepted, they have the option of browsing through the offerings of their new connection; pick the style, color and quantities for specific sizes. I look at it as a social networking platform come shopping come business platform for buyers and sellers.

The company has not stopped just at a website; they have taken into account the variations of needs of their users and simplified the process to be as user-friendly as possible. By offering the capacity of the website to accept multiple currencies, Joor allows global transactions and validates itself as a truly global platform. In contrast, taking it one step further from the website, Joor has created two mobile apps – retailer app designed specifically for buyers and the orders app for designers. Where one is to be used at buying appointments and runway shows, offering the ability to sift through various options, the other is beneficial for trade shows and showrooms, offering the ability for designers to present their products, respectively. Both apps were created to make it easier for users on both ends of the wholesale process. This eliminates paper line sheets, transcribed orders or faxes. Kick out the hustle and bustle of Monday morning buying meetings, when Joor has made it a 24/7. The brand aims to create a stronger network with more concrete relationships within the fashion wholesale arena.

Their efforts are not only limited to providing a technology based solution to a buying process. Joor promotes artisanal products, by offering their website as a platform to encourage local profitability and prosperity. Not to mention, their initiative of FEED which aims to educate and feed under privileged children around the world. A portion of the sales of the FEED bag is donated to the United Nations World Food Program.  

In a different light, the company is spearheaded by a strong female who I have grown tremendous respect for as I follow her initiatives. Mona Bijoor was listed as Crain’s top 40 under 40. Fashinvest awarded her the female entrepreneur in fashion and not to mention refinery29 naming her as one of the top women changing the digital space! This brand is more than aware of its direction and heading there full force. A Wharton MBA graduate, who has taken her experience and knowledge of fashion buying, her knack of business acumen and passion to succeed, Mona is calling out the notion of antiquated wholesale buying and definitely revolutionizing the fashion space - Joor IS fashion tech.

Irene Sarah

#MakeupMondays might just be my favorite child, (don't tell anyone)! Today I feature one of my all time favorite makeup artists, who without her knowing, pushes me to be completely and fully me! Irene Sarah, one of the top South-Asian beauty bloggers and photographer who is tearing it up!

Bred from the streets of Detriot - well okay, not completely. But this Bangladeshi bombshell is a rising star from Michigan who has crossed many hurdles to be the star she is today.

Not only does this chick exude talent, but lays out her personality no one can resist. As a professional, she has laid out her insecurities making her personable and allowing her fans to feel directly connected to her. From talking about combatting depression and pursuing her passion from a used camera she found on Craigslist, Irene is a great influence on young girls and women all around.

I first came across her profile on Instagram. Liked her work, thought she was another pretty girl, double tapped a few images and moved on. But then this girl was repeatedly on my news feed and I could not help but to click that follow button. Her YouTube tutorials are original, doofy and raw. The variety of content and collaboration with her musician husband, Waseem Stark, makes her more than just your next door makeup artist.

Her skin secrets, product reviews and tutorials have me hard core procrastinating on my assignments. Not to miss I am completely obsessed with her face. More than her work I admire her vigor, her determination and her rawness - something that I feel is so rare in our age today. Becoming a photographer for Miss USA and having her name printed in numerous publications, this girl is a world-wide hit. Next on my bucket list is to track down and meet this Bollywood beauty.

Verve

Vivacious, lively and full of life - even these words don’t do justice to the thriving Indian culture. I love my Indian ethnicity and all the fashion I get to indulge in. The deep intensity of colors and rich fabrics, the different textures and intricacy of embroidery, Indian fashion is art. I look forward to special occasions so I can throw on a beautiful outfit, making me feel like nothing but a princess.

I am sure many of us can relate when it comes to bringing our cultural identities to the forefront with our fashion and clothing. Some of us feel out of place and others are proud to wear the pieces that stem from the history and heritage of our ethnic backgrounds. This is exactly what the girls at Verve had in mind, my feature start-up for this week, who are bringing their identities as women of minority and their love of fashion to their new e-commerce platform, vervestyles.com. Placing value on unity and advancement through one thing we all can never take out of our hearts - fashion. 

The world of fashion defines competitiveness with the reach of customers extending beyond traditional means. So, in a market where everyone is hoping to make it big, how are these budding start-ups standing against the likes of the Dior's and Prada's. The key is differentiation, and this is where the girls of Verve step in. Discarding differentiation out the door and turning the meaning on its head. A brand that resonates with diversity and inclusiveness, and a platform aimed at submerging cultural differences into one. 

Verve believes in empowering women of color to embrace their own cultural identity and the opportunity to allow different cultures to blend together on a common platform. “It is a source of inspiration and bliss where women discover curated influences ranging from a contemporary to a global lifestyle. [More importantly,] it’s a place where she can reflect on her personal style and become part of a movement – to change the face of the fashion industry.” – Rupali Monga, Co-Founder, Verve.

They have shone light on a hard truth in the fashion industry evident through their research. You can only find a mere 1% of designers of color in major department stores. Less than 3% of African-American, 2% of Indian & Middle Eastern and less than 2% of Latin models were featured at New York Fashion Week. Less than 20% of fashion magazine covers feature models of color.

Verve styles is breaking the barrier of mainstream fashion and lack of representation in the fashion industry. Not to mention, these girls are making it personal and hitting it home with all us kids from minority backgrounds who kind of got lost in the race by becoming the doctors, engineers and lawyers. Personalization, a thriving facet in businesses today, doesn't get any more accurate than this where we as customers can see and wear our cultural identities proudly. 

Verve's mission and efforts are directed towards drawing a string of love through the various people they have partnered with, that being a love of fashion and a love of standing together as one. 

To my friends at Verve, wish you nothing but the best and all the courage to make this brand a legacy in the world of fashion. 

Revamped and Recharged!

It seems like ages since I wrote, but I am back more focused and with a clearer vision than before. After taking a brief hiatus on my writing, I am redirecting my blog to a more tailored route, to an industry I love most – fashion and beauty. But there is a twist; there is always a twist!

The Silicon Valley is home to hundreds of app developers and budding tech companies. We are all familiar with e-commerce and what it is exactly. I mean who hasn't splurged on Amazon or bought into the “online exclusive” deals. Let’s not forget how even the traditional in-class sessions at educational institutions seem far too antiquated, as more and more resources offering online classes and support have become prevalent. Similarly this phenomenon has taken over the fashion and beauty world, especially with the rise of start-ups.

The global market place has become quite large. Where weekly trips to the mall were our typical shopping plans, now every minute of the day we are able to access a store or a mall with a wide variety of items. Fashion has literally become available at our finger tips, initially with the growth of online shopping retailers felt a need to have a website. Nowadays a retailer lacking mobile compatibility or absence of a brand’s app is business suicide. Customers are faced with not only local retailers but their reach extends far beyond their national brands. To a greater degree, customers not only have access to well-known labels, but smaller businesses offering the same product at competitive prices than what they usually get. This has made the fashion business, especially fast-fashion, one of the most competitive playing fields. Businesses are doing a lot more than usual at a greater deal to stay afloat and to not get booted out of the game.

Keeping this in mind, although the blog will showcase the glitz and the glam of this beautiful world, a large focus will be on the blend of creativity of fashion and the advancing technologies. My aim is to examine how this movement is revolutionizing this field and continues to spiral it into a more tech based business model. A showcase of fashion, art and beauty with a hint of technology.