COD: Garmz.com Out to Upend the Fashion Pyramid
Most of us recognize that the best innovations come from small companies – people with dreams who believe that they have a better way of doing things.
That’s the idea behind , a new site that lets up-and-coming designers upload their ideas and have the community vote, give feedback, and buy their creations.
I tell you, global is the name of the game here. During my recent visit, the featured fashions were from Bulgaria, Suriname, Belarus, Romania, German, New York, and London, just to name a few.
What makes it a boon to the budding designer is that their designs compete head to head with those from around the world. Site members vote and give feedback on components of an item and the overall look. The designs with the most feedback are actually put into production — at no cost to the designer — and the site and designer split the proceeds. Designers can either use human templates from the design kit or make their own. A cool little “safety pinning tool” lets the designer attach comments about fabrics etc. that can be viewed on rollover.
If you are ready to buy a chosen creation, you can review prototype photos and place your order right on the site. This Vienna, Austria based company even offers free returns to EU residents.
Design presentation is simple and elegant. Stylized illustrations make you want to explore and explore and explore. The illustration style itself calls to mind those amazing Bonwit Teller ads in the late 1950s and 1960s.
By enabling new designers to showcase their ideas to large audiences, Garmz is out to change the top down status quo in fashion. In so doing, it’s clear that they are going to drive a great deal of innovation!
