Instagram Makes a Comfortable Home for Fashion Tech Startups
Photo via Fashionista.
In 2015, the fashion industry exists in two places: in the real world and on Instagram. The photo sharing platform has been credited with launching the careers of new designers, affecting the decision making at legendary fashion houses and leaving its mark on the industry in very real, very tangible ways. Along the way, it’s also picked up a CFDA Award.
So it should come as no surprise that Instagram is at the core of some of the most promising startups in the fashion tech space. Already we’ve seen how entrepreneur (and FTF: Conference 2015 speaker) Amber Venz Box has created a global network of influencers with her company LIKEtoKNOW.it, which enables some of the biggest names in fashion social media to monetize their following by making Instagram posts shoppable.
Now, Fashionista reports that the startup Olapic has received an additional $15 million in funding for their platform, which makes it easy for brands to directly benefit from social media mentions. Per Fashionista, Olapic works by “gathering social media posts and tailoring them to fit the brand’s needs, whether they involve e-commerce, advertising, e-mail marketing or even in-store imagery.”
In other words, in addition to being tastemakers, advisors and merchants, Instagram users are now creative agencies and ad execs for fashion labels.
During Calvin Klein’s recent, ubiquious #mycalvins campaign, Olapic powered the gallery that featured user-generated images from around the web, each of which it made directly shoppable.
Along with Calvin Klein, Olapic’s current client roster includes heavyweights like Anthropologie, Topshop, and Christian Louboutin. Co-founder Jose de Cabo also told Fashionista that part of their most recent round of funding will go toward opening a new office in London, a sign that the company is only getting started, and a show of confidence that Instagram’s influence has yet to peak.
