Allison Dwyer, ’11, is this week’s campus celebrity for her creation of SocialAttire.com. Her concentration is Marketing and Organization and Management at Goizueta Business School and is from Long Island, New York. On campus she is a member of ADPi, and she loves to run, ski, horseback ride, and travel. I spoke with Allison to learn more about SocialAttire.com and her love for fashion.
1. Explain to our readers what SocialAttire is.
SocialAttire bridges aspiring designers and fashion-forward consumers from around the world using a modern, online platform. SocialAttire.com invites designers to submit dress prototypes and sketches after building personalized profiles. Consumers and fellow designers vote and comment on submissions over two-week periods. The dress that receives the most votes is sold on SocialAttire.com. Consumers receive the original fashion they crave, and designers gain exposure in the fashion world and a portion of revenue.
Editor’s note: After reviewing the website, I figured out that Allison uses a manufacturer to create the winning dress in bulk (the designer does not have to make the dresses herself). In addition, the designer receives 10% of revenue produced from the purchases.
2. How many designs have been submitted? Explain the process for submitting a design (Do the designers sew the dresses themselves? Do they require a model wearing it?)
There have been 79 designs submitted to the website and three winners have already been selected. The three winning dresses are now available for sale on the website. There are two ways to submit designs:
1. You can sew a dress and take photos of it on a model and then submit to the website
2. If you arenot able to sew a dress, you can simply sketch your dream dress and submit it to the sketches competition.
After your design is submitted, fashion-lovers can comment on the dress and rate it from one to five. If yourdesignis the highest rated, it will be producedin New York City and sold on SocialAttire,featuring your personal label on the dress. The design mustbe an original design from your imagination,and it must be a dress. Samples must either be on a model or mannequin.
3. How did you come up with the idea?
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to own a fashion company in some capacity. My original idea was to create a website where users could design custom made dresses. I soon realized that the idea was not feasible from a business point of view. I enrolled in Dean Andrea Hershatter’s entrepreneurship class and,while she was lecturing, came up with the idea for SocialAttire. I was so excited and I knew that I had to begin to execute a business strategy.
4. Have you expanded the website beyond Emory?
Yes, the website has been viewed allover the world, especially in Germany, India, Venezuela, France, EnglandandAustralia. 56.62% of visitors each day are first time users of SocialAttire, which indicates to us that SocialAttire is continually growing. We are spreading the word organically by contacting fashion bloggers, magazines and newspapers.
5. What are your upcoming plans for SocialAttire (goals for the near future)?
We are hoping to accept other articles of clothingsuch as tops, pants, jackets, purses, and even costume jewelry. We also want to grow our loyal user base so that SocialAttire becomes a sort of Facebook for fashion. We want to grow SocialAttire into a community where designers can communicate with users in a meaningful way.
6. What has been your biggest challenge in creating this business?
Finding a manufacturer was very difficult. I called hundreds of manufacturers allover the world. I started my search in Asia, then to California, and finally up the eastern seaboard until I finally found my perfect match in New York City’sGarment District. I had a ton of people laugh at me and tell me that this business model was impossible. Some people even hung up on me! However, I never got discouraged or frustrated. I just told myself that there must be someone on Earth who could help me. I knew if they can send a man to the moon, I could find the perfect manufacturer for my designers.
7. Who are your personal fashion inspirations?
I draw a lot of my inspiration from FreePeople and Anthropologie. Maybe it’s because I’m moving to New York City after graduation and I’m becoming pre-maturely nostalgic, but I have most recently been looking to nature for my fashion inspirations. I am interested in earth tones, and I have most recently been searchingfor the perfect combination of green and blue. When I run in Lullwater Park and look up at the point where the treetops meet the sky, I fall in love with that color combination over and over again.
8. How can girls get involved to help spread the word about SocialAttire?
If you have friends who are in design schools or if you have family-friends who are professors at design schools, please let us know. We would like to get more involved with design schools by incorporating the great opportunities SocialAttire provides into their curriculums. Additionally, if you have a blog or know someone who has a blog, please contact me at allison@socialattire.com. We are looking to get as much exposure as possible!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.