Style.com brings fashion shows to mobile
September 9, 2008
Mobile style points
Style.com has introduced an iPhone application, allowing consumers to watch runway shows right on their mobile phones, during the upcoming New York Fashion Week.
The fashion application will give users insight into the latest trends in fashion that are seen on the runways of New York as well as Europe. Spotlight Mobile created the application for Style.com.
"We feel that the iPhone meshes well with the fashion demographic," said Julia Schulhof, Director of emerging media at CondeNet, New York.
"Already the application is getting really great feedback on the iTunes app store and on fashion blogs, with lots of fashion-conscious folks excited that we've made this application available," she said.
Spotlight Mobile is a Portland, ON software development firm specializing in mobile devices and Web applications.
A-Dior-able
Clients include Nike, Oregon Department of Health, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, United States National Parks Service, Statue of Liberty and the U.S. Botanic Gardens.
The iPod Touch and the iPhone's touch-screen interface and large screen make the fashion contents of the application good for mobile. It is available for download onto iPhone and iPod touch via Apple's app store on iTunes.
The application lets users browse through pictures from the hottest fashion shows, Style File blogs, couture shows, fashion reviews and video feeds.
"We decided to launch a "native application" for the iPhone for a few reasons," Ms. Schulhof said. "First, it's faster.
"The framework of the application is downloaded and the content is quickly cached to create a better user experience," she said. "Second, the user will have the app and most of the content whether online or offline.
"Third, it's in the iTunes App Store, which millions of people know how to use and are likely to explore."
Fashion enthusiasts can watch shows from Europe and New York City using their iPhone and iPod Touch, just a few hours after the event happened.
The application is free to users and it includes a few different types of advertisements throughout.
Instead of banners the ads in the application are full-screen.
"If you've used an iPhone, you know its display is fabulous," Ms. Schulhof said. "Users of our application can scroll through photos and pinch and zoom in to see details in the shots, and "flip" the images over to read reviews.
"They can watch high-quality videos," she said. "It gives you a visually rich, personal experience that's always getting updated as the shows happen, in the palm of your hand."