Links from our Group Chat: Emily Ratajkowski, Instagram, Voting and more!
Cue the nonstop ringing, there’s huge news.
Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski among more than 300 people got arrested- no, not in another Judd Apatow film, but in real life. They were protesting Brett Kavanaugh, whose Supreme Court nomination hit the chamber floor and is now officially confirmed.
We all know how this goes. You open your group chat and ask “where should we go for our next GNO?”, and then it turns into some back and forth small talk that makes it hard to nail a decision. If that definitely sounds familiar, then we’re all on the same boat. Google Maps just rolled out a feature where you can compile a list of restaurants with locations, reviews, and a link to everything, making the decision process a lot easier. When you have to unwind from the workweek, Google Maps now totally has your back.
Another spot-on move, Spotify. The music streaming platform we all love to use during our morning commute is making rush hour on the freeway a lot easier with podcasts. It’s in beta right now, but hopefully you can catch the next episode of WorkParty on there soon!
It’s time for another hectic week, which also is time for another Trump meme to get in a quick laugh. The president was caught stepping onto Air Force One with none other than a piece of tissue stuck to his shoe, and nobody told him about it. Nobody. Everyone on Twitter is using their Oscar-worthy scoring capabilities and remixing the video and they do not disappoint.
First BBM PINs, then Snapcodes, now Instagram Nametags. Yes. Instagram nametags are now here so you don’t have to spell out your punny blog name when you meet people IRL. To make one, all you have to do is log into your profile, choose your favorite emoji, or snap a selfie to add a personal touch. Then, when it comes time to add people you meet at our conferences, summits or meet-ups just push and hold in the in-app camera to scan!
Presidential Alert: we’re here to explain what that random notification was. According to a September 13th press release sent out by FEMA, “the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system is used to warn the public about dangerous weather, missing children, and other critical situations through alerts on cell phones. The national test will use the same special tone and vibration as with all WEA messages (i.e. Tornado Warning, AMBER Alert). Users cannot opt out of receiving the WEA test.” Luckily for Chrissy Teigen, Trump can’t block her this time.
Google is doing some crazy sh*t, and we’re here for it. Gmail’s new Smart Compose feature is creepy but cool at the same time, just like Black Mirror. As you’re typing your emails, Gmail will finish your sentences based on AI. Google and robots: 1, us: 0.
Have you ever had a conversation in strictly emojis or needed one for your Instagram caption or IG Story and the keyboard didn’t have what you were looking for? Don’t worry, because Apple is releasing a new set with the iOS 12.1 update, which includes a bagel, a cupcake, a party face and so much more!
Nov. 6 is coming up, and getting the deets on voting can be difficult. We’re here to help. Start out by going to vote.org and click on the red button that says “find your polling place” and follow the steps there. On voting day, you’re gonna need your ID or to sign a document to validate your identity. Happy Midterms season! We look forward to seeing you all with your I voted stickers!
By: Ashley Banayan
Ashley Banayan is a senior at the University of Southern California pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism with a minor in Web Technologies and Applications from the Viterbi School of Engineering. Currently, she works as an editorial intern for Create and Cultivate. She has experience in traditional public relations, social media marketing, influencer relations, content creation, and web development. Furthermore, she is the founder of Geocasion, a company designing Snapchat Geofilters for both businesses and personal clients, garnering 4.5 million views. In turn, these experiences led her to focus on the convergence and disruption in media, communication and web technologies.
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Why the Worlds of Fashion and Tech Are Merging
One of these things is *just* like the other.
What do fashion, design and tech have to do with each other?
Well, A LOT, based on the GameChangers panel hosted by Dell x Create & Cultivate in Austin this week.
When it comes to innovation and change, technology is enabling better engagement with consumers and brands, as well as creativity and efficiency. Technology is evolving the fashion industry and fashion is influencing technology. Read through for the hot topics of the day and how technology is the future of fashion - in store and online.
THE TECH IMPACT ON THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Speed is of the essence in the modern world and tech helps us get there. “Obviously a lot has changed with the internet,” shared Charcy Evers, a fashion and retail trend analyst. “‘The consumer wants, what she wants, when she wants it, on her own terms. And if she doesn’t get it, you lose her.”
That’s a scary but exciting proposition. Charcy asked the crowd in attendance, “Where does the creativity of the designer end and tech take over?” She also told the crowd, ‘it has to be seamless, or else I’m out the door,” of her experiences with tech. And it’s true.
“Things are working much closer of the speed to market,” but the key is finding the sweet spot. You can jump on something too quick and your customer is not ready for it, or you can miss the boat,” explained Evers.
“Our audience appreciates that done is better than perfect,” Morgan DeBaun, founder of Blavity, shared. “They want it now. We have to keep up with that expectations and let go of our perfection. We learn a lot about our audience just by listening.” There was also the recognition that content creation is a 24/7 job and in order to keep up you need tech that works for you.
“I’m really careful at looking at my analytics and seeing what people are paying attention to,” explained Genevieve Padalecki, the massive blogger behind the platform Now and Gen, who boasts an unheard of 25% engagement rate. “My biggest platform is Instagram because I feel like it’s the most honest and real.”
HOW TECH INFLUENCES FASHION AND VICE VERSA
The two concepts go hand-in-hand. The lines are blurred, if not already merged.
Nicola Honeycutt, Dell’s Principal Designer, told that crowd, “We look to industries like fashion and textiles for trends and inspiration for our color and materials in our products -like the Rose Gold aluminum and Alpine White woven glass fiber in our New Dell XPS 13 laptop. And new colors can actually be invented with advances in technology. It’s pretty amazing.”
The industry is changing fast across the board. Today, two out of three Millennials prefer to shop online rather than go to a physical store, with 80% of Americans having made an online purchase in the last month! We know that millennials are influenced by tech and that their affinity for tech is reshaping the retail space.
As retail and fashion trend analyst Charcy Evers explained, “What’s driving trends today is the innovation that’s happening in technology. With every new innovation the customer’s mind and behavior is altered, so the expectation has changed.” Consumers expect products like the New Dell XPS 13, which combines both fashion innovation and tech in one device.
How do you see fashion and tech coming together in your world? Share in the comments below.
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Roundtable Topic: Should You Invest In Cryptocurrency?
Sending help from 4 women who get it.
graphic: Chloe Cecilia
The value of bitcoin fluctuates. That’s cool, right? But what does it mean? Cue us banging our heads against a wall. As self-diagnosed non-techfluents we really tried to understand cryptocurrency. Bitcoin by Bitcoin.
And still, we felt lost. Cue: sad violin.
So we went to the experts because we want to gain some cointelligence. Here's who we tapped.
Sarah Austin: A two-time venture backed startup founder and renowned entrepreneur, Sarah’s known for her work with artificial emotional intelligence agents (NBD). Having seen Silicon Valley firsthand, she is also the founder of CodingFTW, a nonprofit organization established to assess and address the gender divide that is so prevalent in the technology industry. (Big deal.)
Lisa Frame: Lisa is based in LA and the head of Content at crypto and financial startup Stackin. She’s also the creator of Crypto Obsessed, a cryptocurrency group managed by women. (Obsessed.)
Madeline Mann: As the head of People Operations Operations at a blockchain technology company, Gem, Madeline is used to explaining blockchain to people. (YES!) She also is the host of Self Made Millennial where she posts videos weekly on how to find and excel in your career.
Nicole Loher: She began her career at Tumblr, obsessed with with social media and emerging technologies within the digital space. She’s now Global Digital Editor at Christian Louboutin and teaches at NYU. (Prayer hands.)
If anyone can explain crypto, it’s them. And thank goodness. Dig into the below.
You’re welcome.
What is the easiest way to explain blockchain to a confused non-tech nerd?
Madeline Mann: Imagine you are back in first grade. Your teacher hands out gold stars for good deeds. The teacher makes one kid in charge of keeping a tally in her personal notebook of how many gold stars each student has. You all grow uncomfortable with this...is she giving herself more gold stars? She was absent the day I got my gold star, was it recorded? How accurate is her account? You all decide to change the system from centralized to decentralized. Everyone takes out their notebooks and copies down her account of the class' gold stars. From now on EVERYONE in the class writes down when someone gets a gold star. Now everyone has their own record of truth and no one can cheat and give themselves more gold stars because when their amount is compared to what everyone else has recorded then it will be proven as a faulty star. This is the principle behind blockchain, it is an archive of actions that is spread across thousands of computers so that it is near impossible to tamper with the information.
Sarah Austin: Blockchain is a technology that allows companies a transparent and secure way to store data in ordered records.
Lisa Frame: Without using terminology like “nodes” or “ledgers,” a blockchain is a distributed record book. Each “block” or “line item” in the book is a transaction that is verified by thousands of other computers not just one person, bank or foundation.
It’s basically the equivalent of sharing a photo publicly on Instagram to verify your outfit is smoking hot, instead of sending one photo to your roommate. You now have a record of hundreds of people verifying that your outfit is goals. It takes out the middleman, which makes it decentralized. Our current banking system is centralized. This means we rely on their private record keeping.
Centralized banking is basically a controlling ex who tells you to change outfits because your dress is "too short," according to “their records.”
Centralized banking is basically a controlling ex who tells you to change outfits because your dress is "too short," according to “their records.”
Tweet this.
Nicole Loher: Simply put, blockchain provides a decentralized database of transactions (as it relations to bitcoin) that everyone within the “network” (i.e. that owns Bitcoin) can see. To simply further - the network is a chain of computers that must approve of an exchange of currency before it can be verified and recorded. Think of it as a decentralized stock market.
OKSO. BITCOIN. What do blockchain and bitcoin have to do with each other?
Lisa: Bitcoin purchases are verified through the blockchain. Instead of one bank saying “yes, she owns Bitcoin” you have thousands of computers, around the world, verifying your purchase.
Sarah: Blockchain is also associated with "Bitcoin" (a popular token), "cryptocurrency" (digital tokens of all kinds) and ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings). A token is a feature of a blockchain technology. With all the buzz and hype around Bitcoin, and money being raised from the sale of digital tokens, there is a growing misconception around the actual value of building a business. This notion needs to be recognized by entrepreneurs who want look past the buzz of cryptocurrency and focus on the underlying Blockchain technology to create new value.
Can you give a sensible analogy that most anyone could understand?
Madeline: Blockchain is to Bitcoin as Windows 10 is to Microsoft Office. Blockchain is the underlying technology of Bitcoin, and Bitcoin is the first and most well known example that utilizes blockchain technology, but blockchain can be utilized in countless other ways.
Bitcoin is the first and most well known example that utilizes blockchain technology, but blockchain can be utilized in countless other ways.
Nicole: Bitcoin is the buzzy cryptocurrency that everyone is talking about. There are many types of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin just happens to be the CocaCola stock of this market. The Bitcoin network orders transactions (think of it like a buy in the New York Stock Exchange) by putting the transactions together into groups called blocks. Each block contains a definite amount of transactions and a link to the previous block.
Speaking of buzzy. Why and how did cryptocurrency start to matter?
Lisa: Now is the answer. Why it matters is because cryptocurrency could be as a big of a technological breakthrough as the telephone or the internet. The blockchain technology is the real breakthrough as it solves the double spend problem. Where bad people could conceivably spend digital money more than once. It's also bigger than just Bitcoin. We can now transfer digital property safely. It has the potential to be much bigger than just a digital currency also. Someday all of our contracts could be done through crypto, such as real estate and legal contacts, our medical records could be on the blockchain. The possibilities are really endless.
Madeline: Cryptocurrency allows people to own their wealth without a central party, like a bank lording over it. It also presents exceptional ease of use both domestically and across borders that allows for rapid transfer of wealth. For example, for me to send a friend $100 it takes roughly 5 days for our banks to reconcile the transaction. With most cryptocurrency transactions it takes just a few minutes or hours to reconcile. With the rise of ICOs (initial coin offerings) it allows companies to raise money through token sales with the public, where consumers can invest in companies and projects they believe in (think Kickstarter on a larger scale). This could highly benefit women entrepreneurs, and in fact we've seen several high-profile ICOs led by women, such as Propy and Paragon! ICOs present an alternative to VC funding, a group that has been shown statistically to be unconsciously biased towards giving funding to companies with male founders. ICOs present a new avenue to funding where biases and pedigree may become less pronounced.
Nicole: Cryptocurrency (i.e. Bitcoin specifically) was kind of an accidental side project by way of a person (who is still yet to be confirmed) that goes by Satoshi in the late 2000s. Essentially what he created was the first decentralized “peer-to-peer electronic cash system” in order to prevent double spending. This was incredibly advanced for that time.
Bitcoin is the buzzy cryptocurrency that everyone is talking about. It just happens to be the CocaCola stock of this market.
Why doesn’t anyone know who Satoshi is?
Lisa: We will never know the real answer but I can think of 5.6 billion reasons why! One theory as to why Satoshi never came forward was that governments would try to come after he or she to try to cut off the head of the snake. Remaining anonymous prevented them from having a face to attach to Bitcoin and letting the technology stand on its own.
Sarah: Because that person doesn’t want to be discovered. Probably because Satoshi is afraid of going to jail.
Madeline: Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym of the person or persons who invented Bitcoin and their identities have never been revealed. The draw of Bitcoin, and blockchain at large, is that the technology utilizes a decentralized network so that no central party owns the information recorded on the blockchain, like a bank or an information aggregator like Facebook. At its core, there are no "leaders" or "owners" of the Bitcoin blockchain which is why an anonymous creator fits perfectly with the mission.
What does it mean to “have” a Bitcoin?
Lisa: From a technical standpoint, owning a Bitcoin means having possession of the private key for the number of Bitcoin(s) you own. Like having the code to the safe to get your money. From a simpler standpoint it's like owning a stock. You have the right to sell it or transfer it to whomever you want.
Sarah: It’s just another way to buy goods and services. It also may mean that someone is holding Bitcoin as an investment.
Madeline: A misconception is that to have bitcoin you have to buy a whole Bitcoin, which discourages many new people from investing because they have sticker shock. But a Bitcoin can be split into one hundred million pieces. Therefore a person can invest any amount and still experience the ups and downs of the market. If you invest $200 when Bitcoin is at $13k and it goes up to $20k as we've seen, then your investment would have swelled to around $320. Not bad!
Right not bad. Which leads to investing. Why is Bitcoin stock worth so much?
Madeline: First of all, I want to dispel the misconception that buying Bitcoin is similar to buying stock in a company. There are no underlying business fundamentals to Bitcoin - no stream of cash flow that you can discount to present value. There is no "Bitcoin Corp." The value is based on the community collectively believing it has value. Bitcoin effectively combined the attributes of scarcity and utility to create a "digital gold" for the internet age. Bitcoin is scarce because it is an deflationary currency, in that only 21 million bitcoins will ever be in circulation. There's 12.5 bitcoin released approximately every 10 min, and that amount halves every four years until we hit the ceiling of 21 million. It has utility because bitcoin allows individuals to have full and uncensored control over their own wealth, by converting it and securing it digitally on the Bitcoin blockchain. Bitcoin, and cryptocurrencies in general, also facilitate the nearly instantaneous and inexpensive transfer of value anywhere in the world, 24/7.
Lisa: The same reason why anything has worth! Supply and demand. There are currently just over 16.7m Bitcoin in circulation and the maximum that will ever exist is capped at 21 million. This set cap is well known, making its scarcity transparent. Some people consider it a great store of value because of this, like digital gold. Imagine if the world's gold supply was capped at 21 million ounces. One ounce of gold would likely be worth a million dollars or more.
Nicole: There are two trains of thought here. As Bitcoin is the most popular coin, and the one that is most frequently traded, we've seen two vastly different markets emerge (note: the first being totally speculative). There's a lot of hype around cryptocurrency that banks will begin opening cypto trading desks in 2018 - like stock trading. There's a theory that these financial institutions are fueling the conversation and pumping money into the market, so it's at it's prime when it hits mass and the government actually figures out how to regulate this circus. In the meantime, the news and all your pals are talking about it, making this a really crazy cycle of inflation. The second is just, well, the general public is interested so they're buying. Bitcoin is, as I said, the first cryptocurrency and the one that's most easily tradable on an open market, like Coinbase. It's the shiny new toy of the financial world - a world that's so behind the times - so everyone is interested and looking.
It's the shiny new toy of the financial world - a world that's so behind the times - so everyone is interested and looking.
If anyone can invent a cryptocurrency, how is it worth anything?
Lisa: Well, anyone can start an online business. Some companies will continue to have value and some won't. Like anything there will be winners and losers. There are something like 1,300 cryptocurrencies. They're not all going to make it, but a lot of them, such as Bitcoin, have a good chance at holding their value and going up. Bitcoin also has first mover advantage, meaning it was first to the market. Plus it's name is now synonymous with cryptocurrency, like Kleenex with tissues.
Madeline: Ultimately the worth is based on the community collectively believing it has worth. Just like a diamond ring or a Louis Vuitton bag, they are priced so high because consumers value them. I do caution you all be aware of what you invest in because there are scams - artificially inflated tokens and dubious ICOs that are not good investments.
If someone *raises hand* wanted to invest in Bitcoin or another kind of cryptocurrency today, would that be a smart move?
Lisa: Research! I personally think the biggest mistake someone can make is investing in something they don’t truly understand or believe in. It’s extremely volatile and you could lose a lot of money. It's also a good idea to really try to wrap your head around blockchain technology. That's the game changer! Also, only invest what you’re okay with losing because you could lose every penny you put in. How can women educate themselves more on cryptocurrency? I really love community threads like Reddit or FB groups! It’s nice to be able to ask questions and get feedback from a like-minded folks without feeling embarrassed or judged. Watch as many videos as you can, read as many articles or books. Immerse yourself in this new world.
I also recommend reading the White Papers of each coin you're interested in. These papers should accomplish a few things: inform you on their project, what they want to accomplish, their roadmap and methods for meeting those goals. Google all the jargon you don’t understand or ask groups their thoughts. Oh, and trust your gut. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Tweet this.
Madeline: In short, absolutely, it can be a smart move. Do your research and only invest money that you would be willing to lose. The invention of cryptocurrency has given rise to a wild and unregulated new capital market for investors. There are incredible opportunities there, but you need to carefully research the underlying technologies in order to confidently ride out the incredible volatility that cryptocurrencies experience every day. Values have been known to increase by over 100% a day, and decrease by 95%+ in the same time span.
Sarah: BTC or ETH are not a bad investment so long as you consider yourself willing and ready to potentially lose the money you invest, but who am I to give investment advice? I’m not a financial advisor. I do think it’s smart to diversity your portfolio and Bitcoin is now it’s own asset class.
Nicole: Well,If someone wanted to invest in Bitcoin or another kind of cryptocurrency today, would that be a smart move? You know, honestly, it's like trading within the stock market...except you don't have an advisor. That's on you.
How can women educate themselves more on cryptocurrency?
Sarah: Study up ladies! Read, read, read. I read “The Age of Cryptocurrency” and found it to be a useful book to get started with.
Madeline: Come to meet-ups, we hold one at the Gem office called the Los Angeles Ethereum Meetup. I'm also a part of several women's Facebook groups where we chat about investing, all levels welcome.
Nicole: Be wary of what's out there and take everything at face value. Do your own research, but also know Reddit is a phenomenal place to start.
Have more questions! Comment below and we'll get them answered!
THE MORE YOU KNOW.
Exclusive Interview: How This Wedding Company Just Changed the Entire Game
Guess what? You can enjoy wedding planning now.
Big day. Dream wedding. I do. There is major pressure around weddings, but Zola is determined to streamline the process for the ease, comfort, and bliss of new couples. Taking you from planning stages through your first year, the wedding-meets-tech company just released brand new functionality with Zola Weddings, a free suite of wedding planning tools including: your wedding website, registry, check list, and guest list all in one place. Reread that. It's everything in ONE PLACE. It not only saves you time, but major wedding headaches, so you don't have to get bogged down in details. Keeping track of your guest list? No problem. (Mapping your seating chart, that's still on you.) The company's co-founders took to the Zola blog to announce, "Today, we’re so excited to introduce you to Zola Weddings, a suite of wedding planning tools including your wedding website, registry, checklist, and guest list all in one place. And because couples have enough quotes and bills to take care of, we made these tools entirely free to use."
We caught up with Jennifer Spector, Director of Brand at Zola, to find out more about the new suite and why she wishes it was around when she was planning her wedding. As she says, "My wedding planner described weddings as a live performance, a family reunion, a religious ceremony, and the biggest party you’ve ever thrown, all in one day. That is a lot."
What were you hearing from couples and users that made you realize now was the right time for Zola to expand the brand? Why become a one-stop shop?
Since Zola was founded in 2013, we have consistently heard from couples that they wish their wedding websites could be as beautiful and easy to use as their registry. As we have grown, these requests have only gotten louder. Once we decided to build websites for couples, we took a step back and asked ourselves, how else can we help people plan their wedding? The average couple uses 3+ wedding tools to plan their wedding, which is just one part of the planning process. We realized we had to do more, wedding planning was outdated and today’s couples were spending all their time stressed out, instead of enjoying their engagement. So we created Zola Weddings - a free suite of wedding planning tools that includes your wedding website, a customizable checklist, guest list manager, and your registry, all in one place and all for free.
How did the company determine what functionality and platforms to include?
At it’s heart, Zola is a technology company and is focused on delivering the best possible experience to couples and their guests. Most other wedding companies are focused on inspiration, and the look and feel of your wedding day. But for anyone who has planned a wedding (or been involved in a friend’s wedding), there really are a year’s worth of details that take a lot of time and energy. So we focused on streamlining the logistics and planning, so that you can take pleasure in the day of your wedding, not all the endless details that pile up. The biggest pain points we heard from couples were around getting everything done, managing timelines, handling guest communication, and having one place to do it all. By having our Wedding Website, Checklist, Guest List, and Registry all in once place, couples can stay organized at home or on mobile, and take the pain out of planning what should be a wonderful celebration. Zola Weddings is so easy to use, that you can focus on your wedding day, not collecting RSVPs, or remembering to pay the deposit for the band.
Piggybacking on that, you said you wish this was around when you were getting married. What are the functions and tools that you’re most excited by?
I got married in 2015, and two of my biggest challenges were creating our wedding website and keeping track of our guest list. The wedding website becomes this bottleneck for many people, myself included, because before you send out save the dates you need to have all your information on your website. The details need to be close to final. We used what was supposed to be a very simple website builder, but it took weeks and was really frustrating. So I really wish I could have used Zola’s Wedding Websites, because the designs are beautiful and fit with any wedding theme, but it is so easy to use that you don’t need to know how to code, or sacrifice your style with a cheesy theme. For the guest list, my husband and I had our guests, and then both sets of our parents had lists. It became a puzzle fitting it all together and trying to get information from people. Zola’s Guest List manager solves that.
Speaking of, the automated guest list sounds like a GAME-changer. To totally nix the old-school invite, mail-in RSVPS, and to also manage gifts and thank you notes in one place— you’ve saved the new couple so much time. Is time a major factor for the millennial couple?
Yes the Guest List is a total game changer! Time is a major factor for the millennial couple, planning a wedding becomes like a second job for many people because there are so many details and logistics. Today’s couples can order anything from their phone but when it comes to wedding planning everything is so analog. Our Website, Checklist, Guest List, and Registry bring wedding planning into the 21st century, and help simplify and save time.
What are the main considerations for a company when rebranding? Especially online. People get used to an interface and can get thrown when they see something new.
For Zola, we always had an incredibly well-designed site and mobile experience. Our tech, product, and design team is incredible. So our rebrand was less about changing the site or the experience, and more about adding warmth and humor to the brand. I joined Zola right after my wedding, because I had fallen in love with the experience, and wanted to share that obsession with anyone getting married or buying a wedding gift. We approached the rebrand as a way to share our story with couples and their guests. So we relaxed the brand a bit from being quite minimal, to livening things up with more color, whimsy and a personalized tone. We A/B tested every change on the site to make sure that any new addition did not negatively impact our user experience. The result has been a great marriage of new form but the same superior function.
Your pool of millennial users is massive, but in an ideal world, they’re also one-time users. How do you deal with this as a brand?
Ideally our couples only get married once, but they are guests at other people’s weddings, and continue to shop the site after they are married. Zola Registry is an ecommerce site with over 450 brands and almost 50,000 gifts and experiences that we curate. Many couples rely on us to decorate their entire home, long after they are married. So as a company, we want to make sure the experience as strong whether you are a couple or a guest so you will continue to come back and refer friends to use the site.
Big day. Dream wedding. There’s a lot of high pressure marketing lingo around weddings. And globally, it’s a 300 billion dollar business. Does it ever feel like the pressure to ‘perform’ is greater because of those factors?
100%. My wedding planner described weddings as a live performance, a family reunion, a religious ceremony, and the biggest party you’ve ever thrown, all into one day. That is a lot. Then if you add on all of the wedding content online and on social media, it can be quite overwhelming. My advice to couples is to think about the day after, and the year after your wedding - what do you want to remember? Then reverse engineer your celebration to make sure you make those memories, and forget about everything else that won’t be memorable or important to you. The best weddings are the ones where the couple is having the time of their lives, people just want to see you happy!
Is it exciting to be in the middle of an industry that’s in transition?
It is definitely exciting to be in the middle of a company that is transforming the wedding industry. But the industry in general is still quite traditional, and the act of getting married is still very traditional. Even though couples are changing societal norms in many ways, they are still getting married and still celebrating in the same ways that their parents celebrated. So that is what is very exciting - how do we take this very traditional, emotional, and important time, and make it easier and more modern without sacrificing any of the sentimentality or specialness of the occasion. That is most exciting - making couples happy during the happiest time of their lives!
Whether you’re hitched, engaged, or making guest appearances at several nuptials this season, sign up now to use Zola Weddings here for free! And for any NYC-based peeps, celebrate the launch of Zola Weddings with the Zola Retreat this Saturday. Experience some chill vibes and serious om at 43 Crosby Street this Saturday, April 22, 11AM – 4PM. Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect.
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Find Out Why the Male-Dominated Tech Industry Won't Stop This Creative
She's adding dimension to the fashion and tech spaces.
Heather Lipner, tech maven, has worked in the dude-heavy industry for "at least 13 years." As the former creative director of MySpace, co-founder of Uncovet, and founder of Clashist, that oh-so-pop-culture-meme-tastic apparel line approved by James Franco, she has a few tricks up her techie sleeve.
Drawsta is her newest venture. An augmented reality fashion concept that adds an unexpected layer to your shirt [like the above panda (panda, panda, panda #broadsinatlanta)]. Augmented reality doesn't work without a tech device. In Drawsta's case, it's an iPhone app that allows for virtual designs to appear on a t-shirt. There are currently two screen-printed graphic unisex shirts ($48) each of which comes with 3-5 animations, with a new one released weekly.
We checked in with Heather to talk the industry's 'boys club,' how Drawsta is fighting against the need for fast and disposable fashion, and (read all the way to the end peeps) if we're becoming machines.
Let’s chat a little about your background. How did you arrive at the intersection of fashion and tech?
I have been in it for around six years, but prior I was doing tech/media. I worked as the Creative Director of Marketing as well as the Art Director of Product for Myspace and prior to that worked at a couple interactive design agencies for over six years. So been doing tech for at least 13 yrs.
How did the idea for Drawsta come about?
I wanted to take fashion to a new level, literally add a dimension to it. I felt stuck in a traditional world doing my previous brand Clashist. While it was a pretty viral line and lots of people loved it - I always had to make new - which, is very costly and often environmentally wasteful. So Drawsta solves the problem of wanting something new in the moment, but in a digital manner so we don't have to literally make so many physical goods. I think it’s more fun too. :)
How does it work?
It’s so simple - you just open up the app and point it at your tee and a layer of animated graphics pop and lock on the tee. You get the experience of wearing something new (you get new animations weekly) and you can also share yourself wearing the animated tee via social media, email, text - anything digital. (See below demo video.)
Social media made fashion shareable. Why is now the right time to take it a step further?
We’re going start losing the screen in a year or so and digital graphics will appear on, in front of, and around physical objects. Knowing that, I wanted to do something fun that can represent the individual’s ever-changing identity via something we’re all used to - fashion and social media.
Wearable tech is a billion dollar market, do you think we are going to see more augmented reality wearables?
Yes - from me for sure! :)
What is the most exciting part about being in the tech space right now?
I’ve always been obsessed with self-expression via fashion, social media, art, design, interior, etc and I think tech lets us explore our own identities in a faster manner. I get really excited when I see people (mostly younger generation on Snapchat) freely post without caring how perfect the image is. To me, that is freedom to explore and share our momentary thoughts, feelings, everything without caring about being judged. When you give people a way to do that in an acceptable manner, we can find our true passions and feelings in a more raw, real and evolutionary manner. THAT IS AMAZING AND EXCITING TO ME. MAKES ME CRY.
What’s been your experience in the tech world as a woman?
I hate it actually. It’s so annoying - sometimes I don’t care and sometimes I have this overwhelming rebellious feeling where I just want to roll my eyes, spit, and go in the opposite direction. LOL, but I love tech and I am also not sure if it is 'man vs woman' or there’s simply a club that is mostly male. You put a bunch of VCs in a room that are literally competing to see who will make more cash and it’s douchebag central. There’s a lack of creativity, sensitivity, understanding, depth, etc. I went to school and studied Economics at the UW Madison and it was the same - a room of mostly dudes asking each other who’s got higher grades. It’s lame - but not all VCs and guys in tech are like that - just a lot of ‘em. Heh. I just try to focus on the product, customers and creating a path towards what I believe is success. And hopefully in years to come the room will even out with less ego and more diversity, compassion, and care. :)
"I love tech and I am not sure if it is 'man vs woman' or there’s simply a club that is mostly male. "
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Is wo/man becoming machine?
Maybe we are already machines. We’re kinda at a high point right now in which we are really figuring out how to reverse engineer our DNA (coding) to manipulate our genes to live longer, to kill off diseases, to even alter our IQ. Once we can ingest nano robots to change our destiny then it will probably feel more and more like we are machines after all.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. She's also a machine, in the best way possible.
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