In the fashion world, it’s important to always be a little forward-thinking. Come late March, designers are already giving us a glimpse on the runway at what we’ll be wearing the following fall. And by October, we already know what kinds of prints and silhouettes are in for spring. Meanwhile, stylemakers are increasingly flocking to social channels to post their favorite current looks. But what if you could peek at what fashions are going to be hot in the future?
That’s the idea behind PreeLine, a new social site based in New York City that launched in beta just last week. Co-founder Julia Macalaster, a Wellesley native with an e-commerce background, told me that the idea for PreeLine was initially sparked by David Lamer, a merchandising pro who previously worked with a range of designers from Cole Haan to Tommy Hilfiger. Lamer had a knack for predicting the selling rate for certain items — but what he realized is that this gets a lot more difficult many shoppers shifting from brick and mortar stores to a range of channels online. The model shouldn’t be reactive — but more proactive.
“We need forward-looking insights to better predict what’s going to sell, where it’s going to sell and who it’s going to,” Macalaster told me in a phone interview. “And we have that data available to us, because you can put something online and socialize it, and see what the customer says. Since we have the live sample six to eight months in advance for these styles, why don’t we ask the customer what they want?”
The duo worked together at MicroStrategy, where they helped top fashion houses and brands develop mobile strategies, and immediately hit it off. On a train to Washington, D.C., Lamer showed her the concept for PreeLine, which allows users to see, share and socialize future fashions with friends and fashions experts. Shortly thereafter, both left their jobs at MicroStrategy to build on his idea.
PreeLine just launched in beta last week, but it already has about 3,000 users and has built up an impressive roster of featured designers, from Kate Spade and Alexander Wang and Chloé. The styles posted on the site extend as far as fashion week allows — so right now, that includes Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 collections. But listen up, Bostonians: In July, Winter 2016 goods will be revealed. And considering how brutal this last season was, it’s never too early to start thinking about how to prevent the frigid weather from cramping your style.
The core team — which of five employees — is currently working out of an office in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. PreeLine recently brought on Karen Fechter former VP of merchandising for Diane VonFurstenberg, to be the company’s CMO.
PreeLine just launched in beta last week, but it already has about 3,000 users and has built up an impressive roster of featured designers, from Kate Spade and Alexander Wang and Chloé.
While products shown on PreeLine.com are future season products that have yet to arrive in stores, you can check the product details to see when they’ll be for sale. There’s a social element, too: You can find friends via the search box, the suggested followers section in the “Following” tab, or by connecting your email address or Facebook profile to PreeLine. Or, they can find inspiration by checking out the Top Trending PreeLiners — those who have gotten the most action on their posts for that day or week. Users are able to build up their own brand bar so that they only see the collections they’re actually interested in. And best of all, PreeLine is gradually bringing on more fashion bloggers, industry leaders and other experts, so you’ll be able to see and share their favorite looks.
Macalaster told me that a top priority right now is getting brands’ employees on board to share future fashions as well. So for example, you might soon be able to see what styles a Tory Burch marketing girl thinks are particularly hot for spring, or what a merchandiser at Valentino’s favorite fall trends are.
In the long-term, Macalaster says that the goal is really to strengthen the discussion and relationship between brands and consumers — beyond just posting product images. To expand on that kind of engagement, she’s aiming to have industry experts post more content about how they get inspiration, or other kinds of things they might share on their blogs. Inviting the customer behind-the-scenes, after all, is a great way to drive brand loyalty.
Additionally, PreeLine is going to start hosting events both in and outside of NYC — and the company is heading to Boston in May for not one, but two happenings. The startup is participating in the Beacon Hill Women’s Forum fashion show May 12, and also hosting their own event with local fashion bloggers.
For Macalaster, there’s one incident in particular that really drove home the impact her site can have.
“I’ve been PreeLining for about three months — and Alice + Olivia is one of my favorite brands,” she told me. “And it really was a kind of incredible moment and they were setting up their Spring window display — and they were showcasing the dress that I had PreeLined. That’s the really special thing about PreeLine, you have really exclusive access and you can claim ownership over something before anyone else does."
All images courtesy of PreeLine.
