Jun 26, 2008

Retailers helps tweens make their own clothesBy Springwise.com

Last year we wrote about Ridemakerz, a store that lets kids create their own toys in Build-A-Bear fashion, and now there’s a DIY equivalent for tweens focused on fashion.

Fashionology LA is a brand-new Beverly Hills store that lets young fashionistas design and make their own clothes. Girls begin the design process as soon as they step into the store, which features an array of dazzling designs on the walls for inspiration. Using touch-screen Design Pads, they begin by selecting what type of garment they’d like to create, choosing from an assortment of tops, bottoms and dresses. From there they select a fashion “mood” onscreen—themes include Juku, Pop, Rock, Malibu and Peace, all of which include a colourful array of graphic images. They then pick embellishments for their garments, choosing from options including Sew It, Clip It, Bling It and Pin It.

Once a girl completes her design, she proceeds to the U-Bar, where a friendly Fashionologist uses a heat press to add the key design element to her new look and gives her a tray of embellishments to take to the customized Make It table. The girl settles in to sew, bling, pin and clip, and when her garment is ready to wear, she steps in front of the camera to proudly display her creation.

With her approval, the picture and her unique design will beam through the store on a 70-inch LCD screen and simultaneously be emailed to her so she can share her new look with her friends.

Costs for the experience reportedly range between USD 20 and USD 90, depending on how elaborate the design is. Fashionology says it hopes to expand its brand nationwide by 2012.

We’ve now written about DIY retail experiences in toys, clothes and wedding rings as well as an array of online ways to design your own clothes and handbags. It’s all part of the experience economy—with a healthy dose of the customer-made trend thrown in—and it’s going strong.

Of course, tweens aren’t the only ones who’d love a chance to create their own duds with the assistance of some professionals. Next, how about a similar offering for grownups…?