Third Wave Fashion // JULY 2013 // THE WEDDING TECH ISSUE | Page 21

last month’s EVENTS Summer has officially kicked off, bringing with it a fresh wave of panels, partnerships, and meetups. We get to both host and attend some of the most amazing events that take place each month. In this way, we get a bird’s-eye view of the fashion tech space and the key players that make it all possible. Here’s the scoop on what happened in June. Early in the month ird Wave Fashion partnered with jewelry startup BaubleBar to host a meetup on June 10th entitled “Partnerships at Pop!” e speakers for the panel included Julia Straus, Director of Partnerships at BaubleBar, Liz Keen, Director of Communications at DETAILS Magazine, Meghan Cross, Director of Communications at StyleCaster Media, and Ashlene Nand, Senior Manager of Brand Partnerships and Freelance for Gap, MTV, and Disney. e event was hosted at BaubleBar’s incredible SoHo pop-up shop and featured delicious Godiva Spirits cocktails, a fully stocked store, gourmet cupcakes and hors d'oeuvres. e panelists spoke about ways to partner across verticals. ey advised on how to execute a successful partnership that focuses on affecting conversion. While customer acquisition plays a role in deciding who and when to partner, the panelists all agreed that a poorly chosen partnership can diminish the brand just as easily as a well-chosen one can enhance it. Liz from DETAILS described how the magazine partners with brands while keeping their affluent and young male audience in mind. eir relationships with partners focus on educating men about technology through affiliate setups that bring on influencers and bloggers. Liz cautioned that men tend to use fashion tech less quickly than women might. e take home message from Meghan from StyleCaster was to celebrate the brand and the partners you link up with. By giving a platform to bloggers and tastemakers at their Hamptons parties each summer, they gain great feedback on products; the parties are also some of the most popular in the StyleCaster summer calendar. Ashlene of Lacquerous advised brands on small budgets to start with what they have and go from there. Lacquerous was lucky enough to get major press at the beginning and focused on growing a waiting list of potential customers. // 19