Consumer generated fashion company UnitedStyles launches at TechCrunch Disrupt

Consumer generated fashion company UnitedStyles launches at TechCrunch Disrupt

 

Beijing, October 31, 2011 -- Today Unitedstyles.com officially launches at TechCrunch Disrupt. Unitedstyles is an online fashion company that uses the latest digital production technologies to disrupt the traditional fashion industry by introducing on-demand consumer generated fashion. It enables consumers to design their own virtual fashion and have those designs made especially for them on a piece by piece basis. Unitedstyles is a Shanghai based company with an international team and global appeal. 

 

How does it work? The online modular Unitedstyles app lets visitors create their very own fashion by selecting styles, shapes, trim, colors and customizable prints – the result of which can then be previewed in advanced 3D images. This self-designed fashion can be bought and Unitedstyles will produce it using environmentally friendly digital printing technologies. Additionally, Unitedstyles offers aspiring and established designers a free online platform to start their own virtual fashion label (currently invite only). Create a profile page and build, edit and share collections of your designs made with Unitedstyles and sell them in your own personalized webshop!

 

Unitedstyles aims to change the fashion industry from a push into a customer pull model. Up until now the fashion industry has not changed radically by the emergence of online stores; people still buy most of their clothes in physical retail stores. These clothes are designed by others, usually aim for the biggest common denominator and brands simply hope that customers will like them (= push model). As a result, fashion companies produce huge inventories, and can often only sell them at a discounted price at the end of the season. Unitedstyles utilizes the power of the internet and advanced virtualization techniques to put the fashion power into the hands of the individual (=pull model). 

 

Unitedstyles is also disruptive for the fashion industry because the stock risk for producers is eliminated by using on-demand production. Products are only produced after a customer has ordered and already paid for them! No more designing new collections up to 2 years in advance, no more huge inventories and no more pre-financing of products until they are sold.

 

The current focus of unitedstyles is on women's clothing, but after the launch the company will expand to among others children's clothing and sports wear. 

 

UnitedStyles is based in Shanghai and was founded on June 1, 2011 by 4 European entrepreneurs that have been living in China for many years. Their unique combination of backgrounds allowed them to come up with and develop this disruptive fashion idea. CEO Xander Slager is an expert in the fashion industry and among others he built a well-known global women outerwear brand with design and production in China. Marc van der Chijs is a serial Internet entrepreneur and among others co-founded leading Chinese online video site Tudou.com. CTO Joop Dorresteijn has a strong technical background and worked at online game company Spil Games before founding unitedstyles. Dirk Lorre is a psychologist with a focus on consumer marketing. 

 

 

About unitedstyles

Unitedstyles (http://www.unitedstyles.com) is an online fashion company founded in Shanghai on June 1, 2011 by entrepreneurs Xander Slager, Marc van der Chijs, Joop Dorresteijn and Dirk Lorre. The company produces in China but delivers its products to the whole world. You can also find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/unitedstyles. 

Contact person: Marc van der Chijs, marc@unitedstyles.com, phone: +86 1381 781 0517

 

About TechCrunch Disrupt

TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing 2011(http://disrupt.techcrunch.com/BJ2011/) will bring together leading technology innovators and investors and hundreds of new startups. The conference will also bring the popular Hackathon – a 24-hour competition where 500 leading innovators develop and present new products – to China for the first time. TechCrunch Disrupt follows a format that combines thought-leading discussions with new product and company launches. Morning executive discussions debate the timeliest disruptions in the technology industry. In the afternoons, new companies will launch for the first time on-stage during Startup Battlefield. Around 15 companies were selected this year from a pool of more than 400 applicants. Another 80 early-stage startups will exhibit in Startup Alley. TechCrunch will award a $50,000 grand prize along with other award recognitions at the conclusion of the conference. The Hackathon is Oct. 29 -30; the main conference is Oct. 31 - Nov. 1, 2011 at China National Convention Center (CNCC) No. 7 Tiachen East Road, Olympic Green, Chaoyang District, 100105 Beijing, CHINA.

 

TechCrunch (www.techcrunch.com) is a leading technology media network dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. Founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, TechCrunch and its network of websites reach over 13 million unique visitors and more than 30 million page views per month. TechCrunch was acquired by AOL in 2011 and operates a global network of websites including dedicated properties in Europe and Japan.. TechCrunch's CrunchBase is the leading open database about startup companies, people, and investors. In addition to TechCrunch Disrupt, TechCrunch hosts a number of other recognized conferences and events, including the Crunchies Awards (http://crunchies2010.techcrunch.com) and various meet-ups worldwide, serving as community platforms for industry conversation and collaboration.