IFAB
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IFAB

For Biz & Tech in Fashion

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Welcome

To the Independent Fashion Advisory Board.
For Biz & Tech in Fashion. Driving connection between technology providers, industry experts and fashion businesses.

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“Fashion brands better start thinking of how to bring new things to people or else the G is not going to be a freaking Gucci, that shit is going to be Google.”
— will.i.am
 
 
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“As a technologist, it’s especially important to be involved with an organisation like IFAB. Being part of the community has helped me find people to collaborate with on fashion+AI projects.”
— Noon van der Silk, AI Engineer
Fashion Tech Panel Discussion, General Assembly Sydney Campus.

Fashion Tech Panel Discussion, General Assembly Sydney Campus.

 
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About

We’re big on community, curious in thought and act in untraditional ways. Read how IFAB came to be, what we stand for and who we’re here to help.

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Blog

 
 
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Okkular.io / Automated Tagging

Okkular.io / Automated Tagging

The Fabricant / Digital Design House

The Fabricant / Digital Design House

Lustr / Emerging Designers

Lustr / Emerging Designers

Kusaga Athletic / Sustainability

Kusaga Athletic / Sustainability

 
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Events

Upcoming events across the globe in fashion, business and tech. Learn new things and mingle with like-minded souls, events are an amazing way of broadcasting innovative concepts to the industry.

Browse the Calendar

 
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How often do you tune into your intuition? It’s something I’ve become more aware of in the past few years particularly in business situations. Especially as I’m in an area that I’m very passionate about and I care a lot about the work I produce, the community and who I surround myself with. I had my first tarot card reading recently. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was super interesting and a little strange. At the end she asked me how I felt and the first word that came out was vulnerable and then overcome by clarity. Reflecting on it, I’ve since started to work on a presentation drawing on the similarities between tarot cards and fashion business. It’s amazing when you find connections between things and all of a sudden pennies start dropping ✨
This Wednesday @mercedesmestore.melbourne is hosting a panel discussion on street culture. Head to their gram/site for tix. Melbourne is known as Australia’s cultural capital for a reason. Join the crew from Saint Side to discuss the future of street culture as they dive into ‘street culture’ exploring the fabric of our city that makes its culture so unique. Format for the evening is a panel discussion with some of Melbourne’s street culture experts as they explore the history and current position in the Australian landscape, as well as the fusion of streetwear and high-end fashion, street art and how culture will shift in a future driven by technology, data and international accessibility.
Before social media became all consuming, I used to read a lot. Mostly fiction and a bunch on business - consumer behaviour, experiential marketing that kind of thing. I’m trying to get back into the habit and just finished This Is Not a T-Shirt: A Brand, a Culture, a Community—a Life in Streetwear by Bobby Hundreds, stellar read BTW. Now, I’m a little way into reading No Logo by Naomi Klein, heard of it or read it? I think what is appealing about this book, particularly at this point in time (even though it was originally published 20 years ago) is this whole conversation about creating a brand. Not sure about you, but I’ve been feeling major advertising fatigue for a while. Cringing at people posting on LinkedIn about how to increase digital marketing engagement. No Logo is still totally relevant now and goes into some deep topics, one I’ve just read about sponsorship. Massive corporations paying their way into culture, just to have the logo featured next to something. Such as a large music festival banner to give the impression they “get” the audience. This approach has been going on for years! Music and streetwear are two markets, all the big conglomerates want a piece of. I’ll admit, I’ve done this as a marketer. In my last full-time role, I saw an opportunity to support a new event in Australia and help it get up and running with some corporate dollars. The company and the event aligned beautifully and I knew other corporates wouldn’t go near it because the event name had F*&K in the title. My goal was more to help this event get started, knowing in my gut it had potential. Their tone of voice was something we needed more of, to let go of the hoity-toity and embrace that people make mistakes. The company I worked for was in the business of fixing those mistakes, specifically software mistakes. It worked out great, I don’t think we got any significant business out of it (B2B in tech is a very long sales cycle), but it was a partnership we were all really proud to champion and that created a sense of community. This week, I’m going to do a post-it note session on the IFAB brand to stay on track with being relevant and honest ✌️
BREAKING NEWS📰 E-tailer Cove Online has partnered with Blockchain platform Flight Plan to launch a virtual shop with a limited selection of P.E Nation pieces that can be purchased in physical AND digital form. The virtual shop will officially open this week with a select number of products available as they are one of a kind. Garments can be purchased with cryptocurrency. Customers will receive their item physically and also receive a virtual version too. It’s created on blockchain as a token and follows the ERC-721 standard. Each piece comes with a special tag, scan the unique QR code link to see the virtual twin. It’s a very important step in giving shoppers full transparency of their items.
It certainly is when the industry is currently valued at $532 billion and showing no sign of slowing down. Many new challenger brands have emerged in the market giving legacy companies such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder a nudge to wake up from their slumber. There’s been a mammoth switch from traditional brands telling consumers what they should have to consumers voicing what they want and expecting brands to deliver. This includes understanding digital natives, social platforms, cultural values, inclusivity and diversity. New beauty such as Glossier and Fenty are leaps and bounds ahead of its competitors just by talking and listening with their consumers and producing product that matches demand. You can expect the fashion industry won’t be far behind as we’re starting to see legacy brands share their values (most likely created in a brand strategy exercise with a big ol’ fancy agency) to give the perception they won’t be left behind. Actually, this entire conversation is provoking a soapbox rant about how 💰💰💰can buy you a world class product development team, industry analysts to scout macro and micro trends and agencies to create the most gram-worthy brand identity. But without genuine effort to be real, do good and make a connection with people, all of that means nada. Some biz owners are always seeking the recipe of the secret sauce of success. They should make their own which includes WHY they’re doing it in the first place and throw in hard work, continuous learning, giving things a go and becoming a really great conversationalist. And you’ll have a BIG business too. ✌️
 

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