Malaysian fashionistas will have plenty to be excited about this month as Start Today Co. Ltd., the owner and operator of Japan’s largest fashion e-commence portal, Zozotown is launching WEAR, arguably Asia’s hottest look book mobile application and fashion social community, here in Kuala Lumpur.
WEAR is Japan’s No.1 fashion mobile application ( for iOS and Android ) featuring daily trending looks by brands and fashionistas from all over the world. The mobile application has seen 3.2 million downloads since it was first introduced in October 2013. There are to-date 2.5 million active users in Asia and over 1 million trending looks shared. The app was launched in Singapore earlier this month.
“WEAR combines the best of all popular social media applications and activities such as photo sharing, journaling, hashtagging and e-commerce into one exciting smartphone app,” said Hidenori Fukushima, Manager, WEAR Global Business Development.
The mobile application allows users to search for trending looks and the hottest styles of celebrities around the world; save photos of clothes they like; and upload and share their countless fashion selfies or pictures of styles they find attractive.
WEAR’s users are mostly young, social media-savvy style conscious individuals who are keen to document their personal style and daily outfits. It is also a useful tool for those looking for fashion inspiration.
According to Timothy Chen, Asia Fashion Inc Director, WEAR users can be classified into three categories : General users, brand representatives and WEARISTAS. Brand representatives use the app to market their clothing lines whilst WEARISTAS are a select group of fashionable people ie; models, celebrities and ordinary people turned fashionistas.
WEARISTAS are specially appointed brand ambassadors whose user profile attracts thousands of followers and appear in the trending tab.
WEAR can be downloaded for free on Google Play and the App Store. The app has been successfully introduced and is growing exponentially in Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
In addition to being a fashion styling tool, WEAR also allows users to purchase items online.
“Zozotown’s database of products and existing agreements with thousands of brands and stores are for consumers to view product information and images online. Users can also contact merchants directly to make online purchases,” says Chen. Not all brands deliver to all countries though but WEAR easily solves the problem by showing similar alternatives by other brands which users can consider.
In Japan, the monthly revenue generated through this app is US$1.2 million. In a month, the click-through rate is 15% which is higher than the usual 1% to 2% for e-commerce portals, hence WEAR can be an effective marketing tool for brands.
Following the launch in Malaysia, WEAR will work towards getting more local fashion brands on board. In Singapore, the app has 90 brands signed on. Start Today Co Ltd is also looking at launching WEAR in the United States of America in the next 3 months.
WEAR will be launched at an exclusive sundowner at Signature @The Roof, 1First Avenue, Bandar Utama on Sunday, October 19th, 2014. The app is the official digital partner of the inaugural Malaysia Fashion Week (MFW) 2014 show segments from 20-22nd October 2014, particularly for Mercedes-Benz STYLO Asia Fashion Week (MBSAFW) and Malaysian Fashion Show (MFS).
As part of the fashion festivities, WEAR will be selecting one lucky fashionista or blogger to be the recipient of the coveted WEARISTA Style Icon Award on October 22nd, 2014.
The WEARISTA Style Icon Award recipient will win a trophy, 10 exclusive invites for the Malaysia Fashion Week 2014 “After-Party” on October 22nd, 2014 and a John Robert Powers@ Stylo Academy private session worth over RM2,000.
To participate in the WEARISTA Style Icon Award competition, just upload a picture of yourself wearing a designer or designer-inspired outfit from the list of designers showcasing at MFW 2014 on WEAR and hashtag #ootd #MBStyloAFW #< name of blogger who introduced you to WEAR app> by 21st October 2014.
The most stylish photo and/or most creative interpretation of a participating designer outfit wins. More information on WEAR and MFW 2014 can be obtained by looking up “WEAR” in the Google Play Store or App Store and mbstyloafw.com, respectively or follow Stylo International and MBStyloAFW on social media – Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.