Day by day, technology changes the way we work and plays an ever growing role in the fashion industry. With this evolution, we see an increasing number of women conquering the field and making it their own.
An increasing number of organizations are getting involved in helping educate future generations. The non-profit organization Girls Who Code is shedding light on this cause by reaching out to girls at a young age, showing them that technology and computer science is a place for creativity and is most definitely a future to embrace. They have witnessed remarkable growth in participation over the past few years, so the future looks bright already!
Even fashion's darling Karlie Kloss is a well-known advocate for technology, using her wide reach and social media fame to empower girls to learn to code and become leaders in tech through Kode With Klossy. Her organisation hosts summer camps and award scholarships throughout the year.
While we're praising these inspiring ladies, we'd like to give a shout-out to some of our own wonder women. Making technology that transforms the way you work while being easy to use is very much at the core of what we do and we're really proud of the amazing people we have on our team helping us on this journey.
There are many other women pushing the boundaries out there, showing the world that everyone should embrace technology as the field of the future. In today's article, we're celebrating some of the women shaking up the fashion tech scene.
In this article you’ll learn…
Here are 5 women who are shaking up the fashion industry through technology!
Currently: Head of Google' Fashion Week Search Project
Original Stomping Ground: Fairfax, Virginia where she studied Journalism
Experience: Australian Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle Magazine, The New York Times' T Magazine, Maxim
Lanphear grew up in the middle of Virginia and has proved that handouts aren't necessary and that with a lot of hard work and determination you can succeed. For example, when she finally got her first internship in London, working for a magazine, she lived in a crammed hostel where she would clean in the evenings to help pay the rent.
Kate is one of the most loved people in the industry in New York. Her inspiring story shows that you don't need connections or money to succeed in fashion.
Currently: Gucci's Digital Media Director
Original Stomping Ground: Rutgers University, where she holds a BA in Journalism and Media Studies
Experience: Previously at Morpheus Media where she managed brand portfolios for L'Oreal, LVMH, Burberry and more
With Katana as the Digital Media Director, Gucci's most recent digital campaign #TFWGucci broke the mold of digital marketing for luxury brands. Using memes designed by various artists, they promoted their new watch collection.
The campaign spread across social media like wild fire and from that we can draw the conclusion that sometimes making a bold move can really pay off. You do you, Gucci!
Currently: Founder and CEO at VINAYA Technologies.
Original Stomping Ground: Kate holds two degrees, one in Mathematics & Statistics, the other in Economics, both from The Unviversity of Edinburgh.
Experience: Founded Student Webstore, worked as a Technology Consultant for many years.
VINAYA Technologies, formerly Kovert Designs, is a wearable tech, fashion brand that started in London. They make connected jewellery that gives a gentle buzz when receiving only the most important notifications. With wellbeing as the main focus, these pieces can also guide you through meditation and breathing exercises. Unsworth saw a gap in the market of fitness trackers and decided to create something aimed at millennial women, with great success!
"The main challenge for us is keeping up with the pace of technology innovation. We’re already thinking two generations ahead of what’s on the market today, and where wearables will be in five years’ time. We’re on a steep learning curve."
Currently: Co-founder and Creative Director at Rebecca Minkoff
Original Stomping Ground: Attended The Fashion Institute of Tech
Experience: Assistant Designer at Craig Taylor before starting her own brand in 2001
She is a known advocate for incorporating technology, making it part of fashion, something we have seen her do with her own brand time and time again.
Making women the key focus seems to be one of the main drivers for Minkoff and we saw that once again with her venture capital fund that was announced earlier this year. At the Retail's BIG Show Student Program, she said:
"As we've delved more into technology, I’ve come face-to-face with the unsettling truth that it’s devoid of women and our voices. We have men creating technology for women and advocating for our preferences and our needs. We’re often left with the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach or just not considered at all. That’s not okay."
See the full talk here:
Currently: Director of Fashion Partnerships at Instagram
Original Stomping Ground: BA in Magazine writing from Columbia and a BA in English and Creative writing from John Hopkins University
Experience: Lucky, Teen Vogue
Chen has been dubbed the Anna Wintour of the Digital Age as she has been at the top of everything digital, including social media, for quite some time now.
When asked what she wishes she had known at the start of her career she said: "I wish I had known to trust my instinct more and to speak up more! The advice I would give you is to work your hardest and not be glamorized by the glossy aspects of the job. Learn the BUSINESS of it too. That's the secret!"
Besides being a mom, long-time Launchmetrics supporter and forward-thinking innovator, Chen has a fun and quirky side which you can see with her daily #shoefies Instagram posts. Need a lunchtime break? Definitely check them out!
There are so many amazing women in fashion technology, these are just 5 of them. Do you have a #womancrush we should know about? Who do you find inspiring? Let us know by tweeting @launchmetrics.
Header image: Citizen Couture
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
