iSpy … a new testing ground!

With the decrease in glossy magazine circulation and the shift to online magazines and online video content, the world of “creative, thematic” shoots has taken on a new twist.

Enter “Test”, the visual website showcasing emerging and established creative’s from photographers, stylists, make-up artist, hair stylists, Directors, Cinematographers, Set Design, Nails, Models, Milliners, Editing, Music, Production, Runners and the under valued Assistants who help make it possible.

Created to offer a platform to showcase these artists, the name is derived from the ‘test-shoot’, which is used to build portfolio work with no advertising, client boundaries inhibiting the artist’s creativity.

Art Director and Curator, Jaime Perlman founded the concept. Her CV includes working with America’s Harpers Bazaar, American Vogue and British Vogue. Jaime wants Test (launched in September 2009) to be a place where the digital fashion world can ‘test’ the waters to find new collaborations, new styles of artistic expression and forge a new frontier.

www.testmag.co.uk

iSpy a Shoe Designer with a Difference!

As a lover of shoes and independent designers, I came across Zoe Kratzmann Shoes recently and loving their design, sought her out to find out her creative story!

After reading your background on the website profile, you mention you have worked in retail. What led you to begin this business and why shoes?
I had been researching various business concepts on and off for several years before the inception of zoe kratzmann footwear. At the time I was living in Hong Kong and I simply went looking for a business that would fit my needs and compliment my knowledge base. I had an understanding of the Australian
retail market and I believed there was a gap for stylish, quality footwear
rather than the luxury brand knock-offs that flood the market. I saw
Australia embracing and supporting its apparel designers but there seemed
to be a lack of accessories designers. As accessories and footwear was a
growing sector in the market I believed it presented an opportunity.

Have you studied shoe manufacturing or worked with a shoe brand previously?
I worked briefly with Joanne Mercer footwear as a state sales manager but
it is a totally different skill set working on design and development. Basically I am self-educated in terms footwear manufacturing. Living in Hong
Kong for six years I spent a lot of time in Chinese factories. In establishing
my business I worked with several factories and learnt much about the
systems and processes of manufacturing. Every time I develop a new
collection I learn more. The craftsmen in the factory really are artisans.
Making shoes by hand requires detailed skills and a thorough knowledge of
the components and their limitations.

I noticed you have a strong ethical code regarding manufacturing in China. How you are able to audit this or monitor it and why is this important to you?
My business needs to be "good" from the ground up. I couldn't put my name
to something that was not operating under fair and ethical terms. I have
spent and continue to spend considerable time in the factory. I see
first-hand the working conditions and the working hours. There is currently a
shortage of skilled labour in various areas of China including where my key
factory is located. This requires employees to be remunerated above the
award wage in order to maintain their services. Not always a good thing
for the factories but good for the employees.

You also support Kiva organisation. Explain how this partnership came to be and why you felt this organisation was the most relevant choice for you?
Kiva is an organization that appeals to me on many levels. The concept of
person-to-person micro lending blew my mind when I first heard of it. As an
entrepreneur I love being able to help low-income entrepreneurs around the
globe. It is personal, it is specific, it deals with real individuals, you
get updates on their progress and it empowers people. It really can help people
achieve economic independence.

How important is the Custom Design side of the business? Are you able to list some clients you work with?
The custom design aspect of my business is in its infancy. I am currently
working with two select clients, one being Zimmermann. Zimmermann create their own designs and I support them with sample development, production, quality control and shipping. The custom design process is tailored to meet my client’s specific needs. It is proving to be growth sector in the business.

Who is the Zoe Kratzmann customer? Where does your design signature come from?
The zoe kratzmann customer has an eye for good design and beautiful
finishes. They covet a little bit of luxury in their everyday lives. They are
open to experimenting with their look and adopting fresh fashion. They may
like the idea of supporting a small business instead of a multinational. They may care about the origins of their footwear. They care about comfort.

I am inspired my labels such a Marni. I love their aesthetic. It is clean
and strong but innovative. They create for the woman who dresses for
herself. There is a lot of fashion at present that leans too far into sexy. I like fashion and accessories that allow a woman's personality to come through not be overpowered by looking provocative.

I noticed you aren’t selling online. Have you got any plans to sell online?
I am launching an online shopping site early in the New Year. It has been
born out of necessity more than anything. I receive a lot of enquiries about
my stockists and feel an online site will allow my customers ease of
shopping.

What does the future hold for Zoe Kratzmann?
I am really excited about my new SS10 collection that starts wholesaling
in January. I will exhibit at the European Footwear Expo in Perth, Brisbane,
Sydney and Melbourne and also the Australian Shoe Fair in Sydney in February. I am currently researching international opportunities but may have to bide my
time until international markets bounce back.

Zoe Kratzmann Shoes are priced from $150-$420 rrp including summer flats, heels and boots. Check out her website for stockists details.

iSpy an affordable flash web solution!

1. What’s the concept of picaholic in a nutshell?
Picaholic is a web design service catering for the creative industry; Picaholic enables their members to establish a web presence on a subscription basis. Clients pay a low monthly fee then using their basic computer skills, they can edit the site themselves and immediately deploy sophisticated, configurable, state of the art, flash website.

2. Who is your concept aimed at specifically?
Our target market is the creative industry, people from photographers, artists, models, stylists, musicians, actors, fashion designers, interior designers, architects, events, actors, film, writers plus more.

3. What makes Picaholic different to other web design agencies?
Historically, people were required to hire a designer or design agency to build their website, despite exponentially high costs. Picaholic gives people an alternative. Our model is based on a shared infrastructure, which means we serve many customers with a single version of a product. We offer 5 distinct benefits:
a. Low upfront costs – Members only pay a low subscription fee. They don’t have to pay the hourly rate normally associated when hiring a designer.
b. Save time – The majority of our clients have their sites up and running within 24 hours. A custom built site can take weeks if not months to complete.
c. Constants upgrades and new innovations – We continuously update our technology to meet today’s standards and deploy them to our member’s site at no additional cost.
d. Common interest - Picaholic serves thousands of clients from around the globe who provide us with enormous amount of feedback and requirements. This common interest to enhance the product benefits all our members.
e. Focus on their business not technology – The reality is, most people have no idea what is required for a good website. At Picaholic we build all the technology including Search Engine Optimization, phone technology, hosting, etc, leaving our members to focus on the content and their business.

4. I noticed Picaholic spoke at Creative Sydney? How did that come about?
Jess Scully who was the event organiser, posted some information on LinkedIn so I made contact with her and she asked me if I wanted to speak at one of the events. I of course said YES! The topic discussed was “Finding your fans: Audiences, Markets & Communities” and Picaholic was there to offer a solution to the audience of how to get yourself out there without spending an arm and a leg.

5. I saw on your site that you welcome blogging contributors? Explain…..
Picaholic is looking for bloggers who want to share their opinions and experiences in their creative industries – from photography, fashion, art, music, design - anything cool that they can share with our customers. We are interested in hearing from anyone who has something that they want to say that could benefit them and our clients. Share your thoughts with Picaholic!

6. Who are some of your clients?
Our clients are international which makes this business more exciting. Recent works from Picaholic include local players such as Joe Gibara image consultant for the Sunday Telegraph, jewellery design label Santos Wish, food and interiors stylist, Geraldine Munoz, mobile spray tanner, Amy Erbacher.

7. What kind of sites are the most common that you are building? Eg. Online boutiques, photographers, etc…
The sites that are built are mainly online portfolios such as photographers, artists, stylists etc. However with the introduction of ecommerce, we have seen clients from fashion & jewellery designers to photographers selling their images online.

8. What trends are you seeing with the digital world in terms of branding, online and marketing?
The trends I am seeing at present and that Picaholic also use are:
- With decreased budgets I see a rise in search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). Advertisers will focus more attention on these, as it will increase search page placement and ranking.
- The use of video in Internet marketing has grown sharply. Videos are incredibly powerful and it seems to be a big traffic generator for advertisers, especially in the search engine rankings.
- Emphasis on customer engagement through the inclusion of blogs and social media. Marketers are engaging differently with the end customer by developing stronger communities and/or engaging with current standing communities. This in turn impacts their search results as search engines index them.
- An increase in Internet use of mobile phones, meaning advertisers can target customers 24/7, as people seem to spend more time on their mobile phones than on their computer. What we are seeing is great place for marketers to connect with savvy audiences and from an engagement perspective, brands will find this audience highly attentive.

9. What are some of your favourite sites for ideas, inspiration and learning?
Wired
Genart
Paper Mag
id Mag
Coolhunting

10. Plans for the future?
Picaholic is not just popular with end users; it is also popular with Web designers alike. Many in the industry would rather use Picaholic as opposed to programming the sites from the ground up. We are now working on developing a White label solution that will allow design agencies to have their own branded version of Picaholic. Our vision is to have Picaholic as a base solution for all flash enabled sites, and allow programmers to add their personal touch or code to make it unique to them.