Alexis Maybank, the co-founder of Gilt Groupe, announced on April 14 that she would be launching a new fashion marketplace app known as Project September. Maybank has teamed up with Leak Park, another former Gilt Groupe executive, to promote the app and link fashion designers with shoppers.
"Until now, I had to search blindly for items that caught my eye on social media, often never discovering where I could actually make my purchase online," said Maybank, chief executive officer and co-founder of Project September. "This was frustrating. So we set out to build a shopping experience where consumers could shop directly from photos."
Project September, which can be accessed on www.projectseptember.com, was named after the month that kicks off the fashion season. It has a sleek digital magazine look that allows individuals to view creative works by leaders in the industry. Project September users are encouraged to share their own images and promote them through social channels, including Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. All creators are eligible to earn a commission from the items they sell on Project September.
Some of the fashionistas who have agreed to work with Maybank and Park on their project are Marie Claire Creative Director Nina Garcia, Nicole Richie, and a number of social influencers, including Patrick Janelle.
"The talent and industry leaders participating are a testament to Project September's alignment with top creative influences in the fashion and beauty industries," said Garcia. "I'm excited to join Project September as an Advisor as social content is evolving in this direction, and I am thrilled to be a part of the revolution."
Park and Maybank have also partnered with Dustin Whitney, Pellucid Analytics' former CTO (now Project September's CTO), to give app users an eye-catching, seamless experience. The goal was to create a highly visual marketplace where individuals could easily follow their favorite influencers, as well as swipe images to make quick purchases.
"Project September redefines the fashion discovery experience with an elegant, social interface that harnesses the psychology of fashion buyers: browse broadly, follow those whose looks you like, and purchase on impulse," says Venrock Partner Nick Beim. "It takes advantage of the rapidly growing wave of user generated fashion content to create a beautifully immersive experience that users don't want to end."
