David Bowie released his chart-topping single “Fashion” in 1980, with lyrics that both mocked and celebrated the fashion industry (plus some not-so-subtle digs about fascism). Regardless of your love — or hate — for the colorful world of style and apparel, the industry isn’t fading. Quite the opposite, it’s ever-expanding as technology makes it easier for people to get in the game of designing, selling and buying.
Check out these five Austin startups bolstering the fashion industry with tech.
Similar to Rent the Runway, an NYC-based fashion startup that rents out designer dresses for four- to eight-day periods, Austin’s Garment Exchange offers a renters marketplace for consumers to rent to one another from all over the country. Users can use filters to easily locate style and size matches, reserve articles of clothing for a small fee and return after four days. Or, if you’re an owner of lightly worn vintage and trendy items, create an online closet for others to peruse. Garment Exchange also provides two-way shipping materials so users can focus on the fun stuff.
Fashion subscription services have surged in popularity, but one common complaint is limited sizing. Ensuring men of all shapes and sizes have access to new online threads, Maximus Box caters to the big and tall men of America. Launching from Austin in 2016, the startup sends out monthly boxes of apparel to men sizes XL through 6XL, built around their style preferences.
Based in Austin, Howler Brothers is an online retailer of men’s and kids’ clothing and goods designed to complement a coastal lifestyle. The name was inspired by the howler monkey, an animal whose calls the company's founders often heard during surf trips to Costa Rica. Launched in 2010, the online shop features a large catalog of gear and apparel and partners with retailers in cities across the country — and has even set up shop internationally in places like the Netherlands, Sweden and Australia.
Founded in 2014 (and a 2015 graduate of Capital Factory’s accelerator program), Trunkist helps brands and bloggers sell their fashion lines directly to consumers. With Trunkist’s “digital trunk show platform,” designers can show off a curated section of their collection with exclusive, limited edition items available for purchase. The startup works collaboratively with brands to create the design while also managing sourcing, technical design, manufacturing and shipping.
Images provided by company websites and social media.
Know a company we should cover? Send us a tip or tweet us@BuiltInAustin
.jpg)
