xaxii.com

Tapping the global fashion network

2010-05-23T19:18:55Z

Being an integral part of the global network of fashion and beauty has always been the dream of every creator of glamour, from designers to models, to photographers, and to the crafters of hairstyle and makeup. For many of them it has remained a dream whether the location or knowing the people-to-know but challenges persist.

Many turned to social media sites such as Facebook and Myspace while others looked at niche sites, e.g., specific for models. Many created their own website filled with beautiful pictures and ideas, but very few of them succeed, while most have struggled to bring their designs or portfolio to the market. The current social network sites provided the crowd but not a way for you to stand-out in the crowd.

So, how does one stand out in the crowd of designers, models, photographers and other artists? Clearly, the past strategies have not worked for most.

At Xaxii, we recognized this challenge and created solutions that cater to the specific needs of fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry. Our focus is to connect and support a community that is not too narrow in focus as to be meaningless or too broad a community where most people would not grow and profit from meaningful mutual interactions. This is a community of people who love, breath and live fashion. From next door fashionista to the artistic directors of most recognized advertisement company. It doesn’t have to have clear borders and it will change as it grows.

The community is empowered with tools that help the talent rise above the fold. As the talent grows, it will help us focus new development and take the community to new highs: the talent is to be recognized by the community and not be a victim of gate keepers. Tools to allow fashionistas to rate your portfolio, share your view and vision, discuss and argue your passion - all of this for you to connect and be connected. We have no plans to control this process, but only to facilitate it. We actually think that controlling it makes little business sense too, but this is another story.

Recognition itself is a fundamental and essential part of success, but life doesn’t stop there. Xaxii will also provide tools and frameworks to commercialize your now-known collections and abilities by seamlessly enabling collaboration with others in the industry and by expanding it whenever necessary.

Sell your creation to the worldwide audiences. or get the far-flung manufacturers and suppliers. All with a click. This is the power of social commerce and Xaxii.

Wisdom of the crowd meets the passion for fashion

2010-04-15T20:48:50Z

Crowd sourcing is a term which at first might turn a few people off. Yet another buzz word they may claim. Perhaps surprisingly to a few, this unusual method provides an incredible potential in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry due its ability to help manage risk.

The method can be described and understood in exquisite detail in mathematics and has proven its usefulness in practical applications. Given the age of internet and ever increasing options to communicate I am surprised that this technique has not witnessed a wider explicit adoption. Many of the well known companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Digg etc heavily incorporate crowd sourcing concepts.

Crowd sourcing has proven to be an effective indicator of the future trends: the wisdom of the crowds, the collective knowledge and feel of all who are involved. It is not a poll or a focus group, it is truly everybody! Therefore, crowd sourcing if applied correctly can help reduce and diffuse the risk of bringing a new collection to the market. This can have a tremendous impact on the business of independent designers, small producers, new models and fledgling photographers who lack the financial muscle to weather the cost of a failed introduction to the market.

At Xaxii, we are committed to bringing the best of technology to the world of fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Technology, but with style, we have no desire to turn art into science or fashion into a commodity. Xaxii provides tools for a designer to see for herself reactions and opinions about her designs globally with a click. This could be the style, color, cut or price before committing any money or time for the production. This is science and technology's light touch, we want to help make the honey, not squash the flowers.

The concept is not limited to just the quantitative measures but the qualitative discussions that fosters a deeper collaboration between end customers and the designers. This could be constant source of muse to a fashion designer. Listening to fashionistas, tailors, models, photographers, not just to managers and marketers. This is similar to what is known as market-influenced design. As an added benefit, it naturally creates an early buzz for the products eventually leading to increased sales.

Cost effective, time saving, early marketing/buzz without the "suits" -- some of the ways Xaxii helps the fashion, beauty and lifestyle world.

Alpha release of Xaxii - What does it mean?

2010-03-22T20:09:13Z

Since the alpha launch of Xaxii on March 15th we received a number of emails asking what exactly alpha release means. We realized we need to do a better job of communicating our plans to you.

In a typical software development case, an alpha version is an early release where not all the functionality is complete and not all the bugs have been worked out. It is to give a peak “behind the curtain” to early adopters of the system.

Thankfully for us that is not the case. Building a community of like minded people with interest in fashion, beauty and lifestyle poses its own set of challenges. This is significantly different than releasing an alpha version of a software.

At Xaxii, we designed the ramp up of the community to be a slow and deliberate process. Bringing a small group of people onboard and exposing them to a part of the site initially. As this group becomes more familiar and comfortable with the use of the site we would open up more functionality and invite more people to the site.

During the alpha phase of Xaxii, we plan to continuously build upon these two dimensions - opening up more functionality and inviting more people to join the site. Please pre-register if you are interested in being a part of this initial group of members to help shape the future of fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

It may take some time to invite all of our pre-registered members to the site. However, we believe, it would provide a richer and more engaging experience for everyone in long run.

We look forward to welcoming you on Xaxii!

Enabling collaboration to create opportunities

2010-03-09T16:09:57Z

Collaboration is at the heart of Xaxii, the lifeblood of the social commerce platform that we are about to present to you. We believe that active collaboration, as opposed to outsourcing to cheaper cost geographies, is key to create superior opportunities for every one involved, i.e., stronger and more stable growth for the industry.

We know that usually it is no more than a nice buzz word as cynics point out with many facts to back their claims. We have also received our fair share of such criticism and we thank all of you for being honest and direct with us: true collaboration as true friendship is transparent. In this spirit, we decided to give a more open view of some of the tools that Xaxii will be bringing to you -- not only to enable but to accelerate the collaborative process across the globe.

For today, let’s start with an example: an emerging fashion designer who wants to bring out a new line of jeans, her line of jeans. As a minimum she needs suppliers (for fabric, buttons, zippers, etc) and manufacturers, both need to be able to accommodate low initial quantities and then (quickly!) large runs if the product succeeds. One can't forget the models and photographers needed to showcase the jeans. Being an emerging designer she has limited financial resources and even fewer contacts and experience to start the process.

In today's world, she would be scouring the internet and raiding friends’ rolodex just to find the manufacturers and suppliers of denim and accessories. Would one even know the right keywords for an internet search? How about in Italian, French, Korean or Chinese? The story only begins here as she would have to get on the phone or email each of these suppliers and manufacturers just to get the discussion started (and we all know that just writing to someone usually isn't going to work, but whom should she write to?) She can barely get people to agree to work with her not to even think about the high prices she has to pay for being an emerging designer. Where would she find the time to keep track of all of this, to even consider haggling the prices?

It is a lengthy, expensive and disheartening process. Months and months go by before she even has a team willing to work together (and months of waiting in business can mean a lot of money). This is not an effective way of doing business if you are an emerging designer. No wonder many leave the field in dismay even after attending some of the finest fashion schools.

At Xaxii, we looked at this and got horrified by how unnecessarily painful and grueling the process is. So we conceived a system where our jeans designer could create a collaboration project for creating her line of jeans. The message gets relayed automatically to interested parties such as manufacturers and suppliers. They know the details of the project and if interested could become a part of it. Xaxii provides tools to manage the day-to-day behind the scene working needs such as managing project schedule, payments, marketing, promotions. All this is done in real time where people are directly engaged and not playing the phone-tag. The connectivity and common vocabulary allows the interested parties to be in touch quickly, seamlessly and without unnecessary pains.

This is just a glimpse of how Xaxii enables collaboration and creates opportunities. We are bringing forward many new and innovative concepts which allow sharing of risks and rewards. Imagine turning your customers into your business partners. Much more to follow -- keep writing! We love to hear from you.

Balancing creativity with practicality

2010-02-16T21:36:06Z

The tension between creativity and practicality has haunted mankind from the very beginning. The creative side tends to ignore the practical world and even belittle it — usually at the price of having to deal with it as a last-second necessary evil. The practical side might admire the creative world, but from a distance — usually at the price of having to deal with it as a last-second necessary evil, when the old ways just don't work anymore no matter how hard and diligently we try.

The two worlds have co-existed alongside with alternating respect and disdain for each other depending on the day and situation. When the two contribute in synergy the results are astounding as the Taj Mahal, iPhone or a Ferrari each testify in its own merit. A marvel of bringing the world of “creatives” and “practicals” together. Unfortunately, one never quite know how long it will take to achieve that synergy.

Xaxii is designed as an ecosystem that would stimulate a synergistic interaction of the two worlds for fashion, beauty and lifestyle. A place to bring creative, business and consumers together and provide them with tools to interact, create, learn, share, enjoy and make a living. Tools that could work around the hard edges that usually make these interactions difficult.

The first step of this process, inevitably, was bringing together our own creative and practical sides. Probably it is one of the very few times when models, designers, photographers, one one side, manufacturers, suppliers and even buyers, on the other side, were at the same table to interact with programmers and business types. Teams filled with excitement as the creative ideas progressively took shape. Art in the making. A business art but art nonetheless: art to foster art.

Well, it turns out that we became a victim of our own passion and dreams: The balance tilted to creative side and creative processes sometimes (read often) manage to thwart our best intentions to keep a plan. As a result the schedule slipped.

We had to take a step back, reassess where we are and determine dispassionately what can be done in a reasonable amount of time. We had to bring back the focus to the practical aspects of launching Xaxii while maintaining the synergy and shelving some of the dreams for the future.

Maintaing balance between creativity and practicality is not a static point in time but a journey where we continuously have to balance the efforts and the aspirations of the two. Sometimes we will err one way, sometimes we will err the other way, but we will make an extra effort to keep a balance. A lesson we learned - thankfully, early in the process.

Fashion designers and the dream of the internet

2010-02-04T16:59:06Z

When the internet revolution entered in our lives, many of us believed we were living a dream. Customers and suppliers could be reached easily; the creative work and its evolution would be displayed easily on a web site or a blog. There would be a place for everyone in the nearly infinite nooks and crannies of virtual world.

The dependence from middlemen or big fashion houses would be over, their advantage shattered. No more mass market, no more need to sell oneself: we will be able to find the people who like our character, our designs, our cuts or our photography.

Instead, large players still seem to dominate the fashion business, both online and offline. Few are the exceptions and the old advantages seem difficult to overcome. So much for specific and unique desires and niches of a fashion designer.

Connectivity is effortlessly moving trillions and trillions of bits of information, billions and billions of messages, the large majority of which is just getting drowned in the flood. Before things could not be found because of limited connectivity, now because of too much of it! Chaotic, organic networks, the virtual world, imposes its own challenges, which were not faced by previous generation of designers, but that doesn't make them any less real.

Running an independent online shop seems a natural springboard into the market. However, it requires venturing into the intricacies of technology and running a real-life supply chain: from buying office-supplies to design clothes and managing an inventory. The details of the selling process are far from a dream and more like a nightmare. On top of that, most designers under-estimate the effort and time required to bring traffic to their web site and in tying it all together.

A while ago, when we analyzed this problem, we realized that these issues could be solved within a single integrated environment. An environment that breaks from the limitations of the past while hiding all the resulting unmanageable complexity behind the web-page, in a matter of speaking. A place that merges seamlessly the virtual and real world, and where designers could participate in exchanges, connect and trade with one-another.

A sophisticated but painless ecosystem centered on fashion, beauty and lifestyle. An ecosystem that invisibly manages the back-end and brings a designer to fashionistas, suppliers, manufacturers, models, photographers, buyers and, perhaps eventually, everyone. An ecosystem where a designer could be finally free to create.

Xaxii is that ecosystem!

The next generation social networks - Part 4

2010-01-28T21:03:58Z

{This is the final of a multi-part article series. You could read Part 1 here }

After our brief exploration of social networks trends in general, it is time to venture into the world of fashion, beauty and lifestyle: our world. In the collective mind this industry stands for creativity, passion and glamour. An industry whose stars become household names and celebrities.

Naturally, many dream of being a part of this industry, but very few are let in. In this industry power resides in the hands of few large fashion houses, whose guardians keep a tight control on who enters and thrives there. Most people have to be satisfied with their limited interactions as consumers.

The price of entry in this industry is high because a lot needs to be mustered. To make matters worse for the newcomers, these factors are also strongly affected by economies of scale: the bigger the fashion house the better financing, distribution and marketing works and the more secrets can be "harvested","hoarded" and leveraged across the world. Predictably, the fashion industry has seen its share of consolidation.

Now, imagine people with a passion for fashion and beauty: fashionistas, designers, manufacturers, models, photographers, lawyers or accountants -- people like you and me. One one hand, there are giant rigidly controlled entities, on the other, a multitude armed with all knowledge and ability necessary to create, sell, buy, manage, collaborate, learn, teach and share.

What does the multitude need for their business model to prevail? They need to be hyper-connected and to be able to obtain critical business knowhow when they need it, where they need it. They need seamless supply chains, specialized financing approaches, connections, tools for sharing, exchanging and shipping as refined as those available to the large fashion houses. They need Xaxii.

This is the true economic potential of social networks. It has been called social commerce. I call it going back to our roots. Going back to the life in a self-sustaining village. With the power of the internet we can choose to create a specialized village: our own global village.

At Xaxii we are bringing forward not only a social network but a whole new paradigm of how people connect with each other, learn, share and collaborate and hopefully transform an industry: the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry -- our industry.

The next generation social networks - Part 3

2010-01-20T17:14:03Z

{This is the third of a multi-part article series. You could read Part 2 here }

Social networks have brought people together in an unprecedented way. Yet as more and more people connect, groups became larger, amorphous and shapeless.

Simply growing in size is rarely an earnest purpose and as coherence is lost, size becomes little more than a novelty. People can only share so many pictures or like so many updates before everything becomes blurred. However, in this form, social networks have become serious competitors to other leisure products such as TV, web-surfing or gaming. To some its new avenue of entertainment while others are overwhelmed beyond dizziness?

Starting from a different angle, some companies have started to show traction on twitter and Facebook, which seems to have affected positively their sales. But these success stories lack a consistent pattern and business model yet to be proven.

What is missing?

The transformational power of the hyper-connected individual is being lost in the near-aimless exploration of the immensity of virtual space. Imagine how a clear sense of purpose could give new meaning to the social networking technology. Sharing pictures and stories could be enriched and brought to a higher level with a coherent focus.

The influence of groups of such individuals is unlikely to be measured in a traditional manner such as membership size or some form of short term return on investment. The collective power of their single-minded focus in a large and hyper-connected world, can produce drastic and large changes almost overnight.

We believe that in this is the true transformational power of social networks.

{You could read Part 4 here }

A new generation of social networks - Part 2

2010-01-13T15:21:34Z

{This is the second of a multi-part article series. You could read Part 1 here.}

In the past few years we saw the corporate world jump on the social networking bandwagon. Companies got savvy and recognized the potential of social networking sites. They created Facebook fan pages, Twitter customer service accounts, and Youtube videos. What was merely a social network of individuals evolved into social media, a novel channel to advertise and sell products.

Social media: a gigantic billboard made of a nearly infinite number of interactive facets existing in the virtual world?

Even politicians couldn’t keep away from the new social media. Then presidential candidate Obama announced his VP candidate on twitter. And more than any other presidential candidates, he shrewdly leveraged the social media to mobilize grass root organizations. Of course, mimicry being the highest form of flattery, even his former opponent VP candidate Sarah Palin caught on to the practice and is now using Facebook to communicate with her constituency. A distinct departure from, the once popular, traditional media channels.

Things work out in ways that leave a few people perplexed: Huffington Post, a rather recent entrant to blogging and news services, has a Twitter fan base comparable to that of CNN. In fact, Twitter has created its own group of mini- and micro-celebrities each with an audience of a hundred thousand or more. A readership of this size was once the domain of selected few and required a rather complex and usually centralized machinery.

Where are we today? The primary focus of the corporate world appears to be devising and implementing strategies to exploit and perhaps tame the existing social networks. In board rooms and advertising firms the debate is around developing viral ads and other tools or tricks for tapping into vast legions of hyper-connected individuals. Numerous “so called” social media consultants, experts and gurus have sprung up to help companies do just that.

However, this is today. Not tomorrow. What will the social media landscape look like in the future? I believe the market has yet to understand the full impact of social networking. For the ones willing to ride the wave, the fun is yet to begin.

{This is the second of a multi-part article series. You could read Part 3 here }

A new generation of social networks - Part 1

2010-01-06T19:08:39Z

In just a decade social networks have permeated our society and redefined our interactions with one another. We moved a long way from those plain email and static web pages! The impact of Facebook and Twitter is impressive, but what is perhaps more astounding is how smooth and imperceptible that transition was.

Are social networks another fad? Have we seen all there is to them or will they be a launching pad to something new?

Looking at the journey of social networks is a fascinating subject even it feels a bit like watching from the rear window of an accelerating spaceship. If you don't easily suffer from vertigo, you can read excellent reviews about past social networks here and here.

The social networking landscape is currently dominated by sites that offer their own unique blends of tools that connect people and help them share information. This is the basic premise of all current social networking sites.

Today's most popular social networking sites do a superb job of accomplishing this goal: I have re-connected with many lost friends and found new ones on twitter, Facebook and Decayenne. Many "virtual" friends became friends in real life as well. Linkedin and Xing have made it easier to keep in touch with professional colleagues and allow head-hunters to easily find me, thus providing a constant stream of excellent job offers. I have received recommendations on where to live, which restaurants to try and how to spend my evenings, even when I was in some fairly remote corner of the world.

I am sure I am not alone in this experience. Welcome to the world of hyper-connectivity!

I truly believe these hyper-connected social networks have made the world a better and more exciting place to live. Social networking seems hardly a passing fad, and feels more and more like running on an accelerating treadmill.

I believe that current social networks are in an early developmental phase, and the high point of their flight is yet to be discovered or even imagined.

"Where to next?" is the question that led to the birth of Xaxii.

{This is the first of a multi-part article series. You could read Part 2 here }

A new decade of turning dreams into realty

2009-12-24T10:02:35Z

We at Xaxii have a dream. As entrepreneurs we set out to create an alternative to the current fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry. More than a new business model, a new way of thinking that questions and challenges the proverbial status-quo.

As with any big dream, last many months have been filled with anxiety, trepidation, elation and just about every other emotion known to humankind. Slowly but surely, our vision is becoming clearer and more and more parts of this complex clockwork are starting to move and sustain each other.

Our passion for designers, models, photographers, manufacturers, artists and fashionistas has kept us going. It is about freeing the dreams of beauty and creativity from the current stifling paradigm. The possibility of unleashing the beauty in you.

In the coming few weeks a new platform will be progressively unveiled. We will propose a vision for a new environment where both the creative and practical sides of the fashion, beauty and life style industry can thrive and become more accessible, vibrant, and economically rewarding.

With 2010 around the corner, we look forward to welcoming you to the new home for fashion, beauty and lifestyle - Xaxii. If you have not pre-registered please do so to receive your invitation.

Wish you a wonderful season of festivities and a wonderful 2010!!!

Accelerating creativity in fashion

2009-12-16T22:42:49Z

Michelangelo is famous for the natural and yet classic beauty of his sculptures, but few remember his saying "If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all." Fortunately for us, we get to admire his master creations and not be mired by his toiling.

In today’s fashion industry, working hard alone is not enough for a designer to be recognized. If she doesn't have a tailor to make the dresses, a model to make them stand out, a photographer to show them to the world, and a whole cast of people to run a fashion show, there wouldn’t be a collection for the world to see! Moreover, pieces will have to be manufactured, shipped, displayed and sold or there wouldn’t be any bread on the table nor a future collection.

The creative process itself requires inspiration, exchange of ideas, familiarity with the raw materials available, and understanding of the market needs. Usually only large fashion houses can afford to create these connections and opportunities. Naturally they jealously guard this competitive edge. However, keeping such a tight control not only puts strain on creative people, but eventually stifles the creative process itself.

Instead, Xaxii proposes an open environment where the masters mingle with the novices to find new inspirations and form teams apt at turning dreams into designs, designs into plans and plans into actual clothes that can be sold. Only then are new trends created. Xaxii simplifies the day-to-day drudgery of running a business.

We invite you to pre-register to learn how Xaxii provides a competitive advantage for independent designers, suppliers and manufacturers in the fashion industry.

From outsourcing to global collaboration in fashion industry

2009-12-11T14:04:52Z

Recent years have witnessed capital and labor intensive operations move from developed countries to less developed ones. From manufacturing for the mass-market to information technology, large companies have shifted operations to reduce costs. The fashion industry has not been spared: first the production of cheap and simple items of clothing, then icons like the high end "Made in Italy" started to outsource. Outsourcing, in fact has become common practice in every field and in every corner of the world.

From academia, the business magazines or the remotest corner of the blogosphere, people have depicted outsourcing anywhere from the best to the worst thing that ever happened to mankind. Those arguments don't need to be relived here.

We should focus on the fact that outsourcing favors large fashion houses. Large fashion houses with substantial purchasing power combined with complex entrenched production and distribution networks have mastered the art of low cost production offered by low wage geographies. The independent designers could never dream of attaining such production cost and service.

Often, there is a feeling of despair among up-and-coming designers, independent manufacturers and suppliers. They have accepted higher production costs, inexistent margins and poor service as the bane of their existence.

Xaxii is a revolutionary alternative to this outsourcing model.

At Xaxii, we are enabling a model of global collaboration and not outsourcing that gives an opportunity to independent designers, manufacturers and suppliers. It is not based on seeking to squeeze out the lowest price but creating a team that builds upon complex and complementary sets of expertise and experience to maximize rewards.

Xaxii is a hub where ideas, capital, products and skills can be exchanged, integrated and build upon to enable unique collaborative teams. Teams that enable products and services such as “customization” that were once a purview of only rich and famous. We believe that these teams will bring most creative products to market at a speed and price unparalleled within fashion industry.

We invite you to pre-register at Xaxii to learn more about how we are enabling people to collaborate globally rendering this fascinating industry more open, competitive, vital and vibrant, and of course more lucrative.

Modern model - a muse to the fashion industry

2009-12-01T21:13:38Z

To the world, fashion models symbolize the passion and glamour of the fashion industry. Their spells turn the latest creations into objects of desire and longing for many of the world’s fashionistas. Take the models away from that equation and the fashion business would for sure lose its vitality and vivacity.

It would seem natural for models to be an integral part of the fashion value chain. Not only would they show case designs, but also be part of the creative process itself: something between a source of inspiration and a true collaborator, a muse. After all millions tend to mimic their lifestyle from the efficiency of ready-to-wear clothes to the dazzle of evening gowns.

Unfortunately, the fashion industry too often forgets this source of inspiration. Models have been relegated to catwalks and photo shoots. This is not a small feat to be scoffed at, but it is unlikely to be the most effective leverage of the talent of models. Each model brings a unique face, frame, character and lifestyle that could be a source of endless inspiration to designers and photographers.

Xaxii enables models to be the muse of designers and photographers. We create seamless connections amongst the artists. We would like to expand the roles and influence of models at all stages from collection development to runway shows. We believe this will create new and inspiring designs and almost inevitably open additional sources of potential earnings and fulfillment for all.

Xaxii is developing tools and business processes to help find, develop and monetize these working relationships. We want to evolve the industry to new levels by enabling new ways to bring together the components of design, manufacturing, photography, and the modern model.

We invite you to Pre-register at Xaxii - Create or present your portfolio, collaborate with professionals, and define what works for you.

Protecting your next creation from fashion pirates

2009-11-25T13:32:10Z

Every designer dreams of creating the next popular collection. A collection that brings the name recognition world over. It is the reward for all the creative and emotional energy that went into making this collection a realty. Rightly so, a designer should expect huge financial gains from this successful collection.

Sadly, the new found fame also draws recognition from a less desirable crowd, the fashion pirates. A new collection usually remains fresh and original for only one season, so the piracy industry acts quickly to copy a success. Walk around the streets of Manhattan or Beijing and you will find cheap knock-offs of the latest fashion fresh off the runway.

Large fashion houses devote substantial resources to protect their brand and profit margin. More often than not they are able to achieve only minimal success. Independent designers, with limited budget and brand recognition, are even more vulnerable. The financial gain they were expecting gets reduced tremendously leaving them with limited resources for the next collection. Second is the lack of knowledge. Where does one even begin to fight piracy, and who to turn to for guidance?

At Xaxii, we believe in protecting an artists’ creation and taking a stand against piracy world over. Piracy hurts the individual designers as well as the entire fashion industry by discouraging innovation and originality.

Xaxii introduces an efficient and effective solution to the problem of piracy. Fashion pirates are punished for doing business on our platform with escalating penalties. At a minimum we would remove the merchandise that is pirated. Repeat offenders would be entirely banned from Xaxii for doing any business.

We do not claim that these actions will resolve the piracy issue. However, it is a step in the right direction and it discourages piracy by making it harder for offenders to gain from the Xaxii business model.

Please pre-register to learn more about how we are introducing new ideas and changing the de rigueur of the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries.

Fashion Boutiques - a glimpse into the business model

2009-11-18T09:35:01Z

Fashion boutiques are works of art. Each is an extension of the style and fashion sense of the owner. Consumers seek out boutiques they identify with, and often become devout followers. Boutiques are an essential element of the fashion industry, where one can depend on showcase pieces from established designers and occasionally be the first to discover a new up-and-coming talent.

It is a glamorous business. Stroll through any major city and you will encounter chic boutique shops tucked in various corners, displaying carefully selected pieces from across the globe. Their alluring design suggest a lucrative business with high profit margins, but in reality, most are facing financial stress.

The challenges of running a fashion boutique are similar to any other small businesses. However they do face additional challenges exclusive to the fashion industry. Finding pieces and designers that meet the theme of the boutique is always challenging. Big fashion houses are known to throw huge shows to attract buyers. This is also a popular venue for boutique owners. While it is fun and exciting it is an expensive way to find pieces that make a boutique unique.

The fashion industry demands a 4-6 month minimum lead time to fulfill an order. Boutique shops face huge capital outlay pre-season and increased inventory risks. No wonder the “On Sale” rack has become a permanent fixture in every boutique shop!

Xaxii strives to change the fundamentals of the current business model. Xaxii technology offers a new approach to connecting designers with boutique owners directly, and enables a simpler and more efficient way to conduct business.

In the coming weeks, I will be expanding on how Xaxii enables this industry-wide revolution. Please pre-register to learn how you can leverage Xaxii to significantly improve the profitability of your fashion boutique.

Economic crisis and independent fashion designers

2009-11-10T16:25:07Z

The current economic downturn has not spared the fashion industry. Many had hoped that buyers of $1000 pair of shoes and $5000 cocktail dresses would not be affected by the current economic crisis. Unfortunately, they did. The result is an industry dealing with feeling of despair. The prevailing mood is not to show (read spend on) very opulent things.

The discussions have shifted from hemlines to survival. Blogs and news media are abuzz with discussions ranging from end of french couture to recycling bags from previous years for coming year. Many designers have seriously down shifted their shows as they see little chance of recuperating expenses that could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It is natural for independent fashion designers to be affected by the news of gloom and doom around them. The logic goes “if big companies are struggling to survive how can I survive much less flourish in this economy.”

Contrary to the popular wisdom, I believe that current economic environment stacks the chips in favor of independent designers. The rigid structure of the fashion industry characterized by complex supply chains, risk capital requirements, short product shelf life and product excess; prevents the industry from responding effectively to the current economic crisis, thereby impacting the bottom line of major industry players

Independent designers, by contrast, are fast and nimble. Ability to change course and respond to prevailing mood in almost negligible time creates an unexpected market opening. However, what is lacking are the tools and supporting business processes to enable independent designers to leverage this opportunity. This is where Xaxii steps in.

Xaxii is created to offer an alternative to current fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry. It provides a structure that counters the inefficiencies and operational obstacles by leveraging the latest in technology and operational practices.

In the coming weeks, I will be expanding on how Xaxii enables this new industry structure. Please pre-register to learn how you can leverage Xaxii to bring your next collection to market.

Ascending the fashion photography ladder

2009-11-05T15:55:04Z

Fashion photographers are a crucial link to the fashion industry value chain. They capture the moments that make all of us fall in love with the design - a necessity to bring the work of designers to ultimate consumers like you and I.

The art of fashion photography is so seductive it lures emerging new talents almost constantly to the industry. I wish we could say the same for the business side of fashion photography. Technological advances like digital photography and internet make entering this field easy. Sites like flickr make it easy to showcase the work. But it becomes equally easy to get lost in the crowd of numerous aspiring photographers.

The competition is tough and “who you know” can overshadow true talent. Sad to say, the economics of fashion photography is often less glamourous than the art.

Xaxii recognizes the crucial role of fashion photographers and the unique challenges they face. We designed Xaxii to allow photographers to showcase their work and more importantly, connect with clients, get the job, be recognized and credited for their part in the fashion value chain.

“Who you know” may be a factor but it should never overshadow talent and merit. Xaxii levels the playing field by providing technology tools and business processes for photographers to shine, connect and succeed.

I invite you to pre-register at Xaxii and be the first to leverage this new platform.

Creating a frictionless fashion industry supply chain

2009-10-30T07:15:11Z

Traditional fashion industry supply chain is notoriously complex and volatile. Need less to say it is mired with inefficiencies resulting in excessive cost and obsolescence. Some of the main reason for this inefficiency are

High demand volatility,
Short product life-cycle,
Long planning cycle, and
Complex distribution and production network.

This results in a large production run to meet the seasons demand generally in one attempt. Working capital requirements inherently favor the large organizations who are capable of making such commitments.

This supply chain structure inhibits the entry and eventual success of independent designers. They are rarely capable of making large investment required to participate in present fashion industry production and distribution network.

At Xaxii, we are addressing this problem at all levels including the very structure of fashion industry in how it designs, sources, manufactures and eventually distributes the products to end consumers. At Xaxii we are enabling smaller production runs with short planning cycle to lower the overall cost structure and bring latest in fashion to consumers quickly.

Xaxii platform creates a level playing field for independent designers, producers, suppliers and manufacturers.

I would like to invite you to register to follow the development of the website and be the first to leverage it in your business.

Empowering independent manufacturers around the world

2009-10-24T07:37:13Z

Independent manufacturers are the hands that bring to realization the dreams of designers. They bring alive the latest dress from a designer, develop a new fabric, or give shape to the latest shoes which are adorned by millions. Their relentless focus on quality and enhancing the state of art is what makes the fashion industry tick.

The small shops, dedicated to the art of manufacturing, generally also lack the capacity to generate a large volume. Small teams mean that one person - usually the owner - also have to sell, market, fulfill and perform myriad of other chores that come with running a small business. Needless to say that few of independent manufacturers have the capability or capacity to operate on a global scale.

Independent manufacturers are a crucial link in the fashion industry supply chain. For up and coming designers they are a perfect fit. An independent designer lacks the resources for a large production run. Moreover, even if the designer can manage the financial costs of production run the inventory risks remain.

For a small manufacturer it is a difficult task to find designers who are a good fit for their manufacturing expertise. It then takes enormous effort to develop a good working relationship and build a financial transaction model in which everyone is comfortable.

Xaxii provides a unique venue for the designers, manufacturers and suppliers to come together to meet this common objective. Xaxii is designed to handle the background IT, business and financial processes so that parties can efficiently perform the work they do best - brining the latest designs to the consumer.

We believe that, as your situation and aspirations are unique, your business should be too. Xaxii provides a framework which you can adopt to your working style. It is not about dictating how one should work but finding what works for you.

I invite you to pre-register to become part of this growing and vibrant community.