Four years ago, Liz Bacelar‘s objective was clear. She wanted to put together an event that would successfully bring fashion insiders and tech founders together. Why? because as the world of Fashion Technology grows, so does the demand for events centred around the trending topic #FashionTech.
Born out of a brilliant idea, Decoded Fashion has managed to bridge the gap between two very different industries and connect decision-makers in Fashion, Beauty and Retail with emerging/established technology companies.
Acquired last year by Stylus Media Group for an undisclosed sum, Decoded Fashion has continued to quench the thirst of those enthralled by the growing FashionTech sector. With Emmy nominated Bacelar still heading the company following the buyout, she has continued to expand the brand across the US, Europe, Asia and South America.
Decoded Fashion attracts the likes of entrepreneurs, developers, investors and CMOs. Boasting 96% returning attendees, the event successfully attracts both men (52%) and women (48%). It embraces Fashion, Technology, Retail and Media industries. So why attend? Well the main reasons would be to meet industry leaders, be educated on relevant technologies, attend keynotes/panels and discover who and what are the newest startups from around the globe.
So with all this being said, we wonder, is the former CBS News producer the wake up call that the fashion industry needed? Well some could argue that she has played an integral part in paving the way so fashion’s powers-that-be could open their eyes to the commercial opportunities available when it comes to partnering up with new tech start-ups. On this point Bacelar told The Guardian (London) in a March 2014 interview, “The technology side has been really disconnected about the real opportunities in fashion and lots of tech founders have tried to create solutions or ideas that weren’t based on real knowledge of the industry”. She continued, “on the industry side there was disconnect about the possibilities and a lack of awareness on what was rising”.
Knowing all this, how can we not take our cap off to a woman who has seized the opportunity to launch her first Decoded Fashion event at New York’s famous Lincoln Centre. With #WomenInTech still trending on Twitter since Ellen Pao bought it to the forefront, I guess Bacelar grabbing the bull by the horns and organising 20 FashionTech events across the globe each year should not come as a big surpise. It is the likes of Bacelar who are proving to women everywhere that nothing is impossible, if you truly want it!
So it is with ticket in hand that we are attending the 2 day DECODED Fashion summit in London. Starting on Wednesday 20th May until Thursday 21st May 2015, we look forward to attending an event that promises the opportunity to build partnerships with tech startups, designers, retailers and media professionals. This is the first time we are attending Decoded, so with high expectations we are keeping our fingers crossed tight that we will not be disappointed.
Would you like to attend? Well Decoded Fashion has offered all FashNerd readers a 20% discount. Just use code ‘FASHNERD’. Buy now?
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