Have you ever walked up to someone on the street or nudged a passerby on the subway and said “I love your [insert clothing or accessory item here!] Where did you get it?” Sure you have, it’s a totally normal thing to do.
What’s not normal? Using your smart phone to clandestinely scan said passersby’s outfit to find out what brands she’s wearing and where to buy them. That’s the idea behind Awear, a new app and device that allows users to identify a product anytime, anywhere.
Think of Awear as the Shazam of fashion: Each clothing item has a scanable chip embedded in it, and anyone with the companion app can scan the item to find out the brand, price, where to buy and availability. But here's the problem: how does Awear convince designers to begin embedding their togs with invisible tags; in order for this app to survive, they're going to have to do a lot of groundwork. If too many users start scanning an item only to discover there's nothing to scan, they'll bail ASAP.
Awear says the app can increase visibility for brands, boost sales and help luxury labels combat counterfeiting, but what’s in it for the wearer? The last thing we need is a total stranger walking up to us and scanning our butt with their iPhone. Gone will be the days of random mood boosters like “You are wearing the hell out of that dress!” and the smug satisfaction of telling a stranger that the limited edition Comme des Garçons pouch they so covet was purchased on a recent Paris trip. Is nothing sacred anymore?
