Polyvore Love

A few months ago I discovered an intriguing new web resource known as Polyvore. I happen to love collages, and regularly cut out clippings from magazines to put images together into interesting arrangements, so when I ran across this resource I was very excited.

Polyvore essentially puts fashion into the hands of the masses. Instead of designers setting trends, consumers can create their own looks and ensembles by "clipping" images from various sources and pulling theme together into a cohesive whole known as a "set." Users can then publish their sets online in hopes of gaining votes and favorable comments from viewers. This resource is good for online businesses, as links to the sources of images are included in each set that is posted in the Polyvore gallery.

Although the site might have originally been intended as a fashion resource, it has quickly become an incredible place for people to express their creativity online through many types of collage, ranging from magazine-like fashion spreads all the way to interior design layouts or band promos. The image below illustrates just a glimpse of what's possible through this online medium. Meanwhile, I'm excited to share some layouts in the coming months. Until then, why not give it a whirl yourself?

C'est la vie :) by aleks_ on Polyvore.com

Yabbok

a poem, rough cut

Beauty

Can you hear it?

Do you still believe?

Bleak hailstorm turned to flaming sunrise

Tears transformed to bliss

Salt drops

The ache is fresh

Ego bruised

Spirit crushed

Wondering

Wondering where we go from here

Wondering how we got here

And wondering if the heart has wandered

so far as to never return

stuck

Trapped in motion

But not sure which way the train is going

Up is down and down is up

Oh, once it seemed so easy

Conductor, can I get off?

Tangled web of lies

Lost in the milieu

Lost in the memory of you

Why

We want answers

When all we’re often given

is more questions

Tired of questions

Clinging
to forlorn hope

Longing
for tears turned to bliss

The memory

Stings like a bee

Trapped just under the skin

Burning against flesh

For want of release

Heart is heavy

Burden lonesome

Can someone help carry?

Lover

Are you listening?

Tell me

I’m tired of crying outside the door

Waiting

For your repose

A Lofty Facelift

Has anyone noticed the slow rebranding of several retail chains in light of the current economy? One company that has caught my interest in its rebranding efforts is Ann Taylor Loft. From what I can tell, their product selection has not changed all that much, but they are taking a trendier and more youthful approach to marketing. Take the image below for instance:

Image: Ann Taylor Loft

I just got the new holiday mailer last week, and I must say it's the only magazine that came in the mail all week-and that's during the influx of pre-Black Friday mailers, mind you-that I actually kept. The images were catchy, and quite honestly made me want to check out the newest offerings in person.

In addition to changing their marketing approach over the past nine or so months, ATL has also upgraded their website and changed the way they do coupons. All in all, I think that the brand has done an excellent job of repositioning itself to appeal to an enlarged consumer base. Only a few years ago, Loft's target customer was a mid-30-something making around $75K per year. Perhaps the income level hasn't changed, but it seems to me that the target customer may have changed slightly. Their image-particularly the one advertised in their mailers and through their store windows-strikes me as something new for the brand. How to sum in a few words? Sophisticated casual; simple but refined elegance.