Third Wave Fashion

Tech Crush Thursday: Garrett Camp

It’s one thing to start a great company that people around the world use on a daily basis, but it is an entirely different thing to start THREE successful internet companies.

This week we are crushing on the man that did just that, Mr. Garrett Camp. Born in Canada, Garrett co-founded StumbleUpon in 2001, later moving the company to San Francisco in 2006. Just a year later, Camp and his co-founder, Geoff Smith, sold the company to eBay for $75 million. He continued to act as the company’s CEO until May 2012 after he stepped down (he remains Stumbleupon’s chairman) to focus on his another one of his ventures, Uber.

Launched in 2010, Uber is a mobile application that connects passengers with drivers of luxury vehicles for hire. The SF based company has raised over $50 million in funding and is solving transportation problems for busy city residents in San Francisco, NYC, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Vancouver, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Philadelphia, Dallas, London, Melbourne, and many more.

Don’t worry, Garrett didn’t stop there. He also started Blackjet, the company that helps consumers book seats on private jets faster than ever. If you struggle to find a last minute seat on a private jet traveling from New York to LA or South Florida, Blackjet is here to help. In 10 seconds, Blackjet will book your seat and guarantee seat availability. All you need is an invite code and you’re good to go.

This 2007 recipient of MIT Technology Review’s TR35 award, has one of the most impressive track records we’ve ever seen. What will he think of next? Only time will tell. 

Image via WSJ.

Tech Crush Thursday: Jennifer Darmour

Here at TWF we are all about the collision of fashion and technology. It’s what we do and it’s what we love. So, you can only imagine how excited we are about the recent movement of wearable technology. Enter Jennifer Darmour, Founder of electricfoxy & Interaction designer at Artefact.

Jennifer’s personal project for wearable technology started while a grad student at Art Center College of Design. She’s developed the award winning Modwells concept, a personal wellness modular, and has gone on to create many other tech integrated textiles.

Keeping to the healthy theme, Jennifer has also revolutionized the way we work out with her project, Move. “For wearable technology to become mainstream, it needs to move beyond the gadgets and really improve people’s lives.” Move is designed to bring together form and function in the gym. Attractive clothing with sensor-packed technology, along with a mobile app and cloud storage, work together to read your body’s position and muscle movement. The program determines if your form is correct, while providing real-time feedback. A trainer built into our workout wear? Yes, please! 

Jennifer’s latest project, Zip, focuses on bringing together fashion and music. The garments have built-in music controls, as well as many other tech-focused features.

If you’re heading to SXSW, be sure to check out her wearable technology event!//

Got a little time? Check out these other fashion tech startups participating at SXSW!

Tech Crush Thursday: Kevin Systrom

With over 100 million users (as announced Tuesday), Instagram has grown from two young guys renting desks, to a record breaking acquisition with Facebook. Although Instagram was launched a little over two years ago, we can’t help but be impressed by the company’s growth and success (not to mention we are more than slightly addicted to the app). 

Welcome, Kevin Systrom, CEO and Co-founder of Instagram, to the TWF Tech Crush Thursday hall of fame! After graduating from Stanford University, Kevin got his first taste of the startup tech world as an intern at Odeo, which later became Twitter. He also worked at Google where he worked on a number of product as well as their corporate development.

In 2012, Systrom and his Co-founder, Mike Krieger, sold the company to Facebook for an announced $1Billion. Although the sale went through, Kevin made sure that Instagram would continue to operate outside of Facebook. He also retained quite a bit of control over the photo-sharing company, allowing him to continue to make important decisions. For example, Kevin decided to remove Instagram photos from Twitter’s news feed, not at the request of Facebook, but to bring users to Instagram’s new website.

Yes, there have been some controversies surrounding the app and recent changes, but with 100 million users in just 28 months, it looks like the man behind Instagram knows what he’s doing.

Wish List Wednesday: iam+

We love our iPhones. In fact, we don’t go anywhere without them. Why? Because taking pictures, sharing them, and then texting our best friends about it is what we do to fill time in between meetings — we love those sacred moments. Thankfully, Will.I.Am and his people have taken this pastime a step further.

Announced in 2012, this Black Eyed Peas star launched the i.am+ foto.sosho iPhone accessories line. These gadgets are a stylish alternative for a wide-angle lens attachment on your camera. There are 3 models of these point-and-shoot beauties and start at about $215 (actual pricing is in Euro). They also come with interchangeable lenses and built-in features for styling sure to take Instagramming to the next level!

Check out this video we got from endgaget about the iam+ line.

Tech Crush Thursday: Adam D’Angelo

From Facebook CTO to Founder and CEO of Quora, Adam D’Angelo is well-known in the tech world to say the least. Launched in early 2010, Quora is a collection of questions and answers, edited and organized by users. Once answers are added, Quora users can up-vote or down-vote said answers, as well as suggest edits to fellow users, in order to measure the user’s legitimacy. 

Recently valued at $400M (according to TechCrunch), Adam has grown Quora into a household name. He also recently announced (just yesterday) that Quora is launching a blogging platform that automatically distributes posts to its Q&A site. Thanks to the company’s voting system, homepage feed, and mobile text editor, anyone with quality content can find readership and grow their following. 

We can’t wait to see what else this young tech genius has up his sleeve. Until then, we will continue to get our answers for life’s questions on Quora. 

Image via Alto Nivel.

Wish List Wednesday: Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson Tech Wallet

We don’t know about you but we spend so much of our time searching in our oversized shoulder bags for all the essential things we need for nights out or client meetings.  You know, phone, ID, cab money, credit cards, event tickets, the works. (Do people even use paper tickets anymore?)  Thankfully, the people at Gryson have figured out an on-trend solution. Whew! 

The Olivia Harris by Joy Gryson Tech Wallet is an absolute must-have this season as business picks up and schedules get booked.  Carry everything you need for every moment of your day in these super chic outfit add-ons and never break a sweat — everything’s organized neatly and completely accessible.  What makes it even better is that they come in amazing colors and patterns to be swapped out year round.

Check out this great video showing off the wallet on Editor Obsessed R29Shops.

Tech Crush Thursday: Chris Sacca

When you’re dubbed as “possibly the most influential businessman in America” by the Wall Street Journal, there is no questioning that you’re going to get our attention.  Chris Sacca is the brilliant mind behind Lowercase Capital, one of the largest venture funds in America with currently more than fifty consumer web, wireless, and mobile tech start-ups under its belt.

Chris began his career in venture funding in not-so-ordinary circumstances as he graduated cum laude from Georgetown University.  He quickly began carving out his space in law and business when he became an attorney in Silicon Valley’s Fenwick & West law firm, and later a Telecommunications, Media and Technology advisor to the 2008 presidential campaign to elect now incumbent, Barack Obama.  After that he was a legal and corporate development executive at Speedera Networks, one of the world’s largest streaming and digital media distribution companies, as well as Head of Special Initiatives at Google Inc. where he founded and oversaw their alternative and wireless divisions. 

When he’s not skiing or giving his time to charity, you can find Chris in the pages of Fast Company and Business Week as well as on networks like CNBC, CNN, NPR, and BBC as an expert in venture capital/capitalism, innovative entrepreneurialism, and value network development (a.k.a disruptive technology.)

Team Tuesday: Meet Leticia Domenech, Third Wave Fashion’s Editorial Intern

TWF: What do you always have with you?

LD: My iPhone (I know, typical), a pen + notebook (for when I want to take notes… old-school style), and matte lipstick.

TWF: When you were a kid what’d you want to be when you grew up?

LD: President of the United States. I’m not done growing up though.

TWF: Since you’re still growing up, what do you want to be now?

LD: A writer - focused on tech, media, cultural vehicles, revolutionary catalysts… and President of the United States.

TWF: What do you love?

LD: Spectacle. I love anything that forces people to gather around it and ask questions. Working in fashion tech allows me to do that on a day-to-day basis. It’s perfection.

TWF: What are your go-to blogs for fashion & tech news info?

LD: Fashionista, Mashable, TechCrunch, & BusinessInsider.

TWF: Who inspires you?

LD: My mom. I think we inspire each other. She’s always worked *super* hard to make sure we grew up in a home that we felt safe in and that we had the things we needed… even if some of those things were more wants than needs. My happiness and frustrations begin and end with her. Wait, is that bad? Scratch that last part.

TWF: Food. Do you have a favorite kind?

LD: Favorite kind: Latin-American, Spanish, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Brazilian… I love scouring Spanish Harlem, the Lower East Side and Washington Heights for dive spots where I can kick back, have a good drink, and feed till my heart’s content. Carb-counting goes out the window on those nights!

TWF: What do you want readers to know about you?

LD: As much as I love fashion, I love politics. There is no shortage of spectacle there either.

TWF: What are your goals with Third Wave Fashion?

LD: The short of it: I want to grow with the company.

The long of it: I want to continue to help shape the editorial/digital content persona of the company and I want to immerse myself in the business acumen set by our founder, Liza.

TWF: What do you love most about working with Third Wave Fashion?

LD: Oh man, Third Wave Fashion is really special. The women I work with and the environment we’ve created is nurturing and creative. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. Sorry, every other business in the world. 

TWF: Do you love living + working in the tech scene in New York City?

LD: YEAH! I grew up here. NYC courses through my veins and I’m loving that startups are choosing to grow their identities here. The personality of this metropolis certainly contributes to companies’ appeal and vigor.