Catwalkgenius.com

Catwalkgenius.com is taking the heavily recession-coined term "investment buying" and turning it into a thoughtful initiative that doesn't just mean buying a designer handbag. Providing a platform for young and emerging designers, this UK-based site offers you the chance to buy shares in your chosen designer and publicly help fund their collection via a "crowd-funding" principle. With a realisation that Fashion is becoming more collaborative and inclusive, Catwalk Genius entertains the idea through clever interactive platforms that come not only through buying shares in a designer but also through personal engagement; watching videos of the collections being made and communicating with the designers via personal blogs and Twitter accounts. Aligning to a general evolution in online publishing, previous reliance on being featured on the glossy pages of influential media can now be sidestepped, with the public democratically deciding which fashions will get produced according to their investment choices. Supporters to the site will also find themselves treated with perks and given a somewhat "members" like exclusivity with one-off garments, signed design sketchbooks or seats to a catwalk show, offered as a thank you. So who can get back? London Accessory Queen, Fred Butler, and British menswear talent, Katie Eary (who is launching her first womenswear collection through the site), are the current two stand out names that are fast moving towards their target funds. Yet, international design talent is steadily building and seeking your contributions to share with you a slice of the final profit. Not sure if you want to invest in anyone? Well the site also operates as a retail platform, helping to get young designers connected to a wider audience. Names currently being sold include: SINHA-STANIC, Nicola de Main, LP.BG and Tatty Divine which all ship worldwide.

Tilly Pearman