The Ralph Lauren Rugby brand launched  a “Make Your Own” iPhone application , by which consumers can create their own Rugby shirt directly from their iPhone, which  can now also be done through interactive store windows in select stores..

By using the application and the shop window, customers can customize a Rugby shirt  with patches and lettering,  buy it, email it, post it to Facebook or save it. But if you might wonder how you would look with that particular shirt, you can upload a photo and actually see how it fits you. And by shaking the application, you can change your skin tone ore later your haircut. Afterwards you can share it with others in a public gallery and even rate the creations of others.

On the interactive store windows, all of this can be done by touching the glass with your hand. This means you can customize a shirt at the store anytime day or night, without even going inside.

Source: PSFK, Ralph Lauren Rugby

Just 49 days until my birthday!! So if anyone wants to buy me the perfect birthday gift, check out the customization programme of Leica! I just customized my personal Leica M in just 9 steps and it looks like this …. unfortunately the price is also very impressive (4770 euros).

But as we all know: one has to pay for quality!!

Alice Rawsthorn of the New York Times recently wrote in interesting piece concerning co-design and customisation:

“We can now “co-design” real objects thanks to digital technology, which enables us to communicate directly with manufacturers to personalize aspects of their products. Fancy customizing the style and fit of Nike trainers? Choosing the colors of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses? Specifying the interior of a Fiat 500 car? Rapid manufacturing processes, like the one used by Digital Forming, will soon allow anyone to adjust the shape of objects — and not just to indulge stylistic whims but to make, say, a pen, easier to grip by someone with arthritic hands. There could be environmental benefits, too, as bespoke manufacturing erases the need for stock.”

The full article can be found here.

Ikea Germany launched a campaign in 2007 which put personalisation central. In several shopping malls, the cover of the catalogue was rebuilt. Shoppers were invited to take place in the real life cover and their picture was taken. Five days later, one could pick up their personalised custom example at the nearest Ikea store.

In my opinion it’s a nice example of how a company involved with mass production, finds opportunities in this era of mass customization!

We all know the Nike ID configurator which enables you to build your own Nike shoe. And now - after the shoe - the rest follows! In the new BootRoom at London Oxford Street’s NikeTown, you can create your own customised  Nike football kit for the entire team.

Source: rubbishcorp

I absolutely adore cashmere! It’s so soft ! So I was pretty exited when I found out about Trendy Workshop.

Trendy Workshop is a french fashion platform that allows users to design and buy their own clothing, but also share their designs with other users within the Trendy Workshop community.

Right now, it’s all about cashmere. So the clothes one creates are solely made out of cashmere. But according to co-founder, Tristan de Montebello, the offer will be broadened with cotton this spring. Besides the limitation of  the fabric, the clothes one can design are nowadays only restricted to those of the upper body (tops, sweaters, dresses). However it’s a very nice idea, that works around three major goals: create, buy and share! For the moment 100% French, so deliveries only in France.

Below are two videos in which co-founder Tristan de Montebello explains the concept of Trendy Workshop. Although the first one is in French,  you’d better listen carefully as he also gives some nice washing and ironing tips for cashmere clothing.

Source: Trendy Workshop X En Mode Fashion.com from enmodefashion on Vimeo.

In this second video, a nice quote from Tristan de Montebello, which stresses the need for user input and user research: “Listening to the community will get us to be the best!”

Source: Create your own clothes - Tristan de Montebello @ LeWeb from Tiburon Tv on YouTube