Gregory Saumier-Finch, General Manager, My Virtual Model

Gregory Saumier-Finch

As Louise Guay mentioned in the previous post, My Virtual Model closed in November 2009.  In January 2010 plans to rebuild a new company began:  a new company that would benefit from the many years of technology development as well as the vision from the previous company, but with a more current and open approach. 

 Our new focus is to open up our technology platform to make it available for everyone to create and design with.  Last September, we made a breakthrough enabling virtually any garment on the web to be tried on a Virtual Model with only a few minutes work.  We plan to take this technology – called Quick3D – and bring it to market so people around the world can visualize outfits and mix & match.   I believe in placing the technology in the hands of people to let them innovate remarkable user experiences.  You are welcome to follow our progress at corpo.mvm.com.

Hopefully we will continue to work with Louise in the future and create mash-ups with her Responsive City, Augmented Reality and Neogeography projects.  I can’t wait to see how people use My Virtual Model with e-commerce sites, mobile closets, personal shoppers, fashion consulting, games and more.  

 The Weight Loss Simulator will continue to be supported, due to popular demand.  The new Virtual Model platform will not only allow people to see their start and goal weights as before, but  will enable sites to build their own weight loss experience. 

 We hope to be doing more projects in collaboration with Elaine Polvinen in the future.  In the meantime, your feedback and ideas are very welcome.   

Gregory Saumier-Finch, February 2010 

Part I of this post: Louise Guay            : What I Am Up To

Louise Guay: What I Am Up To

Louise Guay

Louise Guay, founder of My Virtual Model and now consultant on Virtual Identity and Women Economy

Elaine was kind enough to invite me in her blog to make an update about MVM, myself and what I am up to. Thank you Elaine.

MVM

MVM was closed last November. It has reopened in January and Gregory, my ex-colleague, is describing his new challenge in the next post. Gregory has been at my side from the beginning, knows the vision and product inside out, and I have total confidence he will bring in a fun and useful product to women, and men as well: Quick3D as a solution to transform a clothing picture into a tryable item.

Outside MVM

As the founder of MVM, I decided to work on what has been my vision since the inception of the company: the Virtual Identity and the Women Economy. From now on, I am doing it outside of MVM. My sixth sense tells me that MVM’s road and mine might meet again in the future.

A Retailer for FitsMe?

As a consultant, I am advising FitsMe, an Estonian company which created a robot working as a visual sizing tool. The robot can take scanner data or any user measurement input, and shapes itself accordingly. We are looking for a retailer to test the proof of concept in the US. FitsMe made a first test run with a European retailer and it was a great success. Less return, more sales, and more trust for users. If there’s a US retailer interested, please contact us!!

Responsive City, Augmented Reality and Neogeography

Extending the Virtual Identity from fashion to environment design and architecture.

I am also working as the expert on Virtual Identity in MIT’s “Responsive City” project. Boston, Sao Paolo, Helsinki, Tokyo, Sydney and Montreal are now part of it.

The project I am leading in Montreal is the “Urban Legend/BIXIWIKI”. It is a social innovation initiative. To renew cities by local community approach, local search economy and geolocalized proximity advertisement (an extension of Virtual Identity) is a true post-recession and economic recovery effort. It is a very tangible and concrete trend.

Of course, what really counts in a town is people, where they are gathering, places they like and experiences they share in these places. To allow citizens to express what they really like, to show the spots they go to with their friends on interactive wiki maps, is to give back cities to their citizens. Urban planners need this type of feedback in order to better plan new city features, People know how to use their imagination and power to create personal maps and like neogeographers, to design their own town.

Using Google’s or other collaborative maps and strolling in Montreal with their Bixi bikes (a new local self-served bike rental service with GPS-mounted chips) people are expressing their social and citizen attitude with an innovative and communicative sense. Digital natives will participate to the project through their virtual world games, interfacing the virtual and the real. We hope that they will be eager to test some augmented reality apps on their mobiles.

The “Urban Legend/BIXIWIKI” is just the beginning, a proof of concept. With Google’s collaborative maps, users will tag their favorite places, comment and share them. Local merchants will be encouraged to claim their registration on Google Yellow Pages, now an integral part of Google Maps. A major player in hair products will ask their hairdressers to claim their own registration page. Using a multiplatform approach, they will offer services to users through geolocalized proximity advertisement. Merchants can easily offer rebates and mobile online coupons. As a matter of facts, they will be subsidizing Bixi rental fees at the same time. A very interesting economic model!

We are planning to deliver a website, mobile applications and games. As there are many events in Montreal during the summer, festivals and other event organizers will join us to offer these services to tourists. Once it works, it will extend to car sharing services, pedestrians and anybody interested in co-designing their neighborhood.

Future of Fashion, Luxury and Virtuality

Luxury groups in Asia are also eager to use virtual identity to make their clients’ life better. I expand my vision of Virtual Identity and Women Economy in some projects in China. Virtual trips can be great attractions in stores or online. Using interactive wiki maps as platforms to distant cities and your body as interface is a cool way to travel (walking in cities is a contemporary art form, as someone said…)

Louise Guay, February 2010

Next Post: Gregory Saumier-Finch, General Manager, My Virtual Model

Technology Day at FIT Part V: MVM Louise Guay

Technology Day at FIT: Teaching and learning in Four Dimensions

This brings us to the closing remarks: Virtual Identity and Visual Search was to be presented by Louise Guay, PhD., Founder and President of My Virtual Model [MVM].  I was extremely disappointed that Ms Guay was unable to make it to the Technology Day conference but she did manage to send a video of he presentation. I am including it here .

Louise mentions and illustrates how the Virtual Model and Virtual Home applications augment the users power to extend themselves. She mentions some of the ever expanding brands that MVM works with. She speaks about how the BrandMe application provides the user with access to mix and match (and save) multiple brands as well as post the virtual model to e-mail, blogs or a variety of social sites including FaceBook.

She is very excited about the new MVM Visual Search application and explains when and where it will be released. The video illustrates the data base visual search application that will enable the user to try on literally any product.

Link to my FLICKR images from the conference.

© 2008 All Rights Reserved.

Technology Day at FIT – Part IV

Technology Day at FIT: Teaching and learning in Four Dimensions

Panel Presentation: Preparing the Next Generation of Industry Executives for the next Generation of Marketing Tools: YouTube and More. Susan Reda, Executive Director of Stores Magazine, Kathy Savitt, Chief Marketing Officer, American Eagle Outfitters & David Polinchock, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Brand Experience Lab.

Ms. Savitt began speaking about AEO – American Eagle Outfitters. Their mission is to be generous with their brand. She stated that, “Content is King, distribution is Queen and the Arch Duchess.”

77E is a dedicated unscripted content entertainment platform on A&E. MTV will run the show. It has unscripted content with social community building blocks via Stylehive, a new media application. Stylehive is a social community where users can share and bookmark trends. [note: another similar community is Stylefeeder]

No sharing between divisions was mentioned by David Polinchock as an example of a growth stifling issue within a company. [note: that is also true in an educational institution.] He went on to state that some of the rules are changing with new instant social community media. An example was described about a customer that had a very unpleasant experience trying on clothing at a well-known retailer – the experience was “twittered” from the dressing room and was immediately picked up and amplified by multiple blogs.

YouTube was mentioned as a new media and postings of the The Charmin Potty Party promotion. The Charmin Potty Party was group of custom designed Charmin Bathrooms set up in Times Square as a Christmas gift to New Yorkers in 2006.

An example of a brand that uses new media technology to their advantage is Zappos. They made use of Twitter  as a promotional community marketing and promotional tool by selecting someone from their Twitter community for a free pair of shoes.

The panel mentioned some  top leaders in the next generation marketing and why they stand out.

• Zappos Twitter channel – they are using new channels and helping people engage.
• E-Shirts – took an industry that never changed and to rethink how they do business.
• Nike ID on  Facebook– a consumer destination for designing personalizing and customizing NIKEID footwear, apparel and equipment.
• Webkinz – building a social marketing community

When something is launched online there is immediate attention. Relevance is now the criteria. Unscripted content like concerts, music, spring break is not vulnerable but scripted content is vulnerable because when you create scripted content you may get comments that you don’t want.

The panelists felt Second Life would evolve into a mixed reality. They mentioned some RL business ventures and why they “dabbled” in SL but then abandoned it after 12-18 months. Many business people walked away perhaps because they did not take the time to truly understand how to integrate the RL and the virtual world experiences. Businesses did not want to get involved if they did not want to deliver a unique and compelling experience.

One of the biggest problems with a brand trying new things is that they don’t understand the media. Unless they really make a commitment and find their voice they will be lost. The definition of success differs from brand to brand. If the focus is “only” on the product or “only” on the brand you could get in trouble with your message but if focus is “only” on the customer then stupid irrelevant material will not be developed if new media is your content.

The panel discussed “standards” on a site. They stated that standards can be limiting but some people go to a place specifically because they have standards. There is room a a lot of different options regarding standards.

How new marketing tools could impact marketing strategies was a topic of discussion. New media is an unbelievable opportunity to get customer data. [note: the new viral marketing tool that MVM has developed for retailers popped into my mind at this point]

New media:

• offers a way for companies to get smart.
• empowers companies to directly engage with their customer base.
• enables creation of a customer community that can be integrated into a company Website.
• provides branding authenticity.
• provides companies the opportunity to engage outside of the bricks and mortar.

Because of the new media tools – people are using brands to do more. And finally the most important statement for last  – companies that focus and serve customers will take on a level of honesty that is contagious.

Raymond Yee, Author of Pro Web 2.0 Mashups: Remixing Data and Web Services presented “Create Mashups to make the Web Your Own.”

Raymond gave an excellent demonstration of what is involved in building a customized mashup with the Pipes Web application. He also demonstrated the Picnik application that is integrated into FLICKR  to photo edit images on the Web.

 Raymond also spoke about the Open Source FLICKR viewer in Sl.  Here is a link to an article about it. This is a fantastic development! Up until now we had to upload each image that was needed to present a slide presentation in SL for $10L each upload. Now it will be possible to use our FLICKR images to project into SL.

 …to be continued.

Link to my FLICKR images from the conference.

© 2008 All Rights Reserved.

OptiTex/Siemens#3: FIT Technology Bernina MyLabel

An innovative example of a strategic product development partnership that resulted from the parametric sizing technology between Siemens PLM Software, OptiTex and Bernina resulted in the new Bernina MyLabel product. The Bernina MyLabel product has the potential to transform the home sewing market.

[press release 28.01.2008 Siemens PLM Software Announces New Use Of D-Cubed 2D DCM In Garment Design Software Industry]

Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of Siemens Industry Sector and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, and OptiTex Limited of Israel, a leader in 2D and 3D CAD/CAM fashion and textile design software, today announced the use of the D Cubed™ 2D Dimensional Constraint Manager (2D DCM) parametric solver by OptiTex in the My Label application for home-based fashion designers. My Label is licensed by OptiTex to their partner Bernina International for shipping with Bernina’s sewing machines.

 MyLabel is an innovative 3D FIT Technology product that was recently introduced to the home sewing industry. The concept behind MyLabel is very simple, “good fit is everything!” It is a response to the home sewers demand for the mass customization and personalization trend that is being met by creative linkages. The response to the introduction of this product has been exceptionally positive – apparently home sewers have been anxiously waiting for a good fit solution!

 

Is it a pattern making software? No it’s a “fit” application. There are about twenty classic garment pattern styles programmed into MyLabel. Accurate measurements are everything so Bernina has a MyLabel measurement kit and offers classes in how to take accurate measurements [if customers feel the need]  at the Bernina franchises.

 

Once the user inputs in their personal measurements the 3D dress form avatar/mannequin morphs into a body size reflection of the user. There is a large fabric library to select fabrics or the user can scan in a fabric swatch of their own to view on the garment. The user has a wide choice of buttons, embroidery or machine stitches to select from in their custom MyLabel garment development. There is a limited pattern modification available for users to shorten, lengthen, widen and narrow existing styles.

Once the garment is completed the user can save, print or e-mail the customized 3D model to friends or post it on to a blog. The pattern can be printed tiled and then taped together or the user can take the file to a copy center and have it printed out on a wide scale printer. Step by step instructions are also available to be printed out for each pattern.

Here is a link to a blogger that actually purchased and is using the MyLabel application. She has feedback and images of several MyLabel custom projects.

Here is a link to the Bernina Gallery.

The MyLabel application has a free download trial version so you can see for yourself how it works if you are interested.

I got a kick out of reading this blog entry in the “Patterns, Fabric and Thread – Oh My.” blog. The entry is titled, “Hey looks, it’s me!,” is dated Sunday, November 18, 2007 when the writer first heard about the MyLabel product and downloaded the demo.

All I can say after observing the positive home sewer market response to using 3D virtual avatar/mannequins in Bernina MyLabel is that industry and education better respond to the rapid transformations taking place in technology as well or they will be either out of business or obsolete.

Previous OptiTex posts:

• OptiTex#2: FIT Technology 
• OptiTex#1: Outside of the Box Technology 
• It’s a Reality: OptiTex Enables Total Integration 2D>3D>2D Fashion Product Development

OptiTex#2: FIT Technology

From a product development perspective, the dress form avatar/mannequin is the most important element in a creation of the garment, this is where the measurements are determined and the final look and feel helps determine whether the garment really fits or not. According to Yoram Burg, President of OptiTex, initially the market did not accept the virtual prototyping so openly only two years ago.

Modulate is a critical part of the OptiTex solution to developing accurate fit.
The application is a unique interactive, parametric, one of a kind, made-to-measure software engine. Each parametric style fits a particular set of dimensions that belong to specific people or represent particular manufacturing requirements. This enables brands to develop their own individual and customized set of sizing standards based on the targeted brand market user.

Dispite the advancements in technology, there still was initial skepticism with regards to avatars accurately reflecting real life (RL) measurements. OptiTex technology has come a long way since then and additional new technology developments as well as creative and strategic partnerships and/or linkages with companies, developers and educational institutions have made customers realize [and experience for themselves] that a well designed avatar/mannequin and a well designed multi-dimensional product for manufacture as well as marketing is something that is based on accurate information and the highest quality rendering/annimation/cloth engines.

The benefits of using 3D avatar/ mannequins for fashion product development are perfect fit, mass customization, cost effectiveness for design, development, prototyping and e-commerce marketing.

3D Customized Avatar/ Mannequins

A variety of well-designed accurate 3D avatar/ mannequins and customized accessories are continually being developed at Optitex. The company is actively seeking partnerships with makers of widely used industry forms to develop specialized plug-ins that will replicate avatar/ mannequins for well known industry forms such as Alvaform. [pictured below]

The 3D avatar/ mannequins currently under development have a wide range of body types and represent many age groups. The are fat and muscular controls [pictured above] as well as advanced posture controls [pictured below].

 

Individual companies can choose to develop their own customized set of avatar/ mannequins [based on their targeted brand customer] by having their fit models input their body scans into the OptiTex system. [example of body scan input pictured below]

 

 

Body scan data can be set to be linked into the OptiTex application.

 

Annimated FIT Technology

The OptiTex application will also be introducing animated FIT technology (above video) in V10 in 2008. This animated FIT technology enables the user to animate the custom sized avatar/ mannequin while wearing the custom designed garment and visually analyze the garment fit during wearer movements.

Other Optitex Posts:

• OptiTex/Siemens#3: FIT Technology Bernina MyLabel 
• OptiTex#1: Outside of the Box Technology 
• It’s a Reality: OptiTex Enables Total Integration 2D>3D>2D Fashion Product Development
   

OptiTex#1: Outside of the Box Technology

When it comes to rendering, cloth simulation and animation OptiTex is a company that places a high value on developing strategic partnerships and/or linkages with the leaders in the rendering and animation industry.

One such company is Mental Images. According to their Website Mental Images:

“- is the recognized international leader in providing rendering and 3D modeling technology to the entertainment, computer-aided design, scientific visualization, architecture, and other industries that require sophisticated images.”

Mental Images is the company OptiTex worked linked with to develop their Cloth Simulation to “breathe” life into the fabric. Watch the Dancing Dress video below…

New technology linkages are taking place and developing every day that result in new products and services that were unimaginable just a short time ago. User response is inspiring more new technological partnerships and linkages. Users are also the driving force of the mass customization and personalization trend. Technology is advancing and changing so fast today that it is literally an impossible company mission to try to develop all technological advances in-house. Thinking and linking “outside the box” really is a requirement for new technology based products and services today.

Judging by the partnerships and/or collaborations and/or linkages already developed by OptiTex – this is a company that continually reaches out to create mutually beneficial relationships with other companies in a multitude of other areas.

Enter DAZ... in May of 2007 OptiTex bridged the 3D animation and rendering worlds with the fashion product development world by partnering with DAZ to develop a 3D dynamic clothing solution which will be included as part of the version 2.0 release of DAZ|Studio, the free 3D art software.

 For those of you that are not familiar with DAZ, they are a “developer of professional quality 3D models and software.” The DAZ application is free to download – the user pays for the content as it is needed – it’s a great concept. Here is the DAZ download page

Here is a link to the press release announcing their collaboration. DAZ also offers premier 3D software programs such as Bryce 5 (a 3D environment package), and Mimic Pro (a 3D lip-sync program)

Another “thinking outside of the box” partnership you may have heard of is the integration of the OptiTex multi dimensional product development application into the Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style show on Bravo. Here is a link to the Tim Gunn Guide to Style video.

Brides.com uses the OptiTex application as a pre-marketing  custom fit tool for their customers. Potential customers can select a body type and try on several bodices and skirts to get a visual feeling for what the garment style will look on their body type “before” they order.

An outstanding example of creative integration of OptiTex and mass customization and personalization marketing technology is the Nike custom shoe Designer and team uniform builder. Here is a link to the Nike Women’s Shoe Designer -and don’t forget the Nike Team Uniform Builder.

Just look over the OptiTex partial client list and you will see clients from the aeronautics, upholstery, automotive, industrial fabrics, and apparel industry as well as a growing list of educational institutions.

 A creative collaboration has recently been announced bewteen OptiTex and  international fashion designer Kozomara  [link to press release 08.02.2008 Kozomara and OptiTex Spark Creative Partnership]

One of the most recent new product successes that is the result of an innovative new product partnership is the Bernina MyLabel. This new product has the potential to transform the home sewing market. I will detail it more in a future post in this series.

This post is the first in a series that focuses on new technology developments currently taking place at OptiTex.

Other OptiTex Posts:

• OptiTex/Siemens#3: FIT Technology Bernina MyLabel 
• OptiTex#2: FIT Technology 
• It’s a Reality: OptiTex Enables Total Integration 2D>3D>2D Fashion Product Development

Part IV MVM in 2008 – From Online Shopping Catalogs to the Era of Personalized Fashion Magazines

Louise Guay sees the online shopping trends moving from a catalog era to a fashion magazine era – where the user is at the center. The world of catalogs has evolved and people are more into the fashion, the fun and the design  – individual creativity will be able to be expressed in the 21st century.
 

Shopping with the fashion magazine concept is something that is currently available with a product like StyleFeeder (personal shopping engine). What is different with Dressing Room and Showroom will be the user interactivity and the additional personalization, search and stylized outfitting search components.

Components like the ability to import any 2D picture on the Web – it will be like developing and creating a personalized Fashion Book. Development of a Fashion Book is what a designer creates when they are preparing a new collection for the season. The user will have the ability to bring in any product even if it’s not tryable and to move it around and rearrange it on the fashion board. It will be a great inspirational tool for students to create fashion trend boards.
 

The user can now superimpose their own face on their MVM model. With the StyleFeeder enhancements, the user can bring in any product from the Web in 2D, MVM is adding the capacity to cutout individual items and outfit – which means that the user can combine 2D and 3D items to become the fashion stylist of the personalized Fashion Book. Each product that is posted on the style display page is set to be recommendable by the user because Style Feeder has a recommendation engine.

Products can be rated by the user and when a user clicks on a particular product, it will trigger synchronous ads for similar products linked to an ad network manager, so the ads will be customized to individual.
 
Users can currently apply makeup on their personalized avatar face. MVM is currently working with another collaborator to integrate these makeover solutions – for the personalized face into the BrandMe Dressing Room application. They will be able to apply makeup, change hair color and style and place the personalized modifications to complete the look on to their own outfitting fashion style board. The user will also have the option to upload their own fashion items. The expanded Dressing Room and Showroom applications that are the result of the MVM/StyleFeeder partnership are scheduled to be released March or the beginning of April, 2008.
 
Louise Guay is very proud and believes in what MVM is developing to reflect the user centric personalization trends that retailers and users are espousing.

[end of ths series]

Part III MVM in 2008 – Adding Value and Brand Loyalty for Retailers

What can the Dressing Room and Showroom outfitting visual display solutions do for the user and the retailer? The upcoming Dressing Room and Showroom outfitting concepts will empower users to create their own individualized personal style fashion books and/or catalogs. They can add value (by increasing the average order) for retailers by driving the top line along with an expansive product assortment from 2D and 3D catalogs. The result will be to drive customer satisfaction to build brand loyalty as well as to acquire new users from the social networking world.

 

 The Dressing Room and Showroom solutions will enable customers to help make the best purchase decisions by seeing the complete look prior to purchasing. The solutions will also provide a platform for the retailer and customer to have a private conversation. The user can shop from the expansive 2D and 3D catalogs where they can visually search for the desired items for fashion including a variety of fashion and accessories or home fashion products including kitchen, bedroom, patio or recreation room.
 

For fashion the user can mix and match apparel and accessories and create their own fashion look ala fashion magazines. Every item will not be tryable because the world is not yet totally available in 3D – but 2D and 3D are combined for the user to access ALL the products.  A personalized style or look can be developed and shared with a group of friends, stored in a personal closet or posted to a fashion network. In turn retailers can then present a targeted product recommendation based on user profile and behavior.
 

The same visual search and sharing concepts and features can be integrated into the Showroom solution. The user will be able to personalize a variety of virtual rooms. Everything that lives together, from major appliances to linens, can be visualized all in one place. User can compare multiple items, to help make the best purchase decision.

The user will be able to create multiple rooms and can add items from the favorites listing to complete a look or to help make purchase decisions. The user will also be able to upload items to complete a customized style or look. They will have access to 2D and 3D catalogs that they can use to furnish and/or decorate multiple rooms (that can be compared, saved, printed, shared and published to a social networking site) with their own personalized style.

Next and last post in this series: Part IV MVM in 2008 – From Online Shopping Catalogs to the Era of Personalized Fashion Magazines

Part II MVM in 2008 – Personalized Shopping Experiences That Connects Users and Advertisers

Currently, MVM company products are being developed primarily as tools for merchants. The tools being developed are user centric and MVM is actively partnering with merchants/retailers to better serve a new era of personalization where it’s all about new personalized advertising and shopping experiences. Guay feels that the real value for merchants is for MVM to develop tools that will empower people in their lives not only to shop in the digital/virtual world but to augment and extend reality to facilitate visual goals in the real world as well.
 
According to Gray, BrandME, I am the Brand is the first social shopping platform that connects advertisers and the users. It is targeted for the apparel, footwear & accessories and home décor market segments As stated in a previous posting BrandMe is a social shopping experience that is focused on the desires, needs and wants of the user. The user can personalize, mix-and-match, create looks, and then share them with their friends and social networks.
 
What is different now with the Dressing Room and Showroom is the integration of expansive 2D and 3D catalogs and powerful search tools to empower users to create thei own personalized fashion look book. The StyleFeeder collaboration has contributed to this expansion of services to include the 2D catalogs and intuitive search tools. This translates into increased time spent on advertiser and publisher sites.

Advertisers/Publishers will also have the ability to create and serve real time targeted relevant, actionable, and non-intrusive advertisement to users as well as the ability to gain insights (correlations between selected items) on user behaviors to optimize their target strategy.

Next Post: Part III MVM in 2008 -  Adding Value and Brand Loyalty for Retailers

Part I MVM in 2008 – Actively Seeking New Partnerships & Collaborations

Exciting developments are continuing to evolve at MVM.
 
In mid-November, 2007 I posted a four part series of an interview I conducted with Louise Guay, president and founder of My Virtual Model.
 
In the Part III posting: Part III: MVM BrandME – A Social Shopping Virtual Identity Experience (SSVIE) Guay spoke of goals for MVM  to establish itself as a World Leader in virtual identity as well as for MVM to provide and enhance the real world’s shopping, personal management, and social experience in the digital world.
 
In the part IV posting: Part IV: MVM – Competitive Advantage in the Near Future (BrandME – Personal ID),   Guay spoke about the company adding BrandMe to Facebook as well as plans to enable the user to upload their face for their personalized virtual model. MVM announced the release of the of the Face application to their personalized virtual model  December 4th, 2007, [BrandMe I Am the Brand Introduces The Face]  
 
During the course of the interview in Part IV, Guay expressed MVM plans to integrate intuitive visual product searches into the BrandMe application. Guay stated that MVM is always open to establishing new partnerships that can result in a more expanded personalized shopping experience for the user.
 
Over the semester break, I contacted Ms. Guay to find out what other new applications and/or partnerships were going to be introduced in the near future. She was very excited and happy to share a preview with me illustrating MVM’s new partnership with  StyleFeeder - a bookmarking (personal shopping) fashion tool  that will substantially empower the user by expanding personalized user options and functions for the Dressing Room and Showroom BrandMe applications as well as offering a variety of personalized advertising and marketing enhancements for retailers. The current MVM agenda is virtual identity, personalization, user generated fashion lookbook creation, outfitting solution, social shopping and targeted advertisement.
 
For the user, MVM’s personalized BrandMe visual search functions will be dramatically expanded and the 3D personalized models will incorporate 2D items as well to enable the user to become an editor of their own personal fashion style lookbook. The integrated unique product search engines and personalized visual display and social sharing functions will empower the user to develop personalized outfitting visual display solutions to mix and match a variety of 2D and 3D fashion garments and accessories to create and share a unique personalized styling look. The art of fashion styling will be democratized so that every user can become the editor of their own online fashion magazine.
 
The goal for the MVM virtual model is for it to be totally user centric and at the same time invite additional brands to adopt BrandMe. New brands using the BrandMe application will have the capacity to reach a new demographic using these collaborative applications. The fashion style lookbook that can be developed using Dressing Room and Showroom can easily be placed on major publishers sites like i-village. Most important and empowering is that “any” user will be able to develop and create a variety of personalized visual display concepts that can easily be embedded on many social sites.

Next post: Part II MVM in 2008 -  Personalized Shopping Experiences That Connects Users and Advertisers

China: Virtual Red Star Rising

I don’t know if you are aware of the various virtual world activities that have been taking place in China in the last several years… if your not – you should be because there is one gargantuan virtual project that has the potential to “rock” the status quo of western economies and transform product development, sourcing, distribution and retailing on a global scale.

Chinese Second Life Competitors

There is an excellent review and detailed comparison of the two primary Chinese Second Life competitors, Hipihi and Novoking in the Masters of the Media blog post dated 10/24/07 by Pieter-Paul Walraven  titled,  Virtual Worlds in Modern China.

Novoking allows users to integrate popular 3D graphics software like Maya and 3DMax. Hipihi as lots of features and a fast learning curve compared to Second Life. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Chinese government regulates virtual worlds.

The Paul Walraven post has multiple links to additional sources for both Hipihi and Novoking.

Linden Lab entered into an agreement with RTMAsia recently to have RTMAsia act as direct representatives for Linden Lab in China, responsible for the development of business partnerships, management of business operations and liaison with media and industry bodies.

VIRTUAL RED STAR RISING: CRD

The Beijing Cyber Recreation District is the one gargantuan virtual project that has the potential to “rock” the status quo of western economies. There have been posts about this project since the beginning of 2007. This virtual mega project currently underway in Beijing incorporates partnerships between private industry and the Chinese government. I guess government “partnerships” are the way the Chinese government will solve the virtual regulation issue.

The Beijing Cyber Recreation District is the “online counterpart” to Beijing’s China Recreation District (CRD), a real-world mega-project that will boast entertainment and shopping; the center is set to open in time for the 2008 Olympics, according to the AP, the Beijing Cyber Recreation District with support from the Chinese government is currently undertaking the worlds largest (80 square kilometer complex) virtual world development. As of 11/26/07, over 200 game and multi-media content producers were currently working on site in western Beijing.

According to an article in the Virtual World News 11/26/07 titled, “China’s Grand Virtual Worlds Plan – A First Hand Look.”

“The CRD’s goal is to create a virtual economy providing infrastructure and platforms through which any business – not just those based in China – can come in world and sell their real-world products and services.  While a concerted effort will be placed on bringing Chinese businesses and consumers in world, the effort is worldwide and open to businesses and consumers from any country.  The entire project is expected to launch in June 2008.”

Here is a link to an article from Gigaom titled, “Chinese Government Gets Into Virtual World Business,” by Wagner James Au, 11/27/07 that has more information on the project.

An article in Computer Weekly titled, “China uses virtual worlds to transform business,” by John Riley, posted 11/02/07 states that the CRP project currently underway in Beijing plans:

“- to use virtual worlds to supply customized goods to consumers across the globe. So far 200 manufacturers have ­located to the physical CRP site, ready to receive orders from virtual world customers when the project formally opens next summer, prior to the Beijing Olympic Games.”

Clothing manufacturers will be the first group to offer the service. On 11/14/07 it was announced that the CRD signed Berkam Group, one of the world’s largest clothing makers and the first entrant into the Virtual Economic Zone.  The CRD is committed to developing an open, secure and accessible environment that can easily handle currency conversions. Wow this is really a big deal that can totally transform product design, development, sourcing and supply chain.
The article the goes on to say:

“Swedish companies are leading the way in collaboration. Paynova is providing international online payment services, and MindArk, which produces the Entropia Universe virtual world, is helping provide a virtual world infrastructure. CRP is also working with MasterCard, Visa and the China Everbright Bank to build a financial platform, and with suppliers including IBM.”

Gemma Simpson in her article titled, “China’s virtual plans are out of this world,” 06/06/07 in silocon.com states:

“An estimated 10,000 jobs will be created in China on the back of this deal, with staff working from home inside the Entropia Universe.”

According to an AP article in MSNBC, 10/15/07 titled “China plans virtual world for commerce,” the Beijing CRD will evolve into a “far bigger” version of e-bay.

In fact, the CRD founders state that this virtual world project “will help the manufacturing superpower evolve into an e-commerce juggernaut.” Whew, that is a scary concept because a “juggernaut” is a force that is unstoppable and will crush everything in it’s path. Read that last sentence defining a “juggernaut” over – slowly – several times.

A primary goal of the project is to promote just-in-time manufacturing and to get rid of the middleman by providing “direct links between tens of thousands of Chinese manufacturers and millions of individual customers around the world. “

In the AP article in Linexinsider by Rachel Konrad posted 10/27/07 titled, “China’s Virtual World Plans,” Chi Tau Robert Lai, chief scientist of the virtual world states that the ambitious Beijing CRD virtual world project,” in addition to connecting factories with people outside China, the project will allow businesses outside China to tap the nation’s burgeoning middle class.”

The Victor Keegan article I posted earlier from the Guardian  titled, “Virtual China looks for real benefits,” expresses concerns about what will be left for the western world to do to generate $$$ if this Chinese virtual world directly connects  manufacturers to the consumer and eliminates the middle man.  Right now the western worlds are benefiting financially from huge wholesale and retail markups on Chinese manufactured goods. I have to be honest – from the individual point of view as a consumer and from the perspective of an entrepreneur this is exciting news but what effect will this have on the overall western economies? I guess we will all have to adjust to the transformational changes this project has the potential to trigger. There are some cynics out there regarding the feasibility of success with attaining the CRD goals but I have absolutely no doubt at all that the Chinese will succeed in all of the goals (including Interoperability, secure virtual ID and open access) they have set out for this virtual mega-world project.  One thing I do know is that the US economists and pundits either are in a state of denial or they have absolutely no understanding about the transformational impact this virtual project can have on the current world status quo. They also consistently underestimate China’s strategic long-term focus – they are deluding themselves.

The Chinese Virtual world, “now under construction, will have all the infrastructure (server farms, communication links, electricity, banking links, logistics etc) needed to make this the world’s one-stop shop for consumers and producers.”

The Keegan article goes on to state that the current planning is for 150 million avatars and 7 million on at any one time but planning is underway for “billions of avatars” that will eventually be supported. Seven million avatars on at one time totally blows away the current Second Life capacity of about 40,000 at any one time.

According to the CDR.GOV.CN site on a 11/08/07 posting

“The fast growth of the virtual world industry drives lots of governments in the world thinking that to own the key technologies of virtual world will be the quickest way to become the winner of international economy in the future. ‘China Virtual Economy District’ has provided an idea of a brand-new business model of virtual world industry to help traditional enterprises become virtual enterprises easily.”

The implications and impact of this Chinese virtual world currently under development will have on western economies cannot be overstated, The ultimate goal is to repeat in the virtual world what China has already accomplished in manufacturing!

reBang has an excellent post on this subject titled, When Retail Goes Virtual.

The next Virtual Worlds Conference will be April 3-4, 2008 in NYC.

Virtual Worlds Management Industry Forecast 2008

Virtual Worlds & China….

Read this post from SL@FIT:

China and Virtual Worlds: The Competition Gets Stiffer

 

Part IV: MVM – Competitive Advantage in the Near Future (BrandME – Personal ID)

Louise Guay: Founding President of My Virtual Model feels that BrandME is a total social shopping virtual identity experience. MVM will soon be redesigning their Website based on BrandME and visual search.

 In the very near future, MVM will launch The Face. The user can activate a wizard to put a picture of their face into BrandME. The user will then trace the contour and refine it with Photoshop or a program like the Face wizard.

In January 2008, the user will be able to put facial makeup on and change hair color and hairstyles. The face, hair and makeup features will be launched separately on the Sears site but they will always be part of BrandME on the MVM site.

BrandME will also include a user ID feature to protect the users virtual identity.
MVM currently works with companies like Fidelity, Bank of America.  Big corporations are seriously looking at the virtual identity concept because as people are revealing so much personal information and storing it –they need to have the protection, safety and support of big companies.

This user ID feature would contain the users scan, size and the ability to bring it into any stores so that different brands could be mixed and matched. Sears is a very vanguard company that has partnered with MVM on several projects including the BrandME personal platform. Sport companies such as Speedo and Adidas are also very vibrant and dynamic and eager to participate. People can even try the customized T-Shirts that a company like Spreadshirt developed to allow the user to create their own designs. Or perhaps the user can create their own customized chinos and jeans with a company like Archetype or custom garments with OptiTex. The user can store their favorite fashion items in their personal closet. They can post their favorite items on StyleFeeder (a personal bookmaking tool for fashion items).

Doubleclick helps BrandME apply the affiliate program to reward the user. So with DoubleClick, MVM has a revenue model that comparable to a product placement. The brands become advertiser and they pay $5 per 1000 try ons and MVM shares the revenue with the publisher. When the user brings the brand into their personal space MVM will reward them with the affiliate program.

BramdME also has a unique visual search tool  – If you are looking for a one piece swimwear, you first select the straps, front, back that you want. Once you are happy, select the color and then search.

In the near future the user will not select from images of styling elements. In the future the user will sketch by placing points directly onto the virtual model. When they get to a point they like it, then they can search. They can search at any moment. The user can then even add texture to the swimwear and they can see what they will look like if they lose weight at any time.

The user can send their model to themselves as well as to fourteen other social sites. BrandME is very eco – friendly, friends can dress up each other virtual avatar models as well as rate them.

Louise inquired if her discussion and visual presentation about MVM’s past, present and future with BrandME matched my expectations. Her presentation was exceptional and went far beyond my expectations.  MVM is focused and positioned to achieve their mission to create the standard for the virtual identity.

Link to the MCPC 2007 Proceedings
MCPC 2007 NEWS

Part III: MVM BrandME – A Social Shopping Virtual Identity Experience (SSVIE)

Louise Guay: Founding President of My Virtual Model explained that MVM is primarily a retailer and brand oriented company, their initial revenue model was selling licenses. Today they are introducing BrandME – I am the Brand and it says everything. BrandME is all about the user because the user driving the show today.

Guay went on to say users always want to create their avatars humanlike and photorealistic when they shop but the discussion at the MCPC 2007 also focused on imagining that people will be able to control their identity which will result in a high security program for the user and the merchant.

Guay easily imagines that people controlling and managing their profiles containing multiple avatars. Sometimes they will use a cartoon avatar when they want to play games or another type of avatar if they want to attend a conference or date in Second Life or other virtual worlds. They will also use their avatar model to shop because they trust the virtual identity program.

I told Louise that I started reading about Brand ME on the MVM site trying to understand the concept. After I joined FaceBook and added BrandME as an application to my FaceBook page, I realized that BrandME was a type of social networking tool/platform.

Guay said that in the near future more and more brands will continually to be added to BrandME and the user will be able to mix and match different brands. BrandME is a kind of a social shopping virtual identity experience that will enable the user to be more mobile with their virtual model.

Maybe in the future the user will be even be able to take their virtual model into Second Life – wherever they want, and also to change it whenever they want. The mobility and the fun parts are most important as well as the ability to hook it to other social networks. Sending it to your friends or clicking and changing the background because that’s fun.

Next Posting: Part IV: Competitive Advantage in the Near Future (BrandME – Personal ID)