FashionTap entered the Shark Tank pitching a fashion social network. The app allows users to share photos and tag items and brands. If people click on the items, they are sent to an online store and if they buy anything there, the user who posted it makes a commission.
Heavy interviewed Amy Roiland, a fashion blogger who started A Fashion Nerd and created the FashionTap app. When asked about the feedback she’s received, she said, “I get designers, brands, and retailers writing me all the time thanking me up and down for this app. They love it, they go wild over it. They are driving sales through the app more than they are on any other platform.”
Here’s what else she told us about…
How the Idea Came About
I was working in PR at an e-commerce denim company when my boss came up to me and asked me to locate her bloggers in Austin, Texas for SXSW. I went back to my computer and was searching for hours. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a fashion based social network out there for everyone in fashion to be found on by what they do and where they live. I also hated going on other social media platforms and loving someones shoes and having to ask them who makes them and the person would never respond or they would say Zara and I would have to exit the app and search Zara’s website through pages and pages to find those exact shoes.
How It Works
We are all walking advertisements, so why not be paid for this? We incentivize our users by paying them a small cut of every sale they make. You can tag anything from your eyeliner to your shoes to your YouTube video. We are also a database where everyone in fashion can by found by what they do and where they live. For example, Blogger, Boutique, Designer, Brand, Model, Stylist, Photographer, Makeup, Hair in Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco.
Creating the App
This app was created by all of my experiences working in fashion and everything I have ever wanted in a social network. I knew exactly what we needed to make this app work. I didn’t have to do much research prior to developing FashionTap. It all just came to me and from being obsessed with other apps. I knew what would work best for mine and what others were lacking on.
‘Tank’ Experience
I did a talk at the General Assembly in downtown LA and one of the head casting directors was there and saw my talk and said I had to try out for the show…I wasn’t that nervous actually, I love my app and I am 100 percent confident in what I have built so I wasn’t too nervous about it. I was excited to be there and excited to show the world what I have created.
Plans for the Future
My plans are to open up offices for FashionTap and continue to build this app into the biggest fashion social network around. I want to add amazing features to this app that makes it even easier to find everyone in fashion. We are currently building in commerce which will be incredible, I can get boutiques online selling if they haven’t been able to before they can now with FashionTap.
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