Released on: December 12, 2007, 10:32 pm

Press Release Author: Jenefir

Industry: Apparel & Fashion

Press Release Summary: Zentrend launches First Online Fashion Design Platform

Press Release Body: MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA-- You don\'t need to be Heidi Klum, Michael
Kors or Nina Garcia to have a say in whether the creations of a set of promising
fashion designers will stay, or get Auf Wiedersehened out of the competition. Enter:
iStyler at www.zentrend.com, an online interactive platform and social network where
up-and-coming designers from around the world submit their fashion concepts. The
public casts votes for their preferences and then the winning styles become part of
next season\'s collection.

The iStyler open source fashion house is the brainchild of ZenTrend, a Silicon
Valley-based e-tailer founded by Lekha Srinivasan, who left a decades-long career in
Internet Technology and Business Management, with Hewlett-Packard and then Symantec,
to follow her passion for fashion. Srinivasan launched ZenTrend in November of 2006
to provide hand crafted, globally inspired apparel which is created through fair
trade practices, while promoting the careers of unrealized design talent. The
ZenTrend store boasts thousands of unique visitors per month and a 20% monthly
growth rate.

iStyler is the next evolution to solidify the company\'s vision. The open source
credo may not match the prevailing ethos of the fashion business, but mass
collaboration has been an unspoken part of this company\'s business model from the
beginning.

\"The sourcing capability, immediacy of communication, and social networking feedback
offered through the internet is something I feel driven to bring to the fashion
design and marketing process,\" says Srinivasan. \"As a fashion fan, but somewhat of
an industry outsider, the internet has proven to be a natural equalizing environment
in which to offer our own brand of innovation.\"

Currently, at iStyler, the public can preview and vote on the design concepts of
several European fashion designers scouted from an initial call for talent. Voters
choose from numerous fashion directions and get to know the talent behind the
inspirations. The top selections will comprise ZenTrend\'s Spring/Summer 2008
merchandise offerings. Further building on the collaborative community, iStyler will
unveil a fashion blog as well as a social networking component early in the New
Year.

Just as the advent of the Internet has brought the world a long way toward the
democratization of information, communication and commerce, a playful part of
iStyler\'s ambition suggests a time when we may see more egalitarianism in women\'s
fashion. At the very least the platform is a fun and creative way to shop and
connect with other citizen stylists along the way. Now, that\'s a ballot worth
casting.

To vote for your favorites styles for the ZenTrend spring/summer collection, visit
www.zentrend.com/istyler.html (include your email address in your application and
you automatically enter for a chance to win monthly fashion prizes). Designers
interested in applying for iStyler\'s talent review visit:
www.zentrend.com/istyler-talentsearch.html.


Web Site: http://www.zentrend.com

Contact Details: Zentrend
470 Sierra Avenue
Mountain View
California
United States
94041
Phone: 650-996-6159
Fax: 650-887-0388
Web: http://www.zentrend.com
Email: info@zentrend.com