Now that social networks have become a regular part of the fabric of modern life, segmentation is well under way, with communities popping up all over focused on specific groups and interests. Case in point: OURthreads.com, a social marketplace designed specifically for users interested in fashion, clothing and accessories. Launched earlier this month, OURthreads facilitates the buying, selling and trading of clothes. Registered users begin by setting up a virtual “closet,” which serves as their home page. From there, they can proceed to display items for sale or look through other users’ closets for something to buy or trade. Users can link to their favourite closets, and they can also advertise on the site to bring more visitors to their own

Creating a closet, buying, trading and listing items for sale are all free; sellers pay OURthreads a fee of 3.5 percent of the total selling price for anything they sell. Ads, meanwhile, are available in variably priced packages. Cofounder Pete Yonkman explains: “When we designed the concept we tried to create a community that would allow people to easily create value for the items they have, whether they designed them or they just don’t want to wear them any more.”

Though it’s just barely out of the starting gates, the Indiana-based site already has a few hundred registered users—an eclectic mix of “boutiques, stay-at-home moms, a retired teacher who knits clothes, some college students and a few independent designers,” Yonkman says. Buying and selling on OURthreads is currently limited to US residents, but the company is open to partnership and ideas from those who want to make the site better. OURthreads is also gearing up to launch a new program next month, Yonkman says—stay tuned for more!

Website: www.ourthreads.com
Contact: feedback@ourthreads.com

This week I’m exhibiting at the Living North Christmas Fair at Newcastle’s Gosforth Park Racecourse. The fair is really interesting because it brings together some of the more interesting and delightful companies based in the North and further-a-field. Businesses like Seaham Hall Hotel offering exclusive spa breaks, to garden designers, fine artists, and niche clothing businesses like Cameron-Addison, Penny Plain and Wealth of Nations.

Cameron-Addison Range

Cameron-Addison Range

Potassium is an eclectic mix of modern fashion, furniture and home wares located in London’s West End. Key to their philosophy is that they sell unique items that are not found elsewhere; new designers mix with past masters and edited global brands combine with exclusive Potassium designed products.

Potassium is keen to promote new designers and artists. Behind all the products there must be a story, whether it is about the designer, an innovative technique or material. A particular personal interest in sustainability means Potassium sells a variety of products that are ethically sourced and environmentally friendly. New products arrive every two weeks ensuring that for our regular visitors there are always new things to discover. Potassium has successfully introduced a number of new designers to the market including Craven Gene, RU, Rashmi Varma, Just Nibi, Stereotype UK, Oliver Goddard as well as products from Brazilian communities offering them an alternative source of income. Most recently their link with Re-Design allowed this design collective to bring to the public the conceptual designs previewed in September 2005, but now actually allowing customers to buy these items, avoiding landfill and enhancing our environment. This complements Potassium’s own private label t-shirts and polo shirts made from eco-cotton and azo free dyes by farmers in India, and their forthcoming organic cotton bath towels and bed linens.
Coming from a family of traders, Karim’s experience at Habitat in London and Paris started as a Saturday sales assistant and grew to senior buyer for the international collection. More recently, Karim was recruited by Polo Ralph Lauren to develop a chain of lifestyle stores called Caban in Canada. Karim returned to his roots in London in the summer of 2005 opening the first store at Christmas of that year. Karim looks forward to potassium having a global presence. In 2007 potassium will open its second store.
For further information, please contact karim@potassiumstore.co.uk or telephone +44 20 7723 7800.
For further information, please contact or telephone +44 20 7723 7800.Potassium Ltd.
2 Seymour Place
London
W1H 7NA
T: +44 20 7723 7800
E: mail@potassiumstore.co.uk
W: http://www.potassiumstore.co.uk