As most of you probably know, we do a (mostly) Sunday feature called “Kickstarter of the Week”, in which we highlight some of the coolest ideas from across the apparel, technology, and design landscape. We think that crowdfuding is pretty sweet – and supporting companies and ideas helps guide progress.
BetaBrand actually has their own crowdfunding section on their page, and the items that they sell came from there. Here is a little about what they do:
We have the mantra of “New Ideas, Nonstop. We provide the public with our Think Tank, a platform for anyone and everyone submit ideas that they think the rest of the world would love. Once submitted, we reformat the idea into an illustrated product with a full description on what it is, who it’s by and why they should love it. The public now has the opportunity to vote for the product and share comments with the designer on what they think. Once the product has reach a substantial amount of votes, it’s now time for Crowdfunding. We create a prototype in house, have a photo shoot with our hired models and photographers to create the product page. Once displayed in Crowdfunding, the product now has a goal it must reach in order for it to be a main product on Betabrand.com. If it reaches its goal, the production process begins. The crowdfunder will receive updates on the product till the final update when it’s been delivered to their doorstep.
I think that is a great concept and allows for creativity to blossom. While Betabrand is running or fitness centric, they do have a lot of cool designs and items that fall solidly in line for those who lead an active lifestyle. Here are a few current items in the Think Tank that Run Oregon readers may find interesting (and be something that you want to vote on).
- Women’s Running Wrap Sweater
- Yoga Jeans
- Ultimate Shaping Travel Leggings
- YoFeet
- No Sweat Bralette
- Smarthole Hoodie
Here are some that are currently being crowdfunded:
- Yoga Trail Pants
- CYA Baselayer Hoodie
- Poo Emoji Shirt (a personal favorite)
And here are a few that have made it past the crowdfunding stage and are now main products on Betabrand.com:
Blogger Marilyn and myself will be reviewing a few items in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned. Make sure you head to Betabrand and get to voting and supporting too!
