It's New York Fashion Week, which means designers are unveiling collections that might not hit stores for up to six months. Chances are, come late winter many of us will forget our favorite skirt or handbag we promised we'd pick up as soon as it arrived at a nearby retailer.
Enter Runway Tracking, a new tool from a startup we recently profiled called Lyst, which lets you subscribe to updates from different brands, retailers and individuals in a Twitter-like news feed, or "lyst." The tool lets you tag your favorite items from the runway and sign up for notifications as soon as they arrive in one of Lyst's hundreds of partner stores worldwide.
“Runway shows are increasingly becoming consumer-facing events,” says Lyst founder and CEO Chris Morton. Runway Tracking, he says, will allow consumers to “act upon that desire immediately, instead of waiting months for items to come in stock," and give brands and retailers another opportunity to hook potential customers ahead of purchase.
Photographs from runway shows will appear on Lyst immediately after they conclude, the company promises. A spokesperson says the tool launched with "most major designers," including Oscar de la Renta, Proenza Schouler, Tibi and Isabel Marant.