Fashion ecommerce star pranks Facebook in the name of tech education

The founder of online fashion success story Showpo, Jane Lu, has pulled off a pretty cool prank, and for an even better cause.

The Australian entrepreneur released a Facebook Live on Oct. 26 that seemed to showcase a dress which changed colour via an app. Her customers were obsessed, with the video netting tens of thousands of views.

Comments along the lines of "OMG where can I find this?!" flowed in. Except it wasn't real.

That kind of technology doesn't exist (yet). Showing off the dress was a way to get people talking about whether that kind of technology is even attainable and how we can get there, Lu said.

Her prank was sponsored by Samsung and Australia's science education centre, Questacon, which want to raise awareness about STEM education (science, technology, engineering and maths).

The duo have launched Creators Wanted, a campaign that gets influencers like Lu to engage in STEM conversations to inspire students.

With a little help from the viral video pranksters at the Woolshed, Lu, along with Rugby 7s player Charlotte Cassock and chef Reynold Poernomo have released ingenious videos for the project.

"We know that 44 per cent of all jobs in Australia are likely to be automated in the next 20 years, yet Australian students remain passive towards STEM subjects," Samsung's corporate social responsibility manager Tess Ariotti said in a statement.

"One of the reasons for this is that there is no clear indication of the variety of work opportunities STEM skills can lead to."

That’s where Lu comes in.

Telling Mashable she's not the "typical" STEM-oriented business operator, the hands-on skills Lu learnt from engaging in STEM have been integral to growing Showpo from a humble online fashion venture to a global company a self-described A$25 million ($19 million) to date.

"We're already starting to see a shortage in important skills when it comes to hiring for tech roles at Showpo," she said.

"Technology will absolutely shape the future of the fashion and e-commerce industry. Whether it's in the manufacturing of products, the user experience on the website and the order delivery to customers, it's technology and innovation that will drive the future success of Showpo and other online businesses."

I think studying STEM subjects will give you the edge in the fashion industry."

The Creators Wanted project aims to show off what STEM jobs are out there, even in industries you may not expect, like fashion.

"A top engineering student, with a flair for fashion would be a unicorn in our eyes," said Lu.

The reaction to Showpo's Facebook Live prank has been varied. Some have been clambering to pre-order the product or figure out how it works, while others were more skeptical.

"Of course there's been a lot of people calling bull on it, but that's great because it got people talking. We want people to discuss whether it's technologically possible, and to get excited by the possibility that it one day might be."

Bring it on, we say.