Fashion fanatics have a number of online tools at their disposal—including countless places to design their own creations—but expert industry forecasts have traditionally been available only to paying professionals. Proving once again the increasing clout of the creative masses, London forecasting firm Trendstop now offers a free mobile app that delivers high-end fashion predictions to anyone.

Trendstop typically provides forecasts and analysis to fashion industry professionals, with clients paying some USD 3,495 a year for full access. Now, however, any mobile user with a passion for fashion can download the company's Trendtracker application for free. Available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and other mobile platforms, Trendtracker lets users monitor the latest runway looks, fashion news, trend ideas and inspiration right from their mobile phones. Coverage includes daily trend reports, news and photos from fashion shows from around the world, and runway schedules and event guides.

Where's the line dividing amateurs and professionals? That becomes a little less clear each day, thanks in part to consumers' insatiable infolust and the real-time apps that increasingly feed it. It's all part of what our sister site calls nowism. What up-to-the-minute data can your brand offer to forge a new point of connection with creative consumers...?

Website: www.trendstop.com/mobile_app
Contact: accounts@trendstop.com

If augmented reality can be used to reveal the buildings of the future, then why not someone's face as it would look if a particular kind of makeup were applied? Such, indeed, is precisely the idea behind a new digital makeup mirror now being used by Shiseido in Japan.

Launched last month at the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo, the Digital Cosmetic Mirror lets store patrons test makeup and recommendations without actually applying anything to their skin, according to Japan Trends. Customers begin by allowing the mirror's camera to scan their face, generating a set of customised recommendations. Using the device's touch-screen interface, they can then ask to see specific types of makeup on their face, and the mirror paints those products on virtually and in real time. Different colours and formats can be applied and removed with the touch of a button, and consumers can print out 'before' and 'after' photos of the looks they like best. Also included on the printout, as one might expect, is product purchase information. A video on YouTube demonstrates the mirror in action.

In addition to enabling virtual tryvertising without the expense of real samples, the Digital Cosmetic Mirror also promises to dramatically reduce much of the waste associated with traditional sampling approaches, as Japan Trends points out. How long before this one spreads to makeup counters around the globe? (Related: Tryvertising store expands in Spain.)

Website: www.shiseido.co.jp
Contact: www.asia.shiseido.com/contact

Spotted by: Jenny Lau

From jeans to bicycles, fabrics to sleeping bags, we've seen a wide array of products consumers can design themselves. Lest swim shorts aficionados feel left out, however, there's now a design-your-own site for those too—and it even rewards creators with cold, hard cash.

Aiming to do for swim shorts what Threadless has done for t-shirts, Shortomatic is a California-based company that invites consumers to upload their own art for a truly customised swim. All they need do is indicate their waist size and then upload the graphics they have in mind. They then position and size the art, choose their colours and add text for use on the waistband. Next, voilà! A unique pair of California-made boardshorts that's customised for them. Those feeling less creative can also browse Shortomatic's curated gallery of existing designs—currently, there are close to 700 exhibited there. Consumers feeling really artistic, on the other hand, can submit their designs in Shortomatic's Artist's Program. Designs accepted by the gallery curator are produced in limited editions of 200. Their creators receive USD 5 for every pair sold, while a further 5 percent goes to support Global Green. Either way, every pair of shorts is printed with the artist's name, image title and edition number. Pricing begins at USD 99 per pair. Shortomatic is the sister company of Yogamatic which lets consumers design their own yoga mats.

The verdict is in, it seems safe to say, and consumers clearly like to have it their own way. Perhaps even more, however, they like to be paid for what they create. Help make that happen, and you'll see some sweet rewards yourself! ;-)

Website: www.shortomatic.com
Contact: customerservice@shortomatic.com

The best-laid plans to give clothing as a gift can be foiled in an instant for lack of the recipient's correct size. Aiming to banish such disappointments once and for all, Belgian OrgaSizer offers an online place to check the sizes and preferences of loved ones and friends.

Users of OrgaSizer begin by registering with their age, location and gender, among other information. They can then enter all their sizes and preferences for a variety of different types of clothing. Along the way, users can decide what information they'd like to share with others, and exactly whom they'd like to share it with. Nothing is ever publicly shared, OrgaSizer stresses. Users can also create wish lists and request reminders about important gift-giving dates. Ultimately, the idea is that shoppers hoping to purchase a gift can then check the site from wherever they happen to be to see what the recipient wants, and in what sizes or variations.

OrgaSizer is still smoothing out the edges on its site, which at present is available only in English. More languages are coming soon, along with advertising support, it's hoped. Clothing brands and retailers around the globe: one to sponsor, partner with or otherwise get involved in? (Related: Gift-giving simplified through a prepaid plan — Never forget to send a birthday card.)

Website: www.orgasizer.com
Contact: www.orgasizer.com/Contact.aspx

It wasn't long ago that we saw the launch of Growth Bridge's subscription service for razor blades, and recently we came across a like-minded approach to men's skin care. Aiming to simplify the purchase process as much as possible, Canadian Bread & Butter offers skincare by yearly subscription with everything most men's skin needs in two seasonal kits.

Bread & Butter's 6-piece Winter Kit offers two tubes of both facial cleanser and moisturizer along with one tube of lip balm and one tube of body moisturizer. The 5-piece Summer Kit, on the other hand, includes two tubes of face cleanser, two tubes of SPF 15 facial moisturizer and one tube of shaving gel. All products included meet airline carry-on regulations. Kits can be ordered individually or by yearly subscription for a 12-month supply, with delivery in June and December. Pricing is CDN 49.99 to ship one kit or CDN 84.99 to ship both within Canada; equivalent orders to the U.S. cost CDN 64.99 and CDN 106.99, respectively. All products are Canadian-made and come with a free 60-day return guarantee. Within Toronto, Bread & Butter even accepts the empty tubes back as part of its cradle-to-cradle recycling program.

Whether it's razors, skincare products or household necessities, opportunity awaits those who can relieve consumers of the burden of making routine purchases. Bread & Butter, however, delivers only within the U.S. and Canada—one to bring to shopping-averse men in *your* neck of the woods...? (Related: Clothes shopping for men, no store visits required.)

Website: www.breadandbutterskincare.com
Contact: service@breadandbutterskincare.com

Spotted by: Stephanie Pirishis

There are few things we love more at Springwise than to see formerly drab and utilitarian products reborn with a splash of style. We've already seen that happen with fire protection kits, for example; now, another case in point is California-based *emera, which has targeted the practical (but often ungainly) camera bag.

*emera's 'Modern' and 'Quilted' tote lines are designed to be elegant but functional equipment bags for fashion-conscious urban photographers. Strongly built and water resistant, the bags are structured and padded to protect delicate photographic gear. Inside are modular dividers that can be arranged to suit the size and shape of cameras, lenses and accessories. The bags also feature internal compartments for small items such as memory cards, and have exterior pockets at each end. Prices are USD 149 for the canvas-exterior design (which comes in a choice of colours), and USD 169 for the quilted design.

*emera is now accepting wholesale orders, so retail camera shops around the world may want to start getting in line. Or are there other utilitarian goods that you could transform with a little flair for fashion? (Related: Puzzle books given a design makeover — Toilet seat covers, upgraded — Chic vomit bags for morning-sick moms.)

Website: www.emerabags.com
Contact: nathiya@emerabags.com

Spotted by: Amy Leung

Following in the footsteps of companies we've covered that let consumers customize their own sneakers and baby shoes, Sydney-based online shoe retailer Shoes of Prey is directing the design-your-own trend towards stylish, custom-made women's shoes.

Launched in October, Shoes of Prey's simple, online design tool puts bespoke shoes just a few clicks away for women wanting to design their dream shoes and have them hand-crafted to match their requirements. Customers choose the style, heel type, heel height, adornments and colours, and select from raw materials including calf skin, snake skin, fish skin, silk and more, which makes for a near infinite number of possible combinations.

Prices range from AUD 195 for ballet flats to AUD 300 for 4½-inch heels. International shipping is available, and the shoes take about six weeks to arrive. The service is backed by a generous returns policy which guarantees that if the shoes don't fit, Shoes of Prey will remake them until they do; and if the customer doesn't like the design, they can send the shoes back for a full refund or have a new design made for them free of charge.

Retailers—is this a model to be hot on the heels of? Shoes of Prey welcomes contact from merchants who are interested in offering the design-your-own shoes tool under their own brand. (Related: One-of-a-kind shoe art — High-heeled shoes, designed by the crowds.)

Website: www.shoesofprey.com
Contact: mike@shoesofprey.com

Spotted by: Ngaire Stevens

First came stylish helmets for urban cyclists, then customised couture helmets for the scooter set, now Los Angeles-based apparel company, ScooterGirls, Inc. is adding some panache to protective scooter and motorcycle riding gear for women so that female riders no longer have to choose between safety and fashion.

ScooterGirls founder and CEO Arlene Battishill explains: "The main reason women do not wear protective clothing when riding is they don't like the way traditional gear looks or fits"—which isn’t surprising considering that women’s choices were previously limited to smaller versions of clothing designed for men. Launched at LA Fashion Week in October, ScooterGirls' GoGo Gear was created to appeal to image-conscious female scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts who want to go from their bike to a business meeting or social event without having to change clothing.

Priced between USD 239 to USD 389, the range of fully-armored, abrasion-resistant coats combine cutting-edge, feminine outerwear with robust interior engineering. The coats also feature integrated reflective details for night-time visibility that can be concealed during the day. Outwardly nobody would suspect GoGo Gear jackets were anything but a stylish dress coat, yet they are comparable to any other armored riding gear on the market.

As more consumers across the world opt for scooters and motorcycles to reduce their fuel bills and carbon footprints, the market for innovative products and services for riders is likely to grow. One to tap into! Or perhaps there are niches to be carved out by stylizing other non-aesthetically pleasing protective products? (Related: Stylish fire protection kits.)

Website: www.scooter-girls.com
Contact: info@scooter-girls.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

In this era of mass-customisation, consumers increasingly expect to be able to get exactly what they want, when they want it. Since discontinued products sometimes fall on that list, we're starting to see manufacturers make such goods available once again. Lush was one example we wrote about back in 2008, and now Body Shop has launched an effort along very similar lines.

Through its new Originals line, eco-minded beauty purveyor Body Shop—now part of L'Oréal—has brought back a collection of best-sellers from its early days. Starting in October, classics such as Dewberry Shower gel, Banana Shampoo and Carrot Moisturiser—all popular during the 1980s, and frequently requested since then—have been made available once again. To celebrate the products' return, Body Shop is holding a promotion whereby consumers who vote for their favourite product in the line by Jan. 31 can win a year's supply of it, or 12 bottles. Consumers can also request that additional products be brought back; those with enough demand will be added to the Originals line. A YouTube video explains the new campaign.

Lesson to be learned? Just as consumers can help design and refine new products, so they can tell you when an old product has the potential for new life. Rather than always scrambling for something new, your next success may lie in the annals of time. :-)

Website: www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/beauty-lounge/originals/originals.aspx
Contact: www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/services/contactus.aspx

Spotted by: Cas Stevenson

Knitwear fans can already design their own hats and even choose a granny to do the knitting, thanks to French Golden Hook. Now they can design their own cashmere sweaters, scarves and more—and then sell their creations—on Trendy Workshop.

Users of Custom & Co.'s Trendy Workshop—also from France—can create their own knit sweaters, scarves, dresses, tunics, bags and jackets in a choice of cashmere or cotton. The site's design platform lets users specify the shapes, sleeves, necks, finishes, belts, pockets and other details of a variety of items for men, women and children. They can alternate front and back views at will throughout the design process, as well as choosing from a wide range of colours for their creations. Pricing for a custom-designed cashmere scarf, for example, is EUR 89. Clothes designed on Trendy Workshop are produced in China and delivered within three weeks, according to a report on Tiburon-TV.

Perhaps even more interesting than the design-your-own capabilities, however, is that creating an item on Trendy Workshop entitles the user to sell their creations on the very same platform. Beginners start with the status of "designer apprentice" and set up a personal store on the site. Their creations then get shown in the online boutique and offered for sale. For every purchase, a commission of 5 to 10 percent gets awarded to the product's creator, depending on their status.

Trendy Workshop currently offers delivery to Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Portugal. One to partner with or emulate for the knitwear fans near you...? (Related: Design your own Keds & sell them on Zazzle.)

Website: www.trendy-workshop.com
Contact: bonjour@trendy-workshop.com

Spotted by: Tristan Daeschner