Innovation That Matters

New clothes brand will share product life stories via QR code

Fashion & Beauty

We’ve been writing about product life stories for several years already, covering everything from bananas to furniture to fashion accessories. The latest spotting? A brand-new clothing line based on fabrics hand-woven in India that will give consumers a way to track each item all the way back to the weaver. Eschewing mass-produced fabrics altogether, The IOU Project is now gearing up to launch a line of clothing assembled by craftsmen in Europe using unique, hand-woven Indian textiles. Each piece of clothing will be unique as a result, as one might expect. Perhaps even more important, though, is that The IOU Project plans to track each garment for every step of the way, making the resulting product life story accessible to the consumer via QR code. Consumers who buy the items will also be invited to upload pictures of themselves wearing them. The brainchild of Madrid-based fashion designer Kavita Parmar, the line is due for launch in early May, according to its Twitter page. Parmar shared some details in a report on Pikaland: “The idea was to create easy classic pieces with a lot of beautifully made details. Of course, since each piece is unique it has its own QR code that takes you to the entire story of the product, the video/pictures of the artisan who made the fabric in India and the artisans who made the garment in Europe.” A video on YouTube explains the project’s premise in greater detail. Still not convinced that storytelling can be a winning strategy? Then check out some of the numerous other examples we’ve covered. Next, get tracking and sharing for a product life story of your own! (Related: Online marketplace showcases African artists and their storiesObjects’ stories, trackable & brought to life onlineTracking & tracing fashion brands’ product stories.)

Website: www.theiouproject.com

Contact: www.facebook.com/iouproject

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