Where's Fashion Going? GPS Knows.

During Fashion Week, everyone is searching for the next important new idea that will translate into big money. Most are looking for it on the runway, but one local upstart, Fashion GPS, hopes to make a bundle from a pre-catwalk concept.

The idea is simple: get the fashion flock into shows faster, and, afterwards, let the designers know who actually come to their $500,000 extravaganza. To do that, a dozen top designers, including Donna Karan for her DKNY 20th anniversary show and Calvin Klein for his hot-ticket 40th anniversary party tomorrow, have turned to Fashion GPS' web-based invitation, scheduling, and seating chart system. The cost is $7,000 to $12,000 per show. The high end of that range includes rental of scanners that let designers use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to turn invites into fashion EZPasses.

"I go to football game and they have [RFID], and we were looking at this and wondering, why is the fashion industry not using this," said Kevin Spector, vice president of marketing for Fashion GPS. "The fashion industry is constantly evolving, but not on the backend, and we are helping bridge that."

Since debuting last year, Fashion GPS has won business from many top designers including Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen. Most of these firms are clients of KCD Worldwide, the powerhouse PR company that manages the shows from invite to tent, and worked with Fashion GPS founders to develop the technology. KCD's shows start tomorrow, and Fashion GPS is going to have to show its technology can deliver. Revenues are just below $1 million, and Mullon claims the company is turning a profit.

Pprivacy advocates bemoan RFID tracking ability, and some have lamented the introduction of scanners to the tents. KCD's vice president of public relations Rachna Shah was quick to insist her company does not use Fashion GPS for security. She said it has reduced hassles for editors, photographers, and TV crews. Instead of dealing with each show individually, they can RSVP for all 11 KCD shows, plus parties, at a single website.

Fashion GPS president Eddie Mullon is still working on an idea he has touted in previous seasons: a scannable, credit card-style pass that will replace reams of paper invites. In the meantime, KCD is using scanners for some paper invites, a high-tech change Shah said worked well at the most recent Paris shows.

"We kept track of our attendance, and didn't have to worry, did this person come or not," said Shah. "Our clients want to know, what was their return."

by Catherine Curan

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