I have never wished to be 13 again…until now…

I am really excited about Fashionology LA, which is set to open in Beverly Hills this month. It’s a new kind of store, targeted to "tweens," that allows girls to go in and create their own fashions. They go to a touch-screen called a Design Pad, pick out the type of clothes they want to make (shirt, dress, etc.) and then they design their look. They can choose from moods such as "Malibu," "Peace," and "Rock," choose graphics and embelishments and then they head over to the "Make It!" table. With the help of the "Fashionologists" they glue, bedazzle, sew and customize their final design. Then, once the look is complete, they take a picture in their new one-of-a-kind design and the picture is broadcast in the store (with the girl’s permission) and emailed to her. How cool is that???

Elizabeth Wiatt and Jamie Tisch created Fashionology LA with their own tween-age daughters in mind. According to their press release, “Jamie and I both have young daughters with a strong sense of fashion,” said Wiatt. “We’re always looking for fun things we can do together that our kids will enjoy.” Added Tisch, “making the art of fashion an activity just seemed like a natural fit. We’re developing an environment where parents will feel good about building their child’s self esteem by empowering them to create.”

In an article for Vanity Fair’s July 2008 issue by Krista Smith, Wiatt and Tisch stressed the importance of how the store is about inspiring creativity and having no limits to that creativity. The focus is not on what can be negative aspects in fashion (runway, makeup, "beauty") and is instead about the clothes and expressing yourself through them. Tisch says "It’s really about inspiring the girls’ creativity and not labeling them. You can be someone different tomorrow if you want." Wiatt added, "Some days you feel like a sparkle princess and other days you feel like a bohemian girl." Amen to that!

This is going to be such a fun store for girls to go to, to explore fashion and to explore their own creativity. It sounds like a great place for girls to go to with friends, to go to with their moms and to just go and explore who they are. I still experiment with my "style" on a daily basis. I go from "classic" to "punk" to "retro" and I’m sure a bunch of different "labeled looks" in between depending on my mood. But growing up I wasn’t as free-spirited when it came to my clothes. This is a great way for girls to see early on that you can truly be who you want to be and fashion can be a great way to discover that.

Fashionology is geared towards tweens, so I’m going to have to befriend a "tween-ager" soon so that I can go design some of my own duds. They should totally create a Fashionology store that caters to an older market. Because I would be there. They are planning for a nationwide expansion by 2012 - they should look into expanding not just the brand but the store’s concept! Until then, I’ll be bedazzling in my bedroom…on my own…