My interview with Yuri Lee, creator of LOOKBOOK.nu :)
Me: Could you describe how the website works - for those who have not signed up yet?
Y.L.: In one sentence, LOOKBOOK.nu is a source for fashion inspiration from real people around the world. Every day, creative types like photographers, stylists, designers, architects, musicians and all kinds of people from over 40 countries post photos of their daily outfits. Most users will additionally tag their photos with detailed shopping information on the specific pieces they are wearing and where they purchased them. The entire community then collaboratively decides which looks get front-page exposure by adding "hype" points to their favorite styles.
Pictured above: Rumpelstiltskin Jr. Bless Bag x Reinhard Plank Hat x Rick Owens Silk Flag x Ann D Layered Vest x Damir Doma Layered Tee x Acne Jawns x Ann D Riding Boots x Number (N)ine Shades. Check out his profile here.
Me: Where did the idea come from?
Y.L.: Street style photographers like the Sartorialist and Face Hunter definitely deserve credit for showing the world (including myself) that practical style inspiration is far easier to find on the streets than it is on the runways.
We were also inspired from the many variations of "What are you wearing today?" threads that have caught on in virtually every major fashion-related forum. People posting their outfits on the internet is not really a new phenomenon - clearly people love to share their style, exchange feedback, and be inspired by other people - we're just trying to make it more intuitive, interactive, and international than anything else out there.
Me: How do you distance yourself from other "look" websites, like The Sartorialist?
Y.L.: We like to think of LB as a grassroots effort to organize and globalize the "What are you wearing today?" phenomenon. The main difference between street style blogs and LOOKBOOK.nu is that the subjects of the photos themselves are sharing their individual style. This is a very personal form of self-expression, since the participants themselves choose how to frame, capture, and pose for their photographs, and others can give feedback or ask questions about their outfits directly. It really gives anyone the chance to share their style and then enhance or even reinvent it via the community.
The way we differentiate from other "share your style" fashion destinations is that our gallery of styles is socially sorted. We tap into the collective wisdom of thousands of people to determine the best in international street fashion.
Pictured above: Jermaine Davis. Raf Simons Tank x April77 Jawns x Raf Simons Shoes. Check out his profile here.
Me: When did the site come to fruition?
Y.L.: My boyfriend and I launched LOOKBOOK.nu from our San Francisco apartment in April of this year. I've always loved fashion and viewed it as a very personal art form; my boyfriend is a very talented software engineer who previously worked at one of the bigger social networks. One day he and I tossed around some ideas for our own website, and, since I was working in retail management, I brought up fashion. Basically, we thought that user-generated street fashion was such a great idea that no one had done well. So we put our complementary areas of expertise together and set out to design a minimalist website with a clean interface for browsing and "hyping" stylish looks. And I guess that's how LOOKBOOK.nu came to be!
Me: How did you initially advertise?
Y.L.: It's great you ask that, because the stripped down, basic concept for the site actually only took a few days to code! The hard part was figuring out how to reach the right people...and, to do that, we basically looked everywhere on the internet to find out where "What are you wearing today?" was happening (other than the usual superfuture and TFS forms) and - in general - where fashion-minded people were at. Then, in any way we could manage to do so, we simply told them about the idea for our little project and asked them to sign up. Understandably, some saw it as spam and brushed us off, but thankfully enough people saw potential in LOOKBOOK.nu and gave us a shot.
We wanted to make sure that we hit ALL types of fashion, whether it be urban streetwear kids, vintage and secondhand lovers, skinny-jean-wearing hipsters, collectors of designer items , etc.. One of our goals from the beginning was to try and bring as many eclectic styles under one umbrella, and we're definitely happy with how the community has grown (we've spread to 5 continents already!) and of course how cool our users are. We're incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm and support we've received - especially those who have helped promote LB online and offline at their own parties and events.
Me: Why the positive slant? Does the karma tool prevent constructive criticism by eliminating negative feedback?
Y.L.: Our mission is simply to cultivate a "collective fashion consciousness" that is driven by diverse, aesthetically talented and open-minded individuals. One of the biggest misconceptions is that LOOKBOOK.nu is a "hot or not" site - it's not. The point is not to judge outfits based on a "hot or not", "chic or not chic", or any other good-or-bad scale. Rather, our hype/karma system is simply our own way of showcasing the most popular looks and rewarding those who post unique, interesting, and inspirational outfits. This is why you can only "hype" or "vote up" outfits but not down-vote.
We try to keep things positive because we intended for LB to be a community of progressive people who appreciate diversity of styles and ideas. As I mentioned, I see fashion as a personal art form, and, though art can definitely be critiqued, it should always be viewed with an open mind and respect for the creator.
As for your question, no, I don't think constructive criticism is at all prevented by our "hype" system. Giving and receiving feedback on looks is an important part of the site, and anyone with some decency and intelligence can be constructive without being condescending. There's enough places on the internet where people can be anonymous jerks - we'd rather LOOKBOOK.nu not be one of them.
Me: You've recently added new features to lookbook.nu, such as "LB Culture." How will this new component complement the website's primary function, which is to display the variety of each individual's style? Who can contribute?
Y.L.: The rationale behind adding LB CULTURE was that we've found a way to bring lots of cool people together, but, up until recently, their interactions have been limited to outfit-oriented conversations. We think that our users have much more in common to talk about, so CULTURE is a way for everyone to participate in open ended discussions and share outside media not only related to fashion but also photography, travel, art, music, film, or even random entertainment. Anyone can contribute, and, just like they can with looks, anyone can vote to promote interesting topics onto the front page.
Me: Could you please elaborate on any other upcoming website additions?
Y.L.: Honestly, we have some ideas up our sleeves but we always try to take a very "zen" approach towards adding features. LB was very minimal when it started out, and, though we've added quite a bit to it, we still try to keep the website as clutter-free as possible. I think that the simple UI of the site is something users really appreciate, so we are very careful not to add random features just because we can.
One idea I would really like to explore (that is not really a website addition) is getting a book published that will showcase all the best submissions from our very first year. I think it'd be an awesome way to reward and recognize everyone's effort in the LOOKBOOK.nu project, but I have no idea where to start. If anyone has publisher connections or knows about the process...advice would be appreciated!
Pictured above: Selective Beef. Orden Cape and L/S x Number (N)ine Jeans x Julius Engineer Boots. Check out his profile here.
Me: How has this website facilitated community development? Any plans for categorizing styles or reworking the "fan" pages to enhance networking?
Y.L.: As for categorization, a cool feature we have currently allows you to surf "sub-lookbooks" which only showcase looks containing a specific item (like socks.lookbook.nu), looks belonging to a user-defined style category (like monochrome.lookbook.nu), or looks from a single country. To see styles from Sweden, for instance, just visit
sweden.lookbook.nu. It's interesting to notice how starkly styles differ across countries and regions, but you can also observe trends happening on a worldwide level. The internet is hastening the emergence of a truly global progressive culture, and I'm happy that LB is playing a small part in that.
As for social networking features, the last thing we want LB to be is "just another social network!" We cringe when we tell people about LB and they go "Oh, so it's fashion meets MySpace!" But seriously though, seeing how the community has developed is by far the most rewarding part of working on the site - just knowing that LB connects people with others nearby and all over the globe in unexpected ways. For example, two of our Australian girls from Melbourne actually discovered that they live in the same apartment building after seeing each others' photos on LOOKBOOK.nu, while one guy from Manila actually helped purchase and deliver a pair of clear frame glasses to another user in London. You have people from opposite sides of the globe finding inspiration from each others outfits, and it's very uplifting to see that people really appreciate the unique styles of others - even those who are totally different from them in lifestyle, geography, and tastes.
Note: If you would like to join LOOKBOOK.nu, Yuri generated a personal invite code for all readers of this blog! Just type in LAMEBASICS during registration. Thanks, Yuri!
Me: Could you describe how the website works - for those who have not signed up yet?
Y.L.: In one sentence, LOOKBOOK.nu is a source for fashion inspiration from real people around the world. Every day, creative types like photographers, stylists, designers, architects, musicians and all kinds of people from over 40 countries post photos of their daily outfits. Most users will additionally tag their photos with detailed shopping information on the specific pieces they are wearing and where they purchased them. The entire community then collaboratively decides which looks get front-page exposure by adding "hype" points to their favorite styles.
Pictured above: Rumpelstiltskin Jr. Bless Bag x Reinhard Plank Hat x Rick Owens Silk Flag x Ann D Layered Vest x Damir Doma Layered Tee x Acne Jawns x Ann D Riding Boots x Number (N)ine Shades. Check out his profile here.
Me: Where did the idea come from?
Y.L.: Street style photographers like the Sartorialist and Face Hunter definitely deserve credit for showing the world (including myself) that practical style inspiration is far easier to find on the streets than it is on the runways.
We were also inspired from the many variations of "What are you wearing today?" threads that have caught on in virtually every major fashion-related forum. People posting their outfits on the internet is not really a new phenomenon - clearly people love to share their style, exchange feedback, and be inspired by other people - we're just trying to make it more intuitive, interactive, and international than anything else out there.
Me: How do you distance yourself from other "look" websites, like The Sartorialist?
Y.L.: We like to think of LB as a grassroots effort to organize and globalize the "What are you wearing today?" phenomenon. The main difference between street style blogs and LOOKBOOK.nu is that the subjects of the photos themselves are sharing their individual style. This is a very personal form of self-expression, since the participants themselves choose how to frame, capture, and pose for their photographs, and others can give feedback or ask questions about their outfits directly. It really gives anyone the chance to share their style and then enhance or even reinvent it via the community.
The way we differentiate from other "share your style" fashion destinations is that our gallery of styles is socially sorted. We tap into the collective wisdom of thousands of people to determine the best in international street fashion.
Pictured above: Jermaine Davis. Raf Simons Tank x April77 Jawns x Raf Simons Shoes. Check out his profile here.
Me: When did the site come to fruition?
Y.L.: My boyfriend and I launched LOOKBOOK.nu from our San Francisco apartment in April of this year. I've always loved fashion and viewed it as a very personal art form; my boyfriend is a very talented software engineer who previously worked at one of the bigger social networks. One day he and I tossed around some ideas for our own website, and, since I was working in retail management, I brought up fashion. Basically, we thought that user-generated street fashion was such a great idea that no one had done well. So we put our complementary areas of expertise together and set out to design a minimalist website with a clean interface for browsing and "hyping" stylish looks. And I guess that's how LOOKBOOK.nu came to be!
Me: How did you initially advertise?
Y.L.: It's great you ask that, because the stripped down, basic concept for the site actually only took a few days to code! The hard part was figuring out how to reach the right people...and, to do that, we basically looked everywhere on the internet to find out where "What are you wearing today?" was happening (other than the usual superfuture and TFS forms) and - in general - where fashion-minded people were at. Then, in any way we could manage to do so, we simply told them about the idea for our little project and asked them to sign up. Understandably, some saw it as spam and brushed us off, but thankfully enough people saw potential in LOOKBOOK.nu and gave us a shot.
We wanted to make sure that we hit ALL types of fashion, whether it be urban streetwear kids, vintage and secondhand lovers, skinny-jean-wearing hipsters, collectors of designer items , etc.. One of our goals from the beginning was to try and bring as many eclectic styles under one umbrella, and we're definitely happy with how the community has grown (we've spread to 5 continents already!) and of course how cool our users are. We're incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm and support we've received - especially those who have helped promote LB online and offline at their own parties and events.
Me: Why the positive slant? Does the karma tool prevent constructive criticism by eliminating negative feedback?
Y.L.: Our mission is simply to cultivate a "collective fashion consciousness" that is driven by diverse, aesthetically talented and open-minded individuals. One of the biggest misconceptions is that LOOKBOOK.nu is a "hot or not" site - it's not. The point is not to judge outfits based on a "hot or not", "chic or not chic", or any other good-or-bad scale. Rather, our hype/karma system is simply our own way of showcasing the most popular looks and rewarding those who post unique, interesting, and inspirational outfits. This is why you can only "hype" or "vote up" outfits but not down-vote.
We try to keep things positive because we intended for LB to be a community of progressive people who appreciate diversity of styles and ideas. As I mentioned, I see fashion as a personal art form, and, though art can definitely be critiqued, it should always be viewed with an open mind and respect for the creator.
As for your question, no, I don't think constructive criticism is at all prevented by our "hype" system. Giving and receiving feedback on looks is an important part of the site, and anyone with some decency and intelligence can be constructive without being condescending. There's enough places on the internet where people can be anonymous jerks - we'd rather LOOKBOOK.nu not be one of them.
Me: You've recently added new features to lookbook.nu, such as "LB Culture." How will this new component complement the website's primary function, which is to display the variety of each individual's style? Who can contribute?
Y.L.: The rationale behind adding LB CULTURE was that we've found a way to bring lots of cool people together, but, up until recently, their interactions have been limited to outfit-oriented conversations. We think that our users have much more in common to talk about, so CULTURE is a way for everyone to participate in open ended discussions and share outside media not only related to fashion but also photography, travel, art, music, film, or even random entertainment. Anyone can contribute, and, just like they can with looks, anyone can vote to promote interesting topics onto the front page.
Me: Could you please elaborate on any other upcoming website additions?
Y.L.: Honestly, we have some ideas up our sleeves but we always try to take a very "zen" approach towards adding features. LB was very minimal when it started out, and, though we've added quite a bit to it, we still try to keep the website as clutter-free as possible. I think that the simple UI of the site is something users really appreciate, so we are very careful not to add random features just because we can.
One idea I would really like to explore (that is not really a website addition) is getting a book published that will showcase all the best submissions from our very first year. I think it'd be an awesome way to reward and recognize everyone's effort in the LOOKBOOK.nu project, but I have no idea where to start. If anyone has publisher connections or knows about the process...advice would be appreciated!
Pictured above: Selective Beef. Orden Cape and L/S x Number (N)ine Jeans x Julius Engineer Boots. Check out his profile here.
Me: How has this website facilitated community development? Any plans for categorizing styles or reworking the "fan" pages to enhance networking?
Y.L.: As for categorization, a cool feature we have currently allows you to surf "sub-lookbooks" which only showcase looks containing a specific item (like socks.lookbook.nu), looks belonging to a user-defined style category (like monochrome.lookbook.nu), or looks from a single country. To see styles from Sweden, for instance, just visit
sweden.lookbook.nu. It's interesting to notice how starkly styles differ across countries and regions, but you can also observe trends happening on a worldwide level. The internet is hastening the emergence of a truly global progressive culture, and I'm happy that LB is playing a small part in that.
As for social networking features, the last thing we want LB to be is "just another social network!" We cringe when we tell people about LB and they go "Oh, so it's fashion meets MySpace!" But seriously though, seeing how the community has developed is by far the most rewarding part of working on the site - just knowing that LB connects people with others nearby and all over the globe in unexpected ways. For example, two of our Australian girls from Melbourne actually discovered that they live in the same apartment building after seeing each others' photos on LOOKBOOK.nu, while one guy from Manila actually helped purchase and deliver a pair of clear frame glasses to another user in London. You have people from opposite sides of the globe finding inspiration from each others outfits, and it's very uplifting to see that people really appreciate the unique styles of others - even those who are totally different from them in lifestyle, geography, and tastes.
Note: If you would like to join LOOKBOOK.nu, Yuri generated a personal invite code for all readers of this blog! Just type in LAMEBASICS during registration. Thanks, Yuri!
