Decoded Fashion to bring its first hackathon to Westfield London

Westfield London is set to become home for the world's debut hackathon to take place in a shopping center as Decoded Fashion is preparing to launch its first fashion hackathon this month in the center, amongst shoppers and visitors within Westfield.

Known as “Future Fashion: 24 Hour Hack,” the challenge is set to take place from September 20 to 21 in Westfield and is an invitation only competition, open to a select group of 60 hackers – including designers, developers and entrepreneurs. The group will have 24 hours to create new ways to enhance shoppers experience in Westfield and better connect the center's labels to their consumers, all whilst shoppers can view them at work and interact with them.

Westfield London hosts interactive 24 hour fashion hackathon

Each team will be able to choose from one of three challenges to answer: What is perfection and how they can use technology to help shoppers find the perfect item? Does fashion make consumers happy, and how they can use technology to help make consumers feel even happier when they are shopping? And how they can use technology to help consumers make the right beauty choices.

The teams will be mentored by leading industry figures from companies such as Asos, Google, Twitter and My FlashTrash and will present their solutions to a panel of judges, which will include Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council and Lee Epting, vice president of the media solution center, Europe at Samsung.

The winning team will then be flown to San Francisco for three nights to visit Westfield Labs and meet with Silicon Valley leaders and present their idea to Kevin McKenzie, global chief officer of Westfield Labs. Myf Ryan, marketing director UK and Europe from Westfield said to the Drum: “The way consumers are using technology when shopping is focused on having control and efficiency, with click and collect, self-service tills, reading online reviews and checking prices the most valued technologies.”

“However, recent research carried out by Westfield shows there is also a growing appetite from consumers for technology that inspires and enhances the shopper journey, whether that’s avoiding the need to try things on by using virtual mirrors or making their purchases through e-wallets.” Liz Bacelar, founder of Decoded Fashion added that the hackathon will help “bring the intersection between fashion and technology alive.”

During the fashion hackathon, Westfield London will also showcase new wearable technologies, which include a demonstrations of Google Glass and Fashion 3D, that lets shoppers try on an outfit virtually. Decoded Fashion, which is a global event series that aims to connection 'decision-makers' in fashion, beauty and retail with emerging and established technology companies, held its first London event in 2012 and was acquired by Stylus Media earlier this year.

Images: Westfield London