Most young women are interested in fashion. Many even dream of becoming a designer themselves. But just like any other, the business is highly competitive and requires great expertise. At NEXT Berlin 2012 Chris Seth spoke about the platform stardoll.com. It has the potential to change established career paths and smooth the way for young designers.

On stardoll.com teens from around the globe design their own fashion collections and dress up paperdolls. A core element of the website is its community function. “Users learn how to respond to customer demands on a global basis,” Seth explains.

Not only teens benefit from stardoll.com. Established brands like Miss Sixty are also using the platform. They can reach their target audience at a very young age and build up a longer lasting relationship. It also serves as a source of inspiration, as collections and trends change on a daily or at least weekly basis in the community.

More interestingly, there is also a trend from digital to analog on stardoll.com: Some of the brands specifically created for the platform are now cooperating with ‘real-world’ brands. The collections designed online are produced and now sold in real stores.

Chris Seth is Executive Vice President and General Manager at Stockholm-based Stardoll Media. The company comprises not only stardoll.com, but also piczo.com and paperdollheaven.com. Seth’s other role is to advise entrepreneurs on business and marketing strategy.