Chictopia
{{Short description|US-based online fashion site}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Chictopia
| favicon =
| logo =
| screenshot =
| caption =
| url = [http://www.chictopia.com/ chictopia.com]
| commercial =
| author = Helen Zhu, Corinne Chan, Richard Ho
| editor =
| type = Social Commerce
| registration =
| launch_date = 2008
| current_status = Inaccessible as of 10/25/2023
}}
Chictopia was an online fashion site based in San Francisco.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/fashion/weddings/13VOWS.html?_r=0 |title=Helen Zhu and Richard Ho |author=Rafkin, Louise |work=New York Times |date=June 11, 2010}}{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/06/23/chictopia-takes-on-sugar-inc-with-everybody-is-ugly/ |title=Chictopia Takes On Sugar Inc With "Everybody is Ugly" |author=Kincaid, Jason |publisher=TechCrunch |date=July 23, 2008}} The website
was designed for fashion enthusiasts and bloggers to create profiles, post outfits, set up online shops, and socialize with others interested in fashion.{{cite web |url=http://voices.yahoo.com/chictopia-approach-fashion-6023936.html |title=Chictopia - a New Approach for Fashion |author=Slink, Missy |publisher=Yahoo |date=May 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101061419/http://voices.yahoo.com/chictopia-approach-fashion-6023936.html |archivedate=2014-01-01 }}{{unreliable source?|date=July 2015}}
History
Chictopia was founded by Helen Zhu, Corinne Chan, and Richard Ho in 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.linkedin.com/company/chictopia |title=Chictopia LinkedIn |publisher=LinkedIn}} Zhu and Chan both attended University of California Berkeley, with Zhu graduating in mechanical engineering and Chan electrical engineering and computer science.{{cite news |url=http://coe.berkeley.edu/news-center/publications/forefront/archive/forefront-spring-2009/alumni-update/tricks-of-the-trade-chictopia |title=Tricks of the trade: Chictopia |publisher=UC Berkeley Engineering Alumni Magazine |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117022344/http://coe.berkeley.edu/news-center/publications/forefront/archive/forefront-spring-2009/alumni-update/tricks-of-the-trade-chictopia |archivedate=2014-01-17 }} Prior to Chictopia, Zhu worked for eight years in the web industry as a product manager, Chan as a software engineer and systems architect, and Ho as an integrated circuit designer.{{cite web |url=http://www.chictopia.com/about/helen |title=Helen Zhu About |publisher=Chictopia}}{{cite web |url=http://www.chictopia.com/about/corinne |title=Corinne Chan About |publisher=Chictopia}}
Brand partnership
In 2009, the clothing brand American Apparel featured several active Chictopia users as models as part of an ad campaign that ran on the site and elsewhere titled, "Our Friends from Chictopia."{{cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2009/01/20/chictopia-american-apparel/ |title=Chictopia Chicks Become American Apparel Models |author=Van Grove, Jennifer |publisher=Mashable |date=January 20, 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://jezebel.com/5135586/american-apparel-now-sponsoring-bloggers--porn-stars-nsfw |title=American Apparel Now Sponsoring Bloggers & Porn Stars (NSFW) |publisher=Jezebel |date=January 20, 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://www.adrants.com/2009/01/american-apparel-hooks-up-with-chictopia.php |title=American Apparel Hooks Up With Chictopia Bloggers |author=Hall, Steve |publisher=Ad Rants |date=January 20, 2009}} In 2011, Chictopia ran its first “Influential Blogger of the Year” competition featuring eight rising fashion bloggers. In 2013, Chictopia held a social shopping event with American Apparel and Crossroads Trading Co. called “Shop it Like it’s Hot” in the SoMa District of San Francisco.{{cite web|title=Chictopia Presents: Shop It Like It's Hot|url=http://events.sfgate.com/san_francisco_ca/events/show/303991245-chictopia-presents-shop-it-like-its-hot|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411192533/http://events.sfgate.com/san_francisco_ca/events/show/303991245-chictopia-presents-shop-it-like-its-hot|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-04-11|publisher=SF Gate}}
Overview
The website is designed for users interested in fashion and looking to refine and showcase their personal style.{{cite web|last=Taylor|first=Alana|title=Chictopia.com: Real People Can Be Models Too|url=http://mashable.com/2008/06/11/chictopia/|publisher=Mashable|date=June 11, 2008}} Users upload outfit photos, describe their physical traits, and connect to other users who share similar body types, complexion, and style. Users can get an idea of how clothes would look on themselves and how to style them in a relatable way, as opposed to fashion models.
Zhu has said she wants Chictopia to be what YouTube has been for filmmakers and what Myspace has been for musicians.{{cite web |url=http://lawofsuccess2.blogspot.com/2010/12/interview-with-helen-zhu.html |title=An Interview with Helen Zhu |author=Haegwan, Kim |publisher=Laws of Success 2.0 |date=August 2, 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://heartifb.com/2009/08/28/chictopia-now-an-interview-with-helen-zhu/ |title=Chictopia Now : An interview with Helen Zhu |author=Jacob, Jennine |publisher=Independent Fashion Bloggers |access-date=2013-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510150846/http://heartifb.com/2009/08/28/chictopia-now-an-interview-with-helen-zhu/ |archive-date=2013-05-10 |url-status=dead }}
Teen Vogue named Chictopia "The Next Big Thing" shortly after its founding.{{cite web |url=http://www.teenvogue.com/blog/teen-vogue-daily/2008/07/next-big-thing-snap-to-it.html |title=Next Big Thing: Snap to It |publisher=Teen Vogue |date=July 16, 2008}} Nylon lists the website in its "Top 4 Style Sites."{{cite news |url=http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/38005 |title=Nylon Loves Chictopia |publisher=Nylon |date=October 27, 2008}} Women's Wear Daily named Chictopia “Top six sites to watch”, along with Polyvore, Foursquare, and three others in 2010.{{cite web|last=Corcoran|first=Cate|title=Sites to Friend in 2010|date=26 January 2010 |url=http://www.wwd.com/media-news/media-features/sites-to-friend-in-2010-2433054|publisher=Women's Wear Daily}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|1=http://www.chictopia.com/}}
Category:Internet properties established in 2008
Category:American social networking websites
Category:Companies based in San Francisco