By Sharon Myers
The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C.
How many times have you stared at your closet and agonized over what to wear to work or been invited to a special event and you’re not sure what is appropriate?
Davidson County native Roxy Haynes and her partners have developed a new mobile app, The Vane, for the fashion forward and the intrepid traveller alike.
Haynes, a 2002 graduate of North Davidson High School, said she got the idea when she was working as a morning meteorologist in New York, and people kept asking her what they should be wearing.
“I would hear from viewers in the morning that they didn’t have time to watch the entire newscast for my longer weather segment,” Haynes said. “They just want to know what to wear so they can get out the door and also look and feel their best.
Many of them were using social media to communicate. They wanted me to text them a link or just to tell them what the weather was going to be like. I thought I should come up with an app that answers all of their questions at the click of a button and also ties in the fashion component.”
The Vane app allows users to enter their information, including their personal style and the wardrobe requirements at their job and creates a suggested fashion list based on the weather and daily activities.
“It caters specifically to you, to your taste, to your activities and to the weather where you are,” Haynes said. “You download the app and enter the information, or you can access through Facebook. You pick your style, like if you are preppy, hipster, casual or classic. What is your office environment? Are you required to wear business apparel or can you wear jeans and tees? It takes all of that into an algorithm, and a fashion recommendation engine will spit out suggestions based on your taste.”
Another part of the app is a travel list that will produce suggestions based on the dates of travel, the reason for the trip and the weather forecast during that time. Haynes said the app will even notify users if the weather forecast changes.
“Another ability that makes us stand out is the pack for travel section,” Haynes said. “After you input your date, you can pick the travel section and enter in the days you are traveling, where you are going and whether it is for business or pleasure. It will generate a packing list, and you can plan ahead. Or if you find that you need an outfit for a specific occasion, you can shop directly from the app and have it shipped to you.”
Haynes’ co-partners in developing this mobile app are Chubia Nwagbra and Kirsten Anderson. Their target audience is professional, urban females between 20 and 35. The Vane app is only available on iTunes, but Haynes said it will be available on Android very soon.
Haynes said the app can also be used to assist those who are not fashion forward keep on trend if they are going to a special function or need to purchase a new outfit. She said in the future she hopes to partner with online travel search engines such as Kayak or Expedia to help travelers who have booked trips with their packing needs.
She said that as a person who travelled a lot in the past and as someone who has a passion for fashion, she wanted to create something that would make choosing outfits easier, help create a helpful list when traveling but most importantly assist people in feeling good about how they look.
“We want our users to feel comfortable and confident because at the end of the day if you are comfortable in what you are wearing, you are going to exude confidence and energy,” Haynes said. “It is about being yourself. … I used to be a national correspondent for an (energy drink) company and travelled at least once a week. I lived in airports, so I got to be the expert packer, but I would realize that I forgot something random and would have to go and buy it. I wish I had something like this back then. This app is for everyone, the traveler, the urban professional and every person who wants to look good every day.”
