Designer Derek Lam has designed a limited edition T-shirt for Brain Injury Awareness Month, which officially starts Thursday. To highlight the importance of helmet laws and concussion prevention, the designer sketched an artistic take on a brain and a helmet. All proceeds will benefit programs and services run by Opportunity Project, which helps people with brain injuries. The Milburn, N.J.-based nonprofit is selling 250 units of the $30 item through its Web site during the month of March. The Brain Injury Association of America and the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey also collaborated on the project.Derek Lam and eBay are teaming up for the first ever “crowdsourced” fashion event. Dubbed simply “Derek Lam + eBay,” the event consists of 16 unique designs by Lam. Fans will log on and vote for their favorites. The top five winners will go on sale in May. The line is aimed at fans of Lam’s work who want/need more affordable options. All pieces are priced from $125 to not more than $2,950. Sizes will range from 0 to 16. Lam’s work typically goes for anywhere from just under a thousand dollars to almost $1,700. More elaborate gowns can cost even more.
In an era plagued by recession, where consumer deal-seeking behavior is at its peak, a crowdsourced initiative like this paired with affordable prices could have a bright future. Crowdsourcing, for those who’ve never heard of it, is the process of soliciting aid (financial, imaginative, etc.) from a large group of people, rather than relying on a small team. Says Michael Fink, dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s fashion school: “EBay gets 16 million hits a day. I mean, come on, 16 million people are not walking through a store every day.”
