Fashion photo sharing platform doubles as an online store

Material Wrld enables users to share photos of the clothes and accessories they own and easily sell them to those who like them.

We recently saw how New York restaurant Comodo is harnessing the power of social networks such as Instagram to drive sales in the food business. Now a new site called Material Wrld has taken the concept further – integrating user photo sharing and marketplace selling. Primarily a content-sharing site the team has handpicked a group of fashion-conscious ambassadors who have uploaded images of their everyday attire in their ‘closets’. Other users can like or comment on the items, as well as follow the user. If the closet owner decides to sell a particular piece, they will be notified and have the chance to buy it used. Alternatively, shoppers can simply browse everything that is currently up for sale on the site at any one time, much like the marketplace format of eBay. Material Wrld takes a 15 percent cut of each item sold through the site. Considering the ephemeral nature of most used or vintage shopping options, this platform makes it possible to bookmark clothes in people’s wardrobes that aren’t even on sale yet, and alerts them if they become available. Are there other industries that could benefit from this model?