As far as sideRACK.net, well, you won't find anything related to men, but I'm assured you will eventually, and that excites me. Even more, I know that sideRACK.net will be a huge success and I ask all of you to check it out. To learn more about sideRACK.net, check out my exclusive interview below.

CTM: Tell me about yourself and how you got started in the fashion industry?

CM: I’ve been drawing up dresses and different pieces since I was 5 years old, I still have some of those drawings however my main fashion experience started from attending the Fashion School at Kent State University. It was a four-year program where they taught us everything from draping to pattern making, figure drawing and trend forecasting.

For my internship I moved to Florence, Italy and then after graduation to Milan, Italy; I had fallen in love with that country. In Milan I worked at various fashion firms getting to know the Italian fashion scene, way of life, and language. After a year of living there I got a great offer in Madrid, Spain and decided it was time to move on. I worked at a young denim fashion brand for over a year and learned a lot, but decided that I needed to open up my resume and so I enrolled at IED (a prestigious Italian Art School in Madrid) for a Print Design Masters. After my graduation there, I wanted a change of scene and had always wanted to live in New York City, so I packed my bags and unloaded in East Harlem. I loved it there. I freelanced initially in different Fashion firms and then got a great job at a small label designing the collection of the brand. I was involved and aware of every aspect of the label, even their finances. Due to the economy the brand bankrupted, which is a repeating scenario happening with small designer brands in the contemporary market, due to there lack to exposure and consumer’s inability to invest in a higher price point for these clothing. Shortly after this bleak new scenario in my career I came up with sideRACK and here we are.

CTM: What is sideRACK.net and what makes it different from its competitor?

CM: SideRACK.net wants to become a portal for consumers to have access to the very best young Designer/independent labels out there. We are very concentrated in bringing quality over quantity, and will not have hundreds of designers featured on the site, instead we will be showcasing the gems that we have found hidden between all the many designer names; displaying of these, only their very best pieces. We want to become a virtual exclusive boutique, but without any of the associated pretentiousness.

Our main difference with our competitors is that we will not carry bulk. So many sites today are like the mass merchandise stores. One becomes overwhelmed by the selection, so they either leave, due to overload, or gravitate to the same old brands, they know from the past. We will carry a selected amount of designers and styles, so that the customer can easily and calmly look at our inventory and spend time actually evaluating each piece, to see if they would like to incorporate it into their RACK. Besides this, and the most obvious of the differences, is that we do not solely offer the traditional purchasing option to obtain our garments. We have been established in an unconventional time, where the economy is weary and recovering, we understand that the majority of Americans might not have the additional spending money that they once used to, but this nonetheless should not stop them from looking great. Because of this we offer rental options on selected pieces on our site. We have 3 different rental time periods, which are definitely within everybody’s economic reach! In addition, many pieces can be custom ordered, furthering the exclusively of your piece. Through us they can have a direct conversation with the designer, altering the fit and fabric of that given style.

CTM: Who is the sideRACK.net clientele and who do they represent?

CM: SideRACK seeks to represent people who desire to dress by their own rules. This does not mean out of fashion necessarily, because we are a fashion-based company and are excited by all the cultural/seasonal changes that occur and impact the yearly silhouette. What I mean is, those who stray a bit from the mainstream allowing themselves to play freely with styles and trends. Those that want to create a statement with their wear and also those who just want to wear something unique or less common. Budget should not limit people to bad clothes, that is why at sideRACK we offer rental options, where possible, on the pieces in display.

CTM: What type of designers do you feature on sideRACK.net?

CM: Each month we select a designer from our site, to feature and offer an additional discounts on all their products. We also hold an interview with the Featured Designer, of the month, and display the Q&A on www.siderack.net/blog.

CTM: What can we expect in the next year for sideRACK.net?

CM: We wish to keep bringing great new labels into our site, so that they can prosper and the customer can enjoy their products. We are continuously searching the US for the next great ideas/clothes and we would like to take our focus internationally soon. We also are very interested in green labels and promoting that sector; as all sectors there are some geniuses out there and some posers. Additionally, we want to start to display menswear labels onto sideRACK. Currently we are looking into that market.

CTM: Upon the success of womenswear, will you be featuring menswear on sideRACK.net in the near future?

CM: Yes, definitely. I am very excited about bringing in menswear, right now we are searching for young designer brands in that category. I am very passionate about this sector and will be very meticulous with who I bring in.

CTM: Anything else you would want clients to know about sideRACK.net that you wouldn't normally know when shopping online?

CM: SideRACK.net is a project dear to me. I, as a Fashion Designer and as a fashion consumer, am very passionate about the contemporary sportswear market. We, at sideRACK want to become an interactive site, which closely holds a conversation with our customers. On the site, we have collaborated with getsatifation.com so that our visitors can email us instantaneously, any feedback, advice, or tips. SideRACK wants to be online to facilitate the young designer market and help consumers out there, who are interested, in great new label outside of the ordinary.

-CTM

I can't get enough of my nutbucks this fall! A great pair of shoes that are comfortable, can be worn with many different looks, and are a classic to any wardrobe. Given a more distressed look adds to it's overall appeal, so wear them a couple times and scuff away!

-CTM