Away to Mars is an online platform which creates a new format of networking within the fashion industry by giving participants total control over the value chain. Designers submit their designs to the platform and each crowdfunding attempt has a deadline, at the end of it the designs with the most likes are then chosen for production and taken to market, if they sell, the designer receives 20% of the profit.

The fashion industry is an ever-changing environment. With new designers entering the market every day and the advance of social media, it can be hard to stand out against the competition, plus more importantly not every designer has the resources at hand to bring their own brand to life.

The crowdfunding platform aims to take the hassle out of production, by handling the technical side of things from manufacturing to production all from their end, so that it’s a risk-free gamble for the designer. The designer gets their product out there, via the AwayToMars sales portal without the hassle, fees and stress of trying to build their own brand.

It is a nice way for younger, cash-strapped designers who just want to see their product out in the market and being worn, to have an accessible platform to make that happen. And for founder Orobio, it’s all about democratising fashion and making it more accessible for anyone to make a popular product, within a supported environment.

Technology offers the means to be democratic and inclusive, that is to say to make the community an effective participant of the creative process as well as benefit from it. It’s easier and more fun to do it together. A working strategy which will be huge in the future.