Soko Hits the Web

The TV4 Group and Swedish daily Expressen have launched Soko, an auction and shopping site for the fashion conscious. A number of well-known fashion bloggers in Sweden were invited to help in the development and the look of the site. Soko will be "an inspiring and obvious meeting place for the fashion conscious who are into buying clothes," says Malin Stråhle, director for Soko. "Our goal is to offer a new type of auction and shopping site, with a strong fashion niche."

The Swedish market for second-hand fashion is spread among many small sites with a fashion focus along with a few big players that have clothes - but also a lot of other products. Soko will offer easy and fun functions that make it simple for anyone to buy, sell or exchange clothes with one another. Soko members can even follow what their friends have in their closets - as well as what's in the closets of fashion celebrities. When a new article of clothing is uploaded on the site, members can receive notification via mail, text, mobile phone apps as well as at the website. Members can even request to be notified when clothes in a particular size or a favorite brand are uploaded.

"Soko is about social shopping," says Stråhle. "We want to be a meeting place and a way to draw out discussions about fashion that take place among bloggers and in social networks."

Soko is also cooperating with Swedish Idol 2010 on TV4: starting tomorrow and continuing until the finale on December 10, a selection of Idol competitor's outfits from the series will be auctioned on Soko every week. The entire proceeds will go to charity.