Unsuspecting passersby on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg are being photographed and instantly rated on their fashion sense via a website called Styleblaster.
The newly launched site is the brainchild of three friends, Jack Kalish, Jules Laplace and Mary Burford. They installed a motion-detecting camera near the exit of the L train on Bedford Avenue.
The moment a pedestrian cruises on by, the camera snaps a photo and instantly uploads it to the site, where style voyeurs can watch a live feed and rank the fashion savviness of the haphazard models by clicking a top hat icon, which emits a praise of “Stylin,” “Bangin,” or “tres Brooklyn.” There is no “dislike” feature, nor a place for users to leave comments, which could have potentially turned the site into a breeding ground of criticism.
“The last thing we want is a bundle of unfiltered id unleashed on these photos. There’s enough hate and negativity in the world already, we don’t need anonymous people casting aspersions on everyday dress,” creator Jules Laplace told Metro. “That isn’t what Styleblaster is about.”
What made the creators choose Williamsburg (in case it isn’t obvious already)?
“The neighborhood is poised on the cusp of a new change as the repercussions of recent zoning changes, combined with inland condo construction, have literally paved the way for a new breed of stylish and sassy individuals,” they wrote on the site.
As for those who think the spy-cam effect is much too creepy, the team at Styleblaster just doesn’t see it that way.
“We believe this service fills a need for live fashion information, with a unique and unmatched vantage point on the hippest block in New York City,” the creators said. “It will quickly become a destination for New York City peacocks to traipse by and show off what makes the neighborhood hop.”
However, at least one NYC peacock has caught on to the project and decided to send a message of her disapproval.
