Chic Sketch: Fashion's Most Forward App

Oooh, you're looking good tonight. You're rocking your oversized alpaca wool coat over a burgundy roll neck with Lanvin trousers so baggy you could fit two of you inside them. Your hair is perfect, your shoes are Vuitton Twister slip-ons. A little cell phone capture won't give the cred this ensemble deserves.

There's only one thing to do - hit up Chic Sketch, the app that transforms your photo into a fully fabulous fashion sketch. The brainchild of illustrator and designer Emily Brickel Edelson and her husband, Jordan Edelson of Appetizer Mobile fame, it's available for iOS and Android devices, free to download and more entertaining than a naked pillow fight with Nick Jonas.

Chic Sketch, which turns a year old this month, works simply and quickly. For $9.99, users submit a shot of themselves and within three to five minutes they'll receive a custom, hand-drawn sketch. Chic Sketch utilizes a team of talented artists, on call 24/7, who convert photos to sketches using digital tablets and stylus pens. It's a killer way to mark special occasions, like Valentine's Day and birthdays, or just to commemorate the night you flawlessly pulled it all together.

Going Digital

According to Brickel Edelson, the app's already resulted in "tens of thousands" of sketches with those numbers growing fast. Launched during last year's New York Fashion Week, where Brickel Edelson used it to live sketch from backstage at Nicole Miller and Noon by Noor shows, Chic Sketch counts Cartier, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lancome among its corporate client list. While they utilize the technology to elevate the excitement (and social media outreach) at promotions and parties, its creators want everyone in on the fun.

"The idea of Chic Sketch came to us when I would sketch guests at events on paper, and see them take a photo of the sketch and post it on social media," Brickel Edelson explains. "Seeing the joy that people experienced once they saw themselves as a sketch was a real ah-ha moment. My husband and I realized we needed to take this service to the next level, and the way to do that was to make it digital. Chic Sketch is a dream come true, working with amazing brands and affecting people's lives, even if it is just to make their day a little better."

Beyond the Surface

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Brickel Edelson worked for the Gucci Group as executive assistant to the president of Sergio Rossi before launching her own brand, Rock Hard Atelier, in 2009. To her, fashion has an influence that is neither shallow nor meaningless. "It's a means of communication that leaves a lasting impression and represents who we are as people," she details. "It is so empowering because as a woman you can choose how you want to be represented. The rights of women have grown tremendously with the ability to dress how we see fit. Fashion can transform how you feel about yourself and how others feel about you. It's very powerful."

The Bold and the Beautiful

That doesn't mean she's not looking forward to the glitz and glam of Hollywood's biggest night. As she did during the Golden Globes, Brickel Edelson will be glued to the tube watching the Oscars later this month, instagramming Chic Sketches of her favorite fashions. She's especially looking forward to seeing what Best Actress nominees Jennifer Lawrence and Cate Blanchett bring to the Red Carpet, though she notes the latter's "custom Givenchy look for the Golden Globes will be tough to beat."

As for mere mortals, Brickel Edelson predicts that throughout 2016 women will be wearing "ruffles, pleating and off-the-shoulder looks designed and worn in a modern, sleek way. We will definitely see a lot of light pink and blue - the Pantone colors of the year. I think men will be more open to playing with jewel-tone colors and even prints, like small floral print layers. The 70s vibe is alive and well in menswear, playing up the shearling coat, fur accents, tartan prints and cowl neck sweaters. Cool statement jackets are in as well for men, as they will be a big hit in womenswear."