Hipstamatic Inks Deal With W, Is It Trying to Win Back the Fashion Crowd?

If there’s one mobile app, besides Twitter, that the fashion industry has universally agreed is worth its time, it’s Instagram. Right?

Of course, you may recall another iPhone camera app with similar functions called Hipstamatic, which actually had its surge of popularity first–even in the fashion world. For a short time, they may have been neck and neck, but for whatever reason (probably because it’s free), Instagram came out on top. But is Hipstamatic trying to get back into the game? It was announced today that the app was partnering with W on a special W-inspired lens to coincide with the glossy’s all-important September issue, reports Mashable.

It basically allows you to take a photo with your phone that looks like it could be in a magazine. This also raises the question: Why do professional photographers/real cameras/editing software exist again? Apparently, W doesn’t need ‘em. Those who download the new “WMag Freepak” (available for the next six weeks) can also enter a photo contest, the winner of which will be commissioned to shoot a story for wmagazine.com, in addition to having his/her photos displayed in a gallery exhibition alongside photos taken by W‘s editors and contributors.

Fashion is an obvious target for these types of apps, considering how visual and photography-based it is. And by partnering with W, and making a point to show the Hipstamatic “work” of the influential magazine’s own contributors, the company is clearly trying to use fashion to gain popularity. But with just about every fashion editor/designer/PR girl/stylist we know using Instagram, does Hipstamatic have a fighting chance?