ASOS launches Marketplace
Pioneering as ever, Asos.com is poised to launch its brand new Marketplace just in time for the holiday season. A place where an individual can sell off their own unwanted fashion wares or a store can set up its online space, it’s a timely poke in the eye to Ebay and its increasingly unfriendly attitude to independent sellers. The only stipulation to individual sellers in the Marketplace is the merchandise must be photographed ‘street style’, so none of your dingy still life pics, these need to be styled on a human body, preferably in an interesting way in order to get the most exposure on the Asos site.
Taking its cue from sites like Lookbook.nu, Asos has tapped into the consumers’ desire for wearable styling ideas and personal context. Sellers are encouraged to shoot their pictures in photogenic scenarios to make them as ‘editorial’ looking as possible. The picture/item can be ‘liked’ which will place it highly in searches. The selling process is straightforward. A price is set and payment is made by Paypal with Asos taking 10% of the sale price.
A big draw of the Marketplace will be the ’boutique’ of vintage sellers. Selected vintage retailers can upload their logo and product (again, styled on people in situ) and merchandise their area as they see fit to make the space their own.
For designers and retailers, there is the opportunity to set up shop in the Marketplace. When the site launches (ETA mid-end November), Browns Focus and Faster by Mark Fast wil be among the first retailers/designers with a presence. “We want to help small businesses grow,” I was told by an Asos rep at the press day this morning. “This way we can build a platform that exposes small businesses to our vast database.”
On Chloe, YSL, styling mishaps and cross-branding
Well, what a storm in a Café de Flore teacup about the use of a – shock horreur – YSL belt in a Chloe fragrance ad. Did stylist Joe McKenna mischievously throw the skinny waist-cincher in the mix or was it an intern mix-up*? Personally I see nothing wrong with a bit of cross branding. When Ines de la Fressange agreed to walk the Chanel ss11 runway, rumour has it that it was with the proviso that she wore Roger Vivier shoes rather than Karl’s creations. Ditto the ad campaign. Likewise, J.Crew was recently in the news for directing website visitors to competing brands alongside its own merchandise.
I would like to see even more deliberate mixing up on the catwalk and in campaigns – say a Comme Des Garcons jacket with a pair of vintage Levi’s or a Ralph Lauren coat with Gap khakis. Why not, isn’t this how people dress now, rather than head to toe in one designer? I think it would show immense confidence for a brand to show its own designs styled with another’s, although still in keeping with its overall aesthetic. After all, almost every name designer of note has done a high-meets-low high street collaboration, isn’t this just a continuation of that idea?
*Oh yes, when in doubt, blame the intern!
Go create: Mango’s Mix and Match tool
As etailers increase their editorial content and editorial sites flirt with ecommerce, things are becoming very interesting for the consumer. For starters, I’m loving Mango’s how-to tutorials – beautifully shot, engaging and genuinely useful. But this post is about Mango’s Mix & Match tool.
We all appreciate playful tools like Polyvore and etailers are showing great innovation in making these styling toys work for customers in a way that translates to sales. The point of editorial content on etail sites is to keep customers coming back (and hopefully spending), so dress-up styling tools are a simple way to make that happen. Let me make this clear – they are completely addictive! And Mango’s has a ‘share’ button so you can spread the love, get a second opinion and get your friends addicted too.
I had a play and came up with this Chloe-meets-Luella equestrian affair in a palette of camel, inky denim and powder blue. Classic, unfussy and just-feminine-enough. Even better would be some tools to play with hair and make-up. Wouldn’t a scribble of YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture Le Rouge lipstick have been the perfect beauty accessory?
How would you improve this outfit? More accessories? More colour? More pizzazz? Comment below…
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Tweet of the day
Via @vogue_london
“Paper David Morris jewels at the Ungaro fittings – no security guards available so paper has to do”
I’m just wondering which creative soul had the job of crafting these fine lookalikes. Clearly, it’s all part of the zany life of a fashionista…
Cape-jacket watch #2
Oh boy, the cape-jacket has officially got the seal of approval from the fash pack. Tommy Ton has been documenting its dominance at Paris Fashion Week…
Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out
Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out is looking like quite the event this year judging by my near-to-exploding in-box. I’m sorely tempted by Rupert Sanderson’s dance-off (choreographed by Bugsy Malone’s ‘Snake Eyes’, no less), Sophy Robson’s demo of Chanel’s new Khaki Nail Lacquer Collection at Selfridges and Liberty’s unveiling of its ‘World of Manolo’ pop-up shop. But the highlight will be Harvey Nichols’ designer ‘Haber-DASH-ery’.
We are promised a vintage haberdashery bureau overflowing with all manner of customising materials plus Jonathan Saunders, Markus Lupfer, Marios Schwab, Martin Grant and Erdem on Valerie Singleton duties. All rather impressive, but even more thrilling is the prospect of discussing the finer points of a well-placed button with Vogue’s Emma ‘More Dash Than Cash’ Elwick-Bates herself. If anyone knows how to create something out of nothing, it is she (although the ‘nothing’ in this case is a not-to-be-sniffed-at Fashion’s Night Out tee, which Erdem et al will be refashioning with a flourish of the Fiskars and a fistful of magic from their collective sewing basket).
Jaime Mon Carre – Hermes does street style
Hermes has launches a street style site and it’s a perfect lesson in how heritage luxury brands can engage with younger consumers. Fun, informative, interactive, engaging and beautiful, J’aime Mon Carre (‘I love my scarf’) uses jolie young things to demonstrate that an Hermes scarf is a versatile piece to stamp your style on.
Pics: Matt Irwin/Hermes
OMG! 5 no-spend fashion tips
Jesus wept. VAT is going up to 20%, our wallets are empty due to holidays in Euro-cities and the sales have wiped us out. Plus, next season’s stock is all but ready to drop. What’s a girl to do? Easy, just try these fund-free fashion styling tips. It’s not what you wear, it’s how you style it… Continue reading
Twisted twinsets
A timely tweet last week from Tank magazine’s Caroline Issa (@CaroIssa) proclaimed, ‘RM by Roland Mouret wants men in twinsets’. Well stone me if I haven’t had a blog post waiting in the wings for that very moment. I have been harping on about twinsets for ever, and here’s why. Continue reading
London College of Fashion: Karishma Shahani
Congratulations to new fashion graduate Karishma Shahani, who won the Fashion Textiles award at last night’s London College of Fashion BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Technology show. She also won the Disneyrollergirl Fave LCF Show award (yep, I totally made that up) for superb styling and use of colour. Gotta love those clashy layers!
[Catwalk pic by Chris Moore]
