Have I mentioned my love for Ralph Lauren? In case you missed my past gushings, here’s a quick recap: the Anglo-American, preppie-ish aesthetic; the beyond beautiful Bruce Weber imagery; the ‘nothing bad could ever happen here’ lifestyle stores; oh and the quality product (i.e. my favourite, still-good-as-new boys navy blazer). (more…)
On Wednesday, Google will unveil an exciting new fashion initiative which has already got the internet in a tizzy. Latest reports suggest it’s a curated etail site utilising the celebrity ‘get the look’ features common in most mainstream fashion publications. Influential fashion bloggers (is Susie Bubble one of them?) are reported to have also been invited to select pieces from brands like Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch and Isaac Mizrahi to drive sales on the site. Curated fashion is certainly the way forward in fashion retail as we are bombarded with more and more choice. I can’t wait to see what Google has in store.
UPDATE: Read The New York Times’ take on Boutiques.com here
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 the subject of Manchester, I didn’t get to check out the high street offer so I can’t vouch for its Topshop but this sounds like a fun event. On November 11th, Topshop will be hosting a ‘pop-up magazine’ in its Arndale Centre store. From 5-8pm there will be a screen streaming the SS11 show, a series of style talks from an exciting industry insider, beauty makeovers and consultations (I have to say, the Topshop make-up line is one of the most exciting out there), as well as a make-up tutorial streamed on a screen throughout the evening – all accompanied by a glass or two of sparkling wine.
Exhibitionists will be rewarded with a style competition where the best-dressed punters get snapped by Topshop’s scouts for an in-store Best In Show wall. The best effort-makers win £250 and £100 Topshop gift cards.
PS: If you live in Nottingham, you can experience all this on Wednesday November 3rd…
[Image: Inside-Out]
