online shopping flare magazine by shawna cohen

FASHION

worldwide WEB OF SHOPPING tracks Shawna Cohen

LANA HALPERN will never forget the last time she stepped foot inside a sample sale. “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Women were literally throwing shoes at each other. I would see one person’s hand on the toe and someone else’s hand on the heel and they’d be yelling, ‘I had it first!’â€? recalls Halpern, who waited in line for hours for a Manolo Blahnik dream deal in midtown Manhattan. In the end, Halpern—an account executive at Pink Tartan’s New York office—walked away with three pairs of the coveted shoes at a mere $100 a pop. But would she do it again? Absolutely not, says the fashion-obsessed 27-year-old. “It was a zoo‌I had to run to an ATM machine because it was cash only.â€?

Frantic scenes like that are quickly falling to the retail wayside, as smart sample shoppers migrate online. “We’re democratizing the concept of a sample sale,� says Yona Shtern, CEO of Beyond the Rack. The Montreal-based company, which boasts a whopping 3 million members, is one of dozens of shopping websites around the world that offer steep discounts (up to 90 percent off regular retail price) on designer clothes and accessories ranging from Balenciaga to American Apparel.

Rather than braving long lineups and pushy crowds, trend-conscious women like Halpern can shop from their home, office or, better yet,

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while killing time waiting to board a plane or over lunch with their girlfriends. (Shtern says that nearly 15 percent of his sales are from mobile devices such as an iPhone or Android: “It’s like having a store in your pocket.�) The site hosts daily flash sales that run for up to 48 hours or until sold-out— which, in many instances, is in a matter of minutes or even seconds. (Hey, we never claimed it was stress-free.) And, if an item doesn’t fit, it can easily be returned for site credit.

In the not-so-distant past, online sample sales felt like the fashion world’s best-kept secret.

Today, however, the number of online fashion retailers to choose from is overwhelming, with more advanced sites added daily. From members-only websites and virtual trunk shows to live stream fashion shows and mobile style apps, a new wave of high-tech offerings is quickly changing the way we shop.

They’re empowering consumers like never before and attracting young shoppers in droves.

(According to J.P. Morgan’s Nothing But Net: 2011 report, 30 percent of 18- to 24-yearold Internet users have bought from a social shopping site.) Many savvy Canadians love the selection on U.S. sites such as luxury giant Gilt Groupe, >

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the EXPLOSION of new and exciting ways to SHOP â&#x20AC;&#x2122;til you drop ONLINE

FASHION

INTERNET “TRADITIONAL BRINGS THE ABILITY TO

SHOP ONLINE. WE’RE FLIPPING THAT ON ITS HEAD AND BRINGING THE INTERNET INTO STORES”

Rue La La, Ideeli and HauteLook (which retailer Nordstrom recently bought for US$180 million in stock), among countless others. But when you factor in shipping rates and duty, the deals are hardly worthwhile for those of us north of the border. Beyond the Rack was one of the Canadian originators back in 2008—and it’s still the largest—but in the past year alone, at least a handful of similar flash sale sites have popped up in this country, including Privé, Stylehopper, and coming soon, Dealuxe. And even further specialty

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sites are debuting at a staggering rate, such as Ajaline, which focuses exclusively on fine jewellery and watches.

Meanwhile, you can also get access to fabulous deals simply by being in the right place at the right time. Facebook Deals, a mobile app that launched in Canada in early February, connects consumers to discounts offered at nearby businesses. Facebook users can download the site’s Places app, which lets their phones know where they’re located, and then Facebook Deals tells them which discounts are available in the area. Joe Fresh was one of the first fashion retailers to try out the “mobile coupon” program (a lot more convenient than an easy-tolose paper version) by allowing the first 500 users to claim a $5 pair of jeans (regularly priced at $19).

High-end retailers have also caught wind of the trend and are offering their fans accessibility like never before. Moda Operandi—an exclusive, members-only site that launched in February during New York Fashion Week—makes collections from 60 design houses available within 48 hours of a runway show (labels include Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung and Thakoon).

“The concept is an online trunk

show,” explains Aslaug Magnusdottir, former vice-president of Gilt.com, who founded the site with Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo. (The idea first came to Magnusdottir when she was on the hunt for an intricate dress by designer Rachel Roy that she fell in love with, only to be told that it never made it into production.) Moda Operandi’s sales work in flash format: They’re posted online for 36 to 72 hours, during which time members can place an order and secure any style and size from a featured collection. (They’ll be among the first to receive them.) It’s a revolutionary concept, given that it usually takes six months for items to land in stores post-fashion show—and, even then, it’s only a small portion (determined by buyers) of what we see on the runways. “It’s catered towards a woman who is willing to pay full price but who really knows what she wants.

She loves some of those special pieces featured on the runway that don’t necessarily make it to her local store,” says Magnusdottir.

Proenza Schouler was the original brand to jump on-board with Moda Operandi. The label’s CEO, Shirley Cook, points out that unless you have a personal shopper or someone who’s “really looking out for you,” most of us tend to miss out on the good pieces.

Of course, there’s something comforting about going to a bricks-andmortar retail space and interacting with—gasp—human beings. Many of us love to plan a shopping date with our closest girlfriends to get their feedback in the fitting room. But a series of new ventures have factored this social aspect into account.

Pose, for instance, is a free download app for iPhones that allows users to snap a photo of themselves in a potential find, tag its price and retail location, and then share this info with a select group of contacts via email, or with their entire social network via Twitter and Facebook.

Everyone is invited to weigh in (users receive notification when someone makes a comment). Why have just one person comment when 200 can shop virtually with you? > WWW.FLARE.COM

FASHION 6,5OO FANS SUBMITTED DESIGN IDEAS ONLINE FOR A REBECCA MINKOFF PROJECT

“Our mission is to capture and enhance the in-store shopping experience [online],” says Pose’s 25-year-old founder Dustin Rosen. “Traditional Internet brings the ability to shop online. We’re flipping that on its head and bringing the Internet into stores.”

The Pose team also hand-selects a rotating roster of “Posers”—stylish personalities such as designer Norma Kamali and blogger Leandra Medine (The Man Repeller)—who share their latest finds with members.

It’s this in-the-know attitude that’s behind Google’s new e-commerce site, Boutiques.com—albeit on a much larger scale. The site is composed of hundreds of virtual boutiques, each one “curated” by designers, retailers, celebrities and regular, everyday styleobsessors (popular curators include Tory Burch, Oscar de la Renta, Olivia Palermo, Ashley Olsen, Derek Lam and Carrey Mulligan).

Boutiques use visual technology to help visitors discover and shop their look. And, more recently, the site’s Trend Analytics function narrows down the season’s must-haves and tells you what’s hot based on user purchasing patterns.

Still, some designers are surprisingly slow in embracing technology to spread their message. John Galliano, for one, recently told WWD: “I didn’t even know what e-commerce was until last week…I like to feel the fur, to smell the tweed.” (He also admits that he gets other people to Tweet for him.) But more brands than not are finding creative new ways to digitally connect with their customers—and they’re seeing results.

Burberry recently became the most widely followed fashion brand on Facebook—with a record 4 million

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fans. It’s an amazing feat, and part of the brand’s success comes from creating cool new experiences for its fans. Earlier this year, Burberry live streamed its Fall ’11 ready-towear fashion show on a giant screen right in the centre of Piccadilly Circus in London. It also broadcast the show on the web and at 40 live events around the globe. (Talk about reaching out to the masses!)

At the same time, it gave customers the opportunity to shop the collection online. It’s this type of digital savvy that has landed Burberry a No. 13 ranking on Fast Company’s most recent list of the world’s 50 most innovative companies.

Similarly, Louis Vuitton live streamed its women’s Spring ’11 runway show on its Facebook page.

It then used 52 cameras to capture a 360-degree view of each look backstage, with the images released on Facebook just six hours later. And in February, Donna Karan teamed up with Neiman Marcus by offering a virtual trunk show for her fall collection. Fans of the designer were invited to view her runway collection live on Facebook and then given the opportunity to pre-order—via neimanmarcus.com—Karan’s top picks from her collection.

Some designers are taking the user experience one step further with playful concepts that up their brand’s cool factor. For example, DJ-producer Mark Ronson designed a sneaker collection for Gucci in 2009 and co-launched an iPhone app, called Gucci Beats, that allowed users to mix tracks on a virtual turntable using Ronson-supplied music.

It’s this type of integration that no doubt inspired accessory designer Rebecca Minkoff when she invited

fans to help create the next hit bag.

Minkoff, who recently hired fashion blogger Daniel Saynt as her company’s chief marketing officer, has twice launched design competitions in collaboration with online style community Polyvore. The first gave millions of Polyvore users the opportunity to redesign Minkoff’s popular Morning After Clutch using digital images of leather, hooks, tassels, studs, zippers and more. Minkoff selected her top 10 submissions— out of an astounding 6,500—and then had fans vote for their fave on the designer’s Facebook page. The winning clutch, named Dee, hit stores this past March.

Despite all of these advances in technology, traditional retail spaces aren’t going anywhere quite yet. But fashion has always been and will continue to be about options for shoppers. And what’s most exciting is that this is only the start of a new era.

With in-the-works options like virtual fitting rooms (using interactive video technology), we may be revolutionizing the concept of retail forever. Who knows? Lining up beside a cashier could one day be the stuff of old movies—or bad memories. N

For more of our favourite online stops, head to flare.com/shopping

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