Coutorture

coutorture — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Get Ready For Gilt Fuse, Launching August 12th

Off-price online retailer, Gilt Groupe, announced this week a new site in the stable, called Gilt Fuse. The new e-commerce site will function similarly to the original Gilt Groupe--the main difference being the price point. Gilt Fuse will feature sale items from contemporary designers, like Kova & T, BCBG, Plenty by Tracy Reese and CC Skye, making their average price point hover somewhere around $150. Will the move splinter their customers in too drastic a way or will both sites grow to be even bigger in the coming season? In speaking with the chief executive of Gilt Groupe, Susan Lyne, The New York Times reported that "of its 1.2 million members, more than half are in their 20s, and of that group, about 250,000 visit the site twice a week or more and never make a purchase." The statistic proves a very strong case for the launch of Gilt Fuse, presumably those 250,000 visitors will find the lower price point makes all the difference.

Topshop Launches Fall 2009 Trend Report

coutorture — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Looks like it's trend report time--Style.com, Net-a-Porter and Topshop all launched their fall shortlists this week. Topshop, like the others, favored trends that complemented their brand identity. Translation? Structured minis, sequin-overload, harem trouser-love and some serious footwear. Check out their six fall call-outs below.

Shopbop Reveals New Fall Facelift

coutorture — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Online retailer Shopbop just launched a comprehensive redesign, just in time for fall. The new homepage leads to a main feature called "Shop Your Style" where visitors can choose from clothing that is "bohemian", "casual chic", "classic", "edgy" and "girly". In addition, most of the navigation has been updated, making it easy to shop by designer, price and clothing type.

La Garconne Launches Pre-Fall Look Book

coutorture — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

We just happened upon La Garconne's recently-launched Pre-Fall 2009 look book and it actually has us excited for fall. The French-chic editorial pays homage to outerwear and Alexander Wang and features some items available for purchase and some presumably in the La Garconne pipeline. We're happy to see their colorless inventory illuminated with a well-styled editorial. Check out the look book below.

coutorture — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Urban Outfitters Relaunches Blog, Expands Their Reach

Urban Outfitters just relaunched their blog, offering a simplier format and more opportunities for social networking. Written content spans a dozen international cities and covers news, clulture and design as well as the occasional UO product shoutout. In addition to the requisite Twitter and Facebook accounts, Urban Outfitters has also set up Flickr and YouTube accounts where users pool their content freely. Finally, their eBay store lets you big on items from their vintage line, Urban Renewal, and a contest page offers chances to win everything from gift certificates to tickets to Bonaroo.

Sigerson Morrison Launches Online Store

coutorture — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:14:01 -0700

New York based footwear and handbag company, Sigerson Morrison, recently launched their own online store. Simple, elegant and logical the site takes visitors through items either by category or by collection. Unfortunately, items are only displayed from one perspective, however, every color swatch has its own image--which somewhat makes up for it. The launch of Sigerson Morrison's online store coincides, fortunately, with their seasonal sale so many of the items are marked down.

Three Coveted Items That Sold Out Online This Week

coutorture — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0700

From left: Sequin blazer $160 @ Topshop, Burberry Prorsum goat coat $4,195 @ Net-a-Porter, Alexander Wang duffel bag $850 @ OAK

The push toward fall is becoming increasingly hard to ignore as online retailers are beginning to sell out of coveted cold-weather merch. From a Topshop sequin blazer, to a Wang it-bag, to a four thousand dollar goat coat by Burberry--all signs are pointing to next season, not this one. We recommend following suit. Keep track of the inventory at your local stores and favorite online retailers from now through September--this is the time of year when big deliveries, filled with must-have pieces, are hitting shelves.

coutorture — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Pixie Market Launches Into An Online Summer Sale

New York based boutique and e-commerce retailer, Pixie Market, just launched into their summer sale. The boutique, whose trendy downtown wares are priced just below contemporary and just above the high street, are known for taking risks with their inventory. Expect sequin hoodies, drop-crotch trousers, jumpsuits and shredded jeans galore. In addition to the sale, be sure to check out their new arrivals section which boasts similar statement making items, most of which will sell-out before they make it into Fall's sale section.

coutorture — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

eLuxury Shuts Down e-Commerce, Introduces Temporary Site

eLuxury officially shuttered their e-commerce operation on Friday and introduced a fun, temporary editorial format to keep people coming to the site. In early 2010, eLuxury will relaunch as a globally-minded editorial site with "unique and original content" but, until then, visitors are entertained by taking daily quizzes which prompt them to answer questions like "Dirty Martini or Virgin Mary?'. The temporary format is poised to include imagery and video content as time passes, presumably to keep visitors engaged over the six month waiting period.

Net-a-Porter Teams Up With Oscar

coutorture — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Net-a-Porter just debuted a new interview within their newly launched video section--this time with iconic designer Oscar de la Renta. The segment includes touching commentary from de la Renta juxtaposed with photos which span his career. Although the release wasn't timed with a big push into de la Renta's Fall collection, there are still six fabulous Oscar de la Renta items to choose from right now.