Fashion people are notoriously slow to adapt to technology; they thought Natalie Massenet was nuts when she began Net-A-Porter, but the company has been purchased by luxury conglomerate Richemont for £350 million and she's laughing all the way to the bank. So I found Cathy Horyn's article about millennials and online shopping interesting yet odd. The article basically questions why Net-A-Porter, Shopbop, and La Garconne are so successful; her conclusion is that Gen Y wants its fashion NOW and looks to these websites for editorial inspiration, and if brands like Chanel want to court this younger customer, they're going to have to get with the program. Obviously, as a blogger (and as an e-commerce copywriter, which is my day job), I agree that the Internet is a major force; what is puzzling to me is why visionaries like Diane von Furstenburg (who Tweets, by the way!) are puzzled as to the success of these companies. There are many different ways to shop, and when it comes to convenience, really, nothing beats the Internet. Gen Y just happens to be the generation that's fully grown up with it. Is that so hard to figure out?
On a lighter note, Lila at Madison Avenue Spy interviewed The Cut's Amy Odell as part of her "retail therapy" series, and while I've always been a big fan of Amy's writing, I love her even more after reading this. She refuses to pay retail for anything--truly, a girl after my own heart.
Also, Garance Doré has officially moved to New York (I'm guessing she moved in with her boyfriend, otherwise known as The Sartorialist), and we now have a series of fish-out-of-water posts to look forward to. Her first was this amusing meditation on the unique vocabulary of NYC nail salons.
Showing posts with label Madison Avenue Spy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Recommended Reading: Madison Avenue Spy
When I write The Week in Shopping every week, I tend to focus on sample sales. You come here to read about them because, well, it's hard to keep track of all of them, and because there's something oddly comforting--and exciting--in the ritual of sample sales. Hell, I've lived here more than eight years and I'm not yet tired of them. But sample sales aren't for everyone, and while I'll shop almost anywhere, I admit that after trekking up multiple flights of stairs into a hot, dusty showroom in order to dig through boxes of clothing and battle it out with other women over this season's overstock, sometimes even I need a break. Shopping the rarefied environment of the city's department stores and designer boutiques is often just the thing you need. To help you navigate through all of those polished terrazzo floors and glass cabinets, I highly suggest checking out Madison Avenue Spy. This new blog is written by one "Lila Delilah," an avid shopper who appreciates a good bargain but just doesn't do sample sales. Lila covers everything from markdowns (the department stores are entering their second round as we speak) to friends & family coupons, but the thing I find most interesting is that she drops names and phone numbers of her favorite salespeople--which leads me to believe that she definitely knows what she's talking about. Well, that and the fact that she appears to know about markdowns before they happen (generally, only the best customers are let in on pre-sales). A warm welcome to Lila and her wealth of shopping info; before heading uptown, Madison Avenue Spy is a must-read.
When I write The Week in Shopping every week, I tend to focus on sample sales. You come here to read about them because, well, it's hard to keep track of all of them, and because there's something oddly comforting--and exciting--in the ritual of sample sales. Hell, I've lived here more than eight years and I'm not yet tired of them. But sample sales aren't for everyone, and while I'll shop almost anywhere, I admit that after trekking up multiple flights of stairs into a hot, dusty showroom in order to dig through boxes of clothing and battle it out with other women over this season's overstock, sometimes even I need a break. Shopping the rarefied environment of the city's department stores and designer boutiques is often just the thing you need. To help you navigate through all of those polished terrazzo floors and glass cabinets, I highly suggest checking out Madison Avenue Spy. This new blog is written by one "Lila Delilah," an avid shopper who appreciates a good bargain but just doesn't do sample sales. Lila covers everything from markdowns (the department stores are entering their second round as we speak) to friends & family coupons, but the thing I find most interesting is that she drops names and phone numbers of her favorite salespeople--which leads me to believe that she definitely knows what she's talking about. Well, that and the fact that she appears to know about markdowns before they happen (generally, only the best customers are let in on pre-sales). A warm welcome to Lila and her wealth of shopping info; before heading uptown, Madison Avenue Spy is a must-read.
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