Second City Style Fashion Blog - Style, Luxury, Beauty & Shopping

Luxury Shopping. Luxe Brands Headed Online in Droves

Great news for those of us who love to shop on the Internet! Luxury and designer brands have finally woken up to the Web. And it could be the saving grace in these tough economic times, reports WWD.

After years of ignoring e-tailing, luxury and designer brands are finally opening up shop online in sizable numbers. Recent online e-tailors include Prada, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Boucheron and Bulgari. Already selling top-of-the-line handbags, shoes, accessories or ready-to-wear for more than a year are Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Oscar de la Renta, Judith Leiber, Christian Dior, Hermès, Burberry, Tiffany and Ralph Lauren.

Holdouts include Chanel and Donna Karan, which do have online shops but only for lower-priced lines and beauty.

On Wednesday, Stella McCartney opened an online store for the U.S. In December, Prada opened an online store serving Europe and the U.K. (A U.S. version is due soon, although the company declined to be more specific.) Vuitton opened its U.S. online store in November, and YSL opened an American shop, which features a striking graphical Mondrian-like design, in October.

"I think eventually every company that runs stores will have e-commerce," predicted Mark Lee, chief executive officer of Gucci, which is widely regarded as a leader in online commerce for opening its store in 2002 and handling the technical side in-house. "Whatever the initial fears or reluctance, people are embracing it. It doesn't harm the brand in any way, and it's also very profitable."

Retailers realize the wealthy customer is online and wants to buy.

"I think there is a customer for whom money is no object, and that customer exists online as well," said Alex Bolen, ceo of Oscar de la Renta, which opened a store selling $2,400 handbags, shoes averaging $500 to $800, accessories and fragrance in 2006.

Luxury brands once feared selling online would tarnish their aura of exclusivity, and fashion companies disliked the look of the online environment. They even feared putting up clear images online would encourage counterfeiting and online stores might make it easier for counterfeiters and gray market distributors to buy. But the Web is quickly losing its low-rent reputation.

It is not unusual for frequent online luxury shoppers to be cash-rich and time poor. That is often the case at Net-a-porter, where 19% of customers are busy ceo's and executives, typically in banking and media.

Read "Luxe Brands Follow the Money – to the Internet" here.

Luxury. Gucci Wins as Most Desirable Luxury Brand

Sorry Louis Vuitton. According to an article in Forbes, Gucci is the number one brand and tops the list for most luxury aficionados. Last year, the Nielsen Company, a market research firm conducted a survey and asked 25,000 consumers in 48 countries which luxury brand they would buy if money were no object. Besides Gucci, respondents chose Chanel, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. Hey, where is YSL?

It's easy to see why Gucci reigns supreme. In 2007, sales increased 11%; that's on top of a 17% increase in 2006 and a rise of 18.4% in 2005. Gucci is a part of the Gucci Group, which has a number of fashion brands in its portfolio, including Yves Saint Laurent (ah, there it is) and Sergio Rossi. PPR, a French holding company publicly traded on the Euronext exchange in Paris, owns the Gucci Group.

"Gucci manages to offer high fashion and very commercial items," says Michael Macko, fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue "That red and green stripe is some of the most iconic luxury branding ever created, and people want a piece of it."

When looking at who actually buys designer brands today, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong come out on top. Considering the US dollar is so weak, is it really a surprise?

This is scary...over a quarter of North Americans questioned believe that fakes are just as good as the real thing, but in Asia, where most of the fakes are produced, consumers hold them in low regard, with only 8% putting them on par with the genuine article.

"People in Asia can pick out a fake bag like no one I've seen," says Boyd, "But in the U.S., people are less aware and less concerned, because in the U.S. luxury brands are considered more mainstream."

Fakes suck. OK?

Read "World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands" here

Luxury. Calling In Deep Discounts: Ideeli is the 411 for Luxury Goods.

Photos: Annie Tritt for the NYT

As if we need another way to spend money on luxury item Ideeli comes along and makes it that much harder to say no. This morning's NYT reports that this retailer is taking luxury to the next level: the airwaves. Apparently when you sign up you get text messaged when Ideeli is offering a bargain that might be appealing, like a Valentino bag at 50% off, and it can be yours-- if you move quickly. According to chief executive Paul Hurley items can sell out in less than 10 minutes. That's some fast money.

For more details read the full story below.-- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Counterfeit Luxury: Feds Bust Largest-Ever Counterfeit Smuggling Ring. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Feds in New York seized $200 million in fake goods yesterday in one of the largest-ever counterfeit smuggling rings of designer apparel, shoes and accessories.

Labels seized included Chanel, Nike, Burberry, Polo Ralph Lauren and Baby Phat. The busts occurred after a one-year investigation that included an undercover agent. Federal officials in Manhattan arrested and arraigned 10 people including a licensed Customs broker. The goods were discovered in more than 100 shipping containers packed full of cases of fake sneakers, handbags, jeans and other apparel.

The raid proves stepped-up efforts by Federal and local officials in seizing counterfeit goods which is a major plague for fashion and luxury brands. Brands from Louis Vuitton to Cartier also have been stepping up their own legal efforts to blunt the sale of counterfeits from China, focusing a lot of their attention on the streets around Canal Street in New York.

The smugglers also were charged with attempting to bribe an undercover U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent posing as a corrupt longshoreman's union official by offering $500,000 in cash bribes.

Shipments of the goods were disguised in different ways. The smuggling ring planned to mislabel products to avoid quotas and detection. For example, the smugglers told the undercover agent they planned to label jeans as pants and leather sneakers as PVC. "Refrigerated noodle" cases of Nike sneakers surfaced on a number of occasions during the probe.

After the counterfeits cleared Customs, a Brooklyn-based husband-and-wife trucking company moved them to warehouse locations for storage. The goods were distributed from there to retail outlets in Brooklyn and Queens.

Read "Busting Counterfeits: Feds Crack Major Ring, Seize $200M in Fakes"

Photo: ABC News

Luxury. Beware the Lure of Luxury Branding. Dana Thomas' Holiday Shopping Warning. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Illustration: Jillian Tamaki

For those of you who missed the Dana Thomas' editorial in this Saturday's NYT please do yourself a favor and take the time to read it and remember every word. The grand dame of fashion journalism (see her volume: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It's Luster) shares her two cents about the real scoop about luxury brands and the composition of the goods they market to people searching for quality.... be warned, you may have to rethink how much you're paying for the labels that don't come through on promises of craftmanship... -- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Luxury. What I Love Today. Christian Lacroix Strapless Mini Dress from Net-a-porter.com. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Christian Lacroix Strapless Mini Dress $4185 @ Net-a-porter

"Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread and so I turn to you my love heart above my head..." It's what I started singing when I saw Christian Lacroix's little ode to indulgence and sinful delight. This saucy red number is what you would wear to a masked ball (if we still sought out these titillating occasions), as it's more of a costume that a mere dress. Gathered silk is just aristocratic enough to make one feel like a princess while an oversized bow and short hemline remind you that you're a modern woman and ought to consider taking a chance.. if only for tonight...-- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Luxury. Building the Fall Wardrobe. 6 Ways to Add a Sweater. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Long Cashmere Cardigan, $315 @ Intermix

Temperley London Imperial Silk/Cashmere sweater dress, $1280 @ Saks

Vince Crimped Yarn Cardigan $285 @ Nordstrom

Diane von Furstenburg cashmere wrap dress $545 @ Net-a-porter

Karoo Marc Eisen sleeveless bubble top $352 @ Shopbop

Mara Hoffman print cashmere sweater, $407 @ Pink Mascara

This is the season the sweater. Cashmere is optimal but a cozy wool blend can be just as nice. And whether you're looking for a dress to stand out, blend in or just curl up next to a fire with your sweetheart there's a sweater to accommodate. Some tricks of the trade: layer a dress with jeans for a casual look or unbutton a sweater dress and layer it with a turtleneck or cotton tee, try a neutral color with a pair of loud leggings in fuschia, blue or purple for an instant update.-- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Luxury. What I Like Today. Marc Jacobs Fractured Flower Satin Dress at Saks. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Marc Jacobs Fractured Flower Satin Dress, $1300 @ Saks.com

Aren't we all fractured flowers? Some of us bloom late, others early and some of us need to have our seeds carried by the wind every season to make sure we're in a place that makes us happy and allows us to grow. Marc Jacobs fractured flower dress isn't a sexpot dress or naughty in any typical way. But nonetheless it's collar is just a little off-center and the print is just a little abstract and even the belt is almost invisible. But somehow it all comes together-- and isn't that just the way life works?-- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Luxury. What I Love Today: Matthew Williamson Valdese Beaded Dress. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Matthew Williamson Valdese dress, $2196 from Net-a-porter

They shimmied their way into fashion history: the flapper and the other deco darlings that made the 20s so roaring. This fall I find myself recalling how much I  love with these rebellious darlings--- beads, baubles and all.

And I'm not alone. In the spirit of London Fashion Week I found myself looking for some British-inspired fall pieces and found Matthew Williamson's contemporary spin on this Modern look. A short transparent ruffled hem and subtle metallic beading complimented with over-sized onyx buttons. The sleeveless style lends itself to just the right amount of flapping in a evening of frolicking and fun.-- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Luxury. What I Love Today. Doo.Ri Jersey Dress with Organza Hem. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Doo.Ri Jersey Dress with Organza Hem, $1400 Eluxury

For those of you who want to embrace the dark side, fall 2007 is the season for you. Doo.Ri's Jersey dress with self-tie halter straps makes you look just a bit naughty  but the 100% silk shows that you appreciate the finer things (and incidentally, so does the price tag).

100% silk Halter with self-tie straps Twisted bandeau bodice Hidden rear zipper with hook-and-eye closure at the top Full, voluminous skirt Wide organza hem