Haute off the ramp

After a successful attempt at bringing fashion week merchandise directly to the masses, popular online retail site is hoping to repeat their venture this season.

If you thought that fashion was only for the snooty jet-setters with big wallets, you’ll be glad to know you’re wrong. After a successful attempt at bringing fashion week merchandise directly to the masses, popular online retail site,

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www.fashinandyou.com

, is hoping to repeat their venture this season.

“Last season we had Hot off the Runway, where certain designer collections were made available on the sites, almost immediately after the shows ended. We also had a prêt line, and another for which we collaborated with the Gen Next designers,” says Thivikram Thakore, director marketing, of the site.

From ramp to rack

“The response was great, as the consumers realised it was a win-win situation for them. They were delighted with the fact that they had access to these designer collections because, too often you see lovely clothes worn on by models on the ramp, but have no idea where to find them,” he reveals. He adds that though they did not have a sold-out line, it hasn’t discouraged them from trying again.

“This time, we’ll also have an exclusive line for the festive season designed for fashionandyou. The details of which designers will feature in it are still being worked out, but we’re hoping to be able to announce it around the time of Lakme Fashion Week. That should give us some time to get the production lines in place,” he says. The pricing of garments in this line will probably start at R 1000, with no upper ceiling.

Couture online?

Another big plan in the pipeline, is launching a couture collection online. The venture has its share of major flaws, since couture refers to one-off pieces, mostly handmade. Indian couture garments are even more difficult to handle, if you take into account the amount of intricate embroidery and detailing that goes into an average lehenga, which will ultimately weigh around 10 kilos and more.

“We want to give our customers, access to couture, which is something we’re confident they will ultimately appreciate. Sure, there will be mishaps and a few people may be disappointed, but it’s something we’re considering quite seriously.”