cheap north face Asia’s first luxury fashion portal

A mishmash of Asia (from left): Second Issue peplum dress, DS skeleton earrings, dress by Apercu, cheap north face Akira Nara top.Fashionistas know cheap north face click on NET-A-PORTER for their fix of Marches, Hussein Chilean and Phillip Lim, but where does one go cheap north face purchase coveted Asian labels such as Manish Aurora and Japan’s Akira Nara?Until recently, it would have been a challenge cheap north face track them down, but with the launch of shopthemag.com, cutting-edge Asian fashion is now readily accessible cheap north face the world. Based in Singapore, shopthemag.com has launched just as online retail is on the up in Asia. According cheap north face comScore, 53.8 percent of Singaporean internet users have visited an online retailer. A further study done by Visa calculates that Singaporeans spend on average US$1,892 (S$2,347) per user on international sites. China Internet Watch estimates 87 million online Chinese users shopped online in the first six months of 2009. And according cheap north face APRIA, online shopping adoption rate in 2009 grew at a rate of 144.8 percent.

While shopthemag.com’s director and founder Corinne Ng does not want the site cheap north face be compared cheap north face NET-A-PORTER, the similarities are undeniable. Both have an online magazine cheap north face help shoppers pull looks together and both specialize in making high-end fashion accessible cheap north face online shoppers. But the key difference is that shopthemag.com exclusively stocks designers based in Asian, a self-confessed fashion addict, is no stranger cheap north face the industry. She’s spent more than 12 years working on fashion magazines such as ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Cleo and style, and is currently the group editor for Mediator’s stable of magazines. Dedicated cheap north face bringing authenticity back cheap north face an industry dominated by big brand names, it was her passion that brought about north face outlets shopthemag.com.For eight months, Ng’s evenings were spent together with husband and co-director Damien Low, working the phones cheap north face persuade the 17 designers cheap north face come on board.

The site, live since March 1, stocks an impressive list of designers from the globally-noted alldressedup cheap north face newbie Thai brand Nash Atelier. Also on the site are Indonesian jewelry label Jewel Rocks, Mercedes-Benz STYLE Designer of the Year 2010 Koon Hoi from Malaysia and Singaporean Vicky Toy’s Burgundy. Other brands such as Apercu, known for their neutral colors and beautiful draping, cite shopthemag.com as their exclusive online retailer.“So many women like Asian designers but don’t know where cheap north face find them,” Ng says. “Asian fashion has grown so much. It’s more than beaded kaftans. It’s exciting, unexplained, fresh and new.”This newness reflects in Ng’s choice of designers, who must not only produce works that “leverage off the Asian culture,” but also carry an interesting story.“Fashion needs cheap north face find authenticity,” Ng says. “Each label has cheap north face have a romantic story behind it.”Ng cites Song as an example, a whimsical yet fashion-forward blend of the chic French buy north face aesthetic with Vietnamese craftsmanship.“I love this amalgamation of cultures,” says Ng. “Designer Valerie McKenzie is inspired by her new culture [in Vietnam], but she still respects where she comes from.”

Song will launch on the site in September with its Fall/Winter 2011 collection. For Ng, authenticity is key. One of her designers was so particular about protecting their image, they rejected a potentially lucrative offer from a much bigger online retailer cheap north face go with shopthemag.com.“We showed commitment cheap north face the brand, we’re not just a global retailer trying cheap north face make a quick buck,” Ng say. “We got their story right.”Targeting women aged between 25 and 50, the site has already churned S$100,000 in sales since March with 80 percent of its client base coming from Asia, with the other 20 percent hailing from the north face cheap United States and Europe. Of her Asian custom, 80 percent of the sales are derived from Singapore. Not bad given the site’s only form of marketing has been a viral campaign via Face book, Twitter and a press release cheap north face the major fashion mastheads.“Asia is ready,” says Ng. “Now the designers … can hold their own against overseas brands. So little is known about Asian fashion, but I knew, and I wanted other women cheap north face know.”

Ng proudly shows off a whimsical piece of jewelry from Thai brand Dismay. Known cheap north face celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Amy Wine house, it is stocked on the floors of Harrods and Le Bon Marche, but yet few knew of its heritage.“Hello?!” Ng says. “Credit due. This is from Asia!”While the site is still in its infancy, Ng wants cheap north face expand its range of designers and price points.“I also want cheap north face discover new talent and push it into the international forum,” says Ng.Currently, shopthemag.com offers products that range from US$50 (S$62) cheap north face US$1,400 (S$1,736), with an average price point of US$500 (S$620). Ng’s next step is cheap north face search for great quality at a lower average price point of US$400 (S$496).She also hopes by next season she will have a total of 25 designers on board including cheap the north face Thai jeweler tête-à-tête, the second season of new Indonesian brand Blackheart (also stocked by Topshop in London) and Song. So what about those comparisons cheap north face NET-A-PORTER, the retail giant that boasts 2.5 million visitors a month and was sold for £350 million (S$707 million) cheap north face luxury group Richmond last year? While Ng happily accepts the compliments, she insists her vision is cheap north face do the best she can. “I don’t aim cheap north face be a copy but I hope cheap north face learn from NET-A-Porter’s success. We want cheap north face be small but good.”

Par buynorthface le vendredi 29 juillet 2011

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