Yesterday, I got on my high horse and started banging on about how designers needed to get their websites sorted out and today, I'm still on that high horse, but I've moved onto high-end e-stores. This is strictly speaking BoF territory, but as I browsed through Miu Miu's spanking new online shop, I started drawing comparisons in my head and after a lot of browsing and 50 screencaps later, I kind of wanted to round up my little tidbits on the biggie e-stores that are out there at the moment as well as touching on e-store absentees. Multi-brands boutiques probably aren't going to like this but I personally like shopping in person at the flagship own-brand stores if I can. Take Miu Miu for example, I'd much rather walk into the Miu Miu store and buy something there rather than buying it from a department store - it's a shallow material feeling of wanting to be in the environment of (in Miu Miu's case), brocade wallpaper and plush pale pink carpet. Likewise, online, I may take a preference to own-branded e-stores IF they're up to scratch...
How does an e-shop become 'up to scratch'? There probably is no one definitive answer to that. The thing is, it's all very subjective and personal as well as being different from label to label. I'm only speaking as a wee consumer here because nothing can ultimately definitive and finite when everyone's browsing tastes, online shopping traits and lifestyles are different. Also, I have to admit there's a certain bias towards labels of course that personally interest me which factors into this Also also, I haven't taken into account limited shipping which a lot of them have... USA and the main European countries are often in the safe zone but it gets very very scatty when it gets to Australia and Asia.
Rendering all of this... a morning's worth of screencapping and not much else... YAY ME!
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Let's get started then... so Miu Miu has landed and weirdly, in comparison to Prada, the offering is MUCH better with a very VERY decent selection of ready to wear. The S/S 11 show pieces such as a swan print dress and metallic leather jackets are all there - ready for me to say "Oh yeah, I have a spare £2k lying around..."
I thought I'd have a problem with it all being a bit boxy but actually straightforward and easy-peasy is the way to go with Miu Miu, especially with their accessories, shoes and bag offerings where I know the collections inside and out and just want to click to buy. Let's hope that the 'cult' items of future Miu Miu collections (such as S/S 10's cat print shirt collars) make it onto the site so that I can stop harrassing weary shop assistants.
They have a LOT of the Apple-motif jewellery up seeing as NAP sold out of the stuff quite early on...
Yup, one of each please...
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Reed Krakoff in my head is a young label (having only done a few seasons) but I have to keep remembering it's backed by Coach which is probably why their e-store is so slick. It's not necessarily that they have EVERYTHING online but the layout as well as the selection is really quite good.
I particularly like their RK Edits selection and the way the shoes are magnified on-site alongside quotes from Reed Krakoff himself, making the experience a little bit more interesting as well as being practical - I'm a fan of INSTANT big images where you can see every nook and cranny of the item as opposed to zooms where you're looking at an ultra magnified area but can't get the whole context of the item.
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Lanvin's old website was making me weep a little because it was just terribly old-fashioned so really, anything would have been an improvement. For an age-old Parisian house, I actually think this new e-store does the trick in some respects. The whimsicality and personality of Alber Elbaz is injected into the layout as well as those signature mannequins which are used in Lanvin stores. The selection isn't bad either though it could be wider...
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Selling Alexander Wang online is sort of a no-brainer given that his products really are geared towards instant sells. With the site redesign though, I quite like that you can now see things in grid format (with the option to scale it up and down) and there's just a lot more product on the site now. Again simplicity works in Wang's favour...
I also like their choice of lead-images when you click onto the categories...damn you Alexander Wang bags... after buying my hessian Adele clutch, I'm now seeking out these Jade ones...
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You'd really think Burberry would have the art of the e-store fully perfected given how much resources they devote to all things digital. Actually, if I'm honest,coach bags outlet, I find their opening page to their online store a little confusing. Am I looking at runway looks? Can I buy everything that's in this grid? Why is there a random April Showers video stuck in there?
When you get into the categories of product though (after a prolonged bit of loading time...), it's a bit more clear-cut and they have emphasised what they are all about in their Prorsum, London and Brit lines, which is outerwear, outerwear, outerwear - something that has become the main focus of their collections too when they offer the coats to buy straightaway after the show (for a limited period of time only though...).
Also when you get through to some of the opening pages, I had a script error which had something to do with the music playing...
I could be completely jellified if I wore this and carried the Furla Candy bag...
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Marc Jacobs caused a few question marks to fly around when they relaunched their e-store and you had this sort of 90s Sim City type animation on the opening page. I kind of think it works for the store,Coach Wallets, especially when you get into their comprehensive categories where all labels under Marc Jacobs are offered under one site and there's a ton of product on offer too. Right now, all the S/S 11 Marc Jacobs 70s stuff is available...
...along with shoes that I haven't even seen in stores before...
I like how they've included minor product lines too such as Little Marc Jacobs, something that say Stella McCartney could do.
Sadly it's US only at the moment but I'm sure that will change...
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After browsing through a few of the American-based e-stores, I noticed that in general, the products are presented on the models, as looks as opposed to being flat cut-out shots or on mannequins. I don't really have a preference as it depends on the brand but for people like DKNY/Donna Karan and Diane von Furstenberg, I suppose it works for their customer base...
I find it a little funny that DKNY has a 'Breakfast Meeting' category... scarily enough, I seem to be in a period of my life where breakfast meetings are sort of normal - who knew that would happen, eh?
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The Alexander McQueen e-store has improved quite a bit since it first launched and here I do prefer the looks presented on models as opposed to flat cut-outs as the styling of the model really helps to sell the pieces...
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Then comes the Yoox-ers, the sites operated by e-store GIANT Yoox. This doesn't necessarily mean it falls in to formulaic territory though. Marni's site (Yoox's first estore coup) though could do with a bit of sprucing up as the graphics/fonts etc somehow look a little tired - which doesn't fit in with the exhuberant and outstandingly accomplished collections that Marni consistently turns out.
Maison Martin Margiela's e-store is another Yoox operated site and fits in with the existing site design which hasn't had too many changes since the man himself left, sticking to that ye olde Apple OS layout that always makes clicking around the site weirdly clunky but thoroughly enjoyable.
It has a pretty good selection of the mainline collection as well as MM6 online too...
Moschino, is also under the Yoox umbrella and actually has a really personalised graphic treatment that is entirely fitting for the brand. It's got a fair bit of Eliza Doolittle stuff going on as she's their new brand ambassador at the moment but get into their different categories of Moschino, Moschino Cheap & Chic and Love Moschino and they all get separate graphic and presentation treatments. I like the full length catwalk looks that are then separated into products at the side...
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I actually love Stella McCartney's website in general and the design of the e-store is also beautiful as well as functional, especially when you get to individual products and they enlarge into HUGE images. The selection is perhaps a little low though in comparison to their physical stores and this seems to be problematic with a lot of labels which is probably down to limitations with their websites vs. physical stores/stockists or distribution/production flow.
Who else can bulk up their offerings…?
Balenciaga - I'd love to see ready to wear beyond t-shirts and leather jackets on their site. Oh, and boo to being UK/US ONLY...
Louis Vuitton/Loewe - I know both are primarily BAG/ACCESSORIES companies that are here to push their BAGS but if they sell their ready to wear in-stores why shouldn't they do so online? I'd love to see that pushed more...
Proenza Schouler - I love the thinking behind their site after seeing them talk about it at the IFB Conference, that they can put up show pieces, things that never went into production etc onto their e-store but for me,dre headphones cheap, I would LOVE a HUGE wack of Proenza available from their site. That's just greedy me and my love for all things Proenza though...
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Then there are the slight clunkers where selection/product breadth isn't the problem but the design feels a little clunky/heavy. Gucci of course being Gucci needs to be sheeny shiny but the bronze mannequins that they use in their product shots don't do the clothes any favours and somehow the logo boxes that spin around into looks, feels a little bit odd. The same goes for the D&G online store (why just D&G and not Dolce & Gabbana?) which also is a bit gold and boxy. I know I know, I'm stating the obvious that super Italian brands liks Gucci and Dolce are heavy on the gold and bling, but I'm sure the design could be amped up a notch to match both brand's amazing physical stores...
I was actually pleasantly surprised to find SO MUCH of the S/S 11 collection on Pringle's e-store and their main website is quite impressive too but when you get into the e-store, it feels a little bit formulaic and a bit boxed-up...
Vivienne Westwood's site is on that boxy route again but fares worse because it offers VERY little functionality in terms of categorisation and just feels a little slapdash. In this case, it might be better not to have an online shop at all...
Some other sites that need a design shake-up in my opinion...
Rag & Bone - I'm a huge fan of their collections from the past few seasons and right now the brilliant mood/ambiance of their S/S 11 collection is just not reflected on their e-store which also needs some rejigging in its categorisation.
Sonia Rykiel - Tired looking drop down menus as well as a limited amount of product just does not measure up to the FUN of Sonia Rykiel's collections...
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Who is totally absent on the e-store front and needs to get online PRONTO for my own personal enjoyment?
3.1 Phillip Lim - I was actually shocked that he didn't have an e-store. I COMPLETELY thought he had one and looked through the site very carefully just to check I hadn't missed it. I'm sure it's in the works...
Carven - Alright, it's asking a bit much considering they've JUST opened their first store in Paris but the label has blown up fast and their friendlier price points means an e-store would be more than welcome. Like I said, an army of Carven-fanatics are building up fast and they can definitely take advantage of that...
Celine - It may never happen given Phoebe Philo's love of all things discreet and secretive. Still, with the right design, Celine need not be wrapped up in the bubble wrap of physical-store only exclusivity...
Chloe - You go to their "e-shopping page" and find a very disappointing redirect page asking you to go elsewhere. What's even weirder is that they regularly run big online campaigns with mahussive MPUs, half-page ads on big fashion sites - what is the call to action then?
Givenchy - Again, I think a smattering of product could work at first just to get the ballrolling. Actually I'd just like a way of being able to get hold of those A/W 11-12 caps with cat-ears...
Thom Browne - Given that his shows are such theatrical draws and his aesthetic is so uniquely his own, I feel like a Thom Browne e-store could be visually amazing...
Versace/Versus - I really thought Versace had one too. I think separate sites would work better for the two brands. Actually Versus just needs a website in general. What is it with Christopher Kane and his fear of websites?!
Viktor & Rolf - I don't think they could sell their showpieces online but they have such a wide product range now not seen on the catwalk that could do well in their animation-heavy site...
Victoria Beckham - I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Her stuff sells like hot cakes. Makes entire sense. Would love to be able to get my hands on the A/W 11-12 grey duffle bag - yes, Vicky B put a grey duffle bag in her collection...
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As a more upbeat and positive end note, I wanted to mention how much I like Vena Cava's new e-store/web design. Fairly minimal but with enough character to really reflect what they're about as designers. It's not really right to compare Vena Cava with all the aforementioned names here but still, I like this mentality of keeping things just a little bit personal which can be applied to a few designers that may well be on their way to becoming 'superbrands' but can still afford to hold back on the slickness when it comes to their online offering...
Vena Cava's garage store also got me thinking that if they can bung a weird fish ornament up for sale, then the idea of designers doing online sample sales, operated by themselves (not through Gilt/Cocosa etc...) could also be a distinct possibility. I love the idea of big houses doing invite-only (like their physical counterparts) online sales that could also engage with customers but that's a distant fantasy given that big houses like to keep their sample sales hush hush and industry-only...
Like I said though, it's all subjective - it would be great if everyone weighs in on their own-brand e-store joys and woes...
