Most Filipinos think online shopping is new territory, a digital sea of uncharted waters. Many of us don't know where to go, who to trust, and whether anything out there is exactly what the picture says it is. But times are slowly changing. More and more Pinoys have been ditching the malls and leaving the stalls, choosing to go online and click away. So for those of us who've become quite the savvy online shopper, and for those who'd like to dive into it for the first time, we've found some fresh and friendly websites that we think you will love.
Check them out below:
CommunityCollection.com is a fairly new U.S. based website that brings together two seemingly opposite agendas—high fashion shopping and non-profit charity. Founded by 25-year-old Brooks Cook, the online retail venue works to harness a high fashion shopper’s exorbitant purchasing power by giving a percentage of the profits to a particular good cause.
Designers partner up with a charity of their choice, which then becomes the recipient of the proceeds. For instance, if you purchase a pair of leopard print platform heels by Diane von Furstenburg for $325, $65 dollars from the sale goes to the Girls Inc. charity, which seeks to educate and empower young girls in need across the U.S.
Over the last few years, the fashion industry has been having a crisis of sorts. With the advent of online fashion, fashion lovers, bloggers, and buyers alike have had viewing access to all the latest shows and all the latest products—which is a good thing. What’s not so good about it is that it will take at least 6 more months before these items end up on retail stands across the world. And in today’s world of instant gratification, 6 months is a lifetime.
Enter ModaOperandi.com, a website that’s come up with a clever way to circumvent this old and obsolescent process by attacking the problem head on.
The site allows you to make designer purchases straight off the runway by featuring online trunk shows. Buyers can make their instant purchases almost immediately after the actual runway collection.
The best part is that Moda Operandi allows you to buy designer pieces as is—meaning no more “editing” by department stores or other retailers to make tops, dresses, or jackets more commercial. Instead, you get that new YSL bag, or those shoes from Alexander Wang exactly as seen on the runway.
As the needs and behaviors of online shoppers evolve, online entrepreneurs are beginning to discover that simply putting up a venue for people to click and purchase things is no longer enough. Contrary to popular thinking, most of the traffic of retail sites isn't generated by purchasers but by internet-savvy window shoppers. HaveToHave.com is a perfect example of this new style of online shopping. 1 part shopping, 1 part blogging, and 1 part social networking, the site is a place where people can pool together their online finds into one organized space.
Founded by Kimberly Skelton and Carla Holtz, Have To Have lets its users clip, say, a Mulberry bag from another shopping site onto their profile, which they can then share to their network of followers. They create a list of items they like, build up their profiles, and interact with other users who enjoy browsing through a curated gallery of products. A great perk from joining HaveToHave.com is that an instant notification pops up once an item on your wishlist goes on sale.
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Catalogue63.com is a first of its kind in the Philippines. Founded by Martina Gomez, Patricia Pastelero, and Kathleen King, the website is in essence a classic, standard-build shopping site, but this time it works with Filipino retailers for Filipino shoppers.
Catalogue 63 is meant to be just that—a catalogue of wearable and affordable pieces that target the more practical consumer looking for workable basics online. Customers can expect a range of simple, casual garments that fit easily into one’s wardrobe.
Now a common fear when shopping online is inconsistency in size. To counter that, Catalogue63.com has each designer come up with a size chart that users can simply click on and use as a guide. For instance, if a small-sized dress in one brand measures differently from a small-sized dress of another brand, you can refer to their size charts to ensure that the items you buy will fit you correctly.
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The Artisan is comprised of a group of young entrepreneurs, namely Enrico Suarez, E.J. Reyes, and Christian San Jose. Together they own and curate the menswear shopping site geared towards a more youthful and contemporary audience.
The group’s aesthetics harken to the simplicity and wholesomeness of America in the 1950’s, mixed with a dash of Japanese style. Each piece is designed and manufactured locally, and sold for a fraction of what other menswear retail outlets in the city charge.
But TheArtisanClothing.com is more than just another shopping hub. The site features beautiful lookbooks and style guides that put each of their collections into an artfully expressive context. Their blog journals also document their thoughts and travels, adding depth to the website’s functions and making for an engaging, cerebral, and highly satisfying shopping experience.
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(As seen in MEGA Magazine's January 2012 issue)
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MEGA Publishing Group
Copyright © 2011 Mega Publishing Group.
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