Fashion
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E-commerce has changed the way we shop, thanks to luxury enclaves such as Net-a-porter. Cheryl Chan speaks to its global buying director Elizabeth von der Goltz in Beijing for an insider’s guide on the must-haves for the upcoming autumn/winter 2018 season
The best way to gain knowledge on any subject is to consult the experts. So when we came face-to-face with the woman responsible for the exceptional products on luxury retail site Net-a-porter, we jumped at the chance to find out exactly what we should be adding to cart this season. Besides, from whom better to get the fashion scoop than Elizabeth von der Goltz, whose actual profession is shopping? You’re welcome.
Asia has been a target market for most retailers. What are the buying habits in Asia, especially in Singapore?
Asia in general is really strong for us because Asians love fashion. Power brands are still important here but what we’ve seen evolve over the years is more experimentation. We’re finding that people, especially in certain cities, love this new kind of advanced contemporary area from us, which are labels with a designer aesthetic but with a more accessible price point. Customers like discovering new brands from us like Ganni, Rejina Pyo, Staud and Rixo. Shoppers in Singapore, specifically, love shoes, which from a volume standpoint is the number one category for us. It’s everything from sneakers to Louboutins. Right under shoes are your power designers and big brands, then the contemporary brands, and then bags.
Can you list some examples of brands that are popular?
Gucci is super strong, especially
its logo T-shirts. The utility belt bags by Off-white also did extremely well on the site. Interestingly, something else that really stood out was the Marc Jacobs camera bag—it has been extremely popular. Other brands that are popular with the Singaporean customers are Common Projects and Valentino, as well as Self-portrait. They really love the brands’ feminine dresses. There’s also a difference in the buying habits of a new customer and our top customers or what we call the Extremely Important Privileges (EIP) customer. The EIP customers are buying a lot into the bigger brands while the new customers are entering through some of the newer discoveries on the site.
What are some of the key buys and brands from autumn/winter 2018 that we should look out for?
Loewe—we feel super strongly about everything. It’s not just a bag resource; I think the brand’s ready-to-wear has gotten a lot stronger as Jonathan Anderson
evolves over the years. In the world of contemporary collectives, Les Rêveries is going to be renewed after its relaunch. I think it has great price points, it’s really feminine and that’s going to relate very well with the Asian customer. There are new shoe resources from brands such as By Far and Martinez. Coats are a bit different because it’s too hot in Singapore, but I think a good, thin, lightweight raincoat would do well.
Were there any items that ended doing far better than what you initially predicted?
Pastels, especially when they first started. Traditionally, pastels never used to sell, even when there were seasons where pastels were in. It’s just a harder colour palette to work with. I think what happened when it was reintroduced, it was done in a bolder, more modern way. Items such as the Tibi dresses and jackets blew up, and we had to reorder them quickly.
What do you look out for when you want to take on a new designer on the site?
First of all, when you see a collection for the first time it has to have a very different point of view. There are almost 500 different brands on the site so whatever we’re adding has to offer something different to our customers. I think that’s key. Not only does the brand need a unique style, it has to have the designer’s DNA because you want to see them in the products even as trends and seasons evolve. We don’t want a one season hit; we want a business that has amazing creativity, and can produce and ship on time.
Any recent discoveries that caught your eye?
I’m obsessed with Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini’s brand Attico, Michael Halpern, and Monse. And for this season, Martinez —I’m obsessed with his amazing shoes.
If there were one thing that our readers should buy from this season, what would it be?
Only one item? It would definitely be a stamped croc bag or a pair of boots.