Consumption community: What and how to buy on Moda Operandi

WONDERZINE DEADShow the famous online stores are arranged: what to buy in them, how to save money and what to look for when delivering. In the second issue of the rubric we analyze how ModaOperandi.com is organized - an online store specializing in selling designer clothes, shoes and accessories from the collections of the next season. His whole ideology easily fits into the capacious motto, invented by the founders of Moda Operandi: "buying the fashion of the future today." At the end of last year, Moda Operandi topped the list of the 50 best online stores according to The Times.

What is it

In 2011 American Vogue contributor and New York socialite Lauren Santo Domingo, along with a business woman and one of the most creative women in business, according to Fast Company Magazine Aslaug Magnusdottir, have created a unique project: an online store that gives anyone access to the collections of the future of the season. If earlier the opportunity to get a dress or shoes directly from the catwalk was only from a select circle of editors, celebrities, designer friends and girlfriends of oil company owners, now order a pair of Valentino spiked boats, Alexander Wang bomber jacket, Anndra Neen clutch-cell, dress of a young British brand Mother of Pearl or a bag from the second line of Zac Posen - Z Spoke long before they appear in stores can anyone just a couple of clicks.

The first brand to sign a contract with Moda Operandi was the Proenza Schouler, which has long received the status of modern American classics. After that, the list was added to another 30 names of American brands. The first designer whose collection became available for pre-order on the site was Alexander Wang: on February 16, 2011 the trunk show of his collection of the fall-winter 2011 season was launched. "Lauren was the first buyer, she ordered a pink dress combination, I bought after her sweater poncho. Then we sat down and waited, "Aslaug told in her April interview to the Wall Street Journal.

Now More than 300 designers from all over the world cooperate with the store in the trunk show format, thereby giving customers from anywhere in the world the opportunity to pre-order things "from the future." In December 2012, the Boutique section was launched with items from current collections of more than 70 brands. Purchases are led directly by creative director Moda Operandi Taylor Tomasi Hill. With the help of Indre Rockefeller, director of ready-to-wear, she carefully selects clothing and accessories, creating a unique selection that is noticeably different from the range of most online stores. Also, when ordering a collection for sale in Boutique, Moda Operandi buyers are guided by the designer’s trunk show statistics: if a large number of people have pre-ordered Isabel Marant blue suede booties, they will most likely be in the store's assortment.

At the moment, there are not so many large fashion houses that cannot be found in Moda Operandi: these are brands aimed at developing their own online stores (for example, Ralph Lauren or Louis Vuitton) and brands that are not sold on the Internet in principle ( , Chanel and Céline).

Who are these people

American Vogue Contributor. Prior to the creation of Moda Operandi, she worked as an editor in the fashion department of Vogue, as PR director of Carolina Herrera and J. Mendel brands. Known for her sense of style, friendship with a huge number of designers and other fashion people (thanks to her friendship with Proenza Schouler CEO Shirley Cook, Moda Operandi secured her first contract with a brand of this level). New York press read her place next "secular professional". MO is mainly responsible for public relations and new unexpected collaborations.

A few years ago, American Vogue called Aslaug "the godfather of the fashion world", and not without reason: being a rare breed of business-of-fashion professionals and the only Icelandic who received an MBA from Harvard, she participated in the creation of several super-successful projects dedicated to online shopping - for example, Gilt. In 2009, it was Aslaug who had the idea to create a website for people who are ready to buy designer items for the full cost right from the runway. Thanks to her, investments in Moda Operandi in the summer of 2012 amounted to $ 36 million. Despite this, in May 2013, Magnusdottir left the company. There were no official comments on the situation online edition of Business of Fashion, despite the fact that Aslaug was their regular columnist.

Red-haired fashion darling, street-style favorite of photographers, known for her love for young designers. For the post of creative director at Moda, Operandi left the position of accessories director in the fashion department of American Marie Claire. Responsible for the entire creative component of MO. In addition to styling the shooting and coming up with the concept, it is the main buyer, and also reveals young talents from around the world. Thanks to her, the store has a whole galaxy of new designers (for example, Stella Jean, Ostwald Helgason, MSGM, and many others). Boutique has the opportunity to order items from her personal choice.

How to buy: pros and cons

In a few days after the show of the brand on the four main Fashion Weeks in spring and autumn or presentations between the seasons (resort and pre-fall), the trunk show is launched on the site - the entire collection presented on the podium, disassembled by bows. Each trunk show lasts an average of three to six days. As a rule, clothes appear separately, shoes, accessories, bags, jewelry - separately. During this time, you have the opportunity to issue a pre-order, choosing the right thing, quantity, color, size, and so on and immediately paying 50% of the purchase price. The second half will be removed from the card (having previously sent a reminder) when the parcel is ready for shipment (from three to seven months from the start of the trunk show). Delivery from the USA takes 10-15 business days and costs on average $ 50-70. Items from the Boutique section are available for instant purchase at any time (twice a year - seasonal sales up to 70%).

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For the few days while the trunk show is on, the item cannot be sold out, just as the desired size cannot end.

You do not have to try to find stores in all continents and keep track of new acquisitions online in an attempt to find the item you like in the right size. For example, outerwear in pastel colors was more than once declared as one of the main trends of the coming autumn, and those who did not pre-order at the right time or drink at the right time with Guillaume Henri now have to hunt for an excellent Carven coat of pale pink color. Perhaps in the near future it will be available for purchase in the Boutique section, but already in limited quantities.

If earlier you couldn’t afford to buy a coat for a thousand dollars, now it’s easy: two sms about writing off five hundred dollars with a break of six months is easier to survive than one, but about a thousand.

The price of a thing at the time of pre-order does not differ from that at which in six months it will be sold in the American and European stores / online stores.

Before you pay the first 50% of the cost of a thing, you should think carefully whether you will need it in six months.

The cost of delivery is still significantly higher than, for example, Net-a-Porter (16 pounds) or Shopbop ($ 10, if you order from $ 100 - for free).

What to pre-order now

August in the fashion industry - the calm before the storm; In instagrama editors, designers, stylists and models are now much more photos of palms and sunsets than shoes and dresses: all mentally and physically prepare for the Fashion Week, which will begin in September and last a whole month. Therefore, MO is now a lull, in the Trunk shows section, basically only the collections of swimsuits of the season Resort 2014.

Lisa Marie Fernandez swimwear from the Resort 2014 collection is available for pre-order until August 12, inclusive, and will come to you in time for the New Year holidays at the end of December. Model Garance, named after blogger and photographer Garans Dore, is a timeless classic in red that is suitable for swims in The Seagull, and for a pool party in Bali. Geometrical swimwear from the debut line of underwear designer Araks Yeramyan is available for pre-order until August 13th. You will have to wait for the parcel for a long time, they promise to deliver from February to April of the next year, but you can not worry about a new swimsuit for the next summer season.

What to buy now in Boutique

IN MAY IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN MUSEUM The exhibition "Punk: Chaos to Couture" started. It was opened by the Costume Institute's Ball, better known as Met Gala, from one of the most impressive red tracks. Мoda Operandi was a partner of the event and provided its customers with the opportunity to order Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain or Rodarte outfits the next morning. Now on the website in the Boutique section there is an entire collection of punk-style clothes, shoes, accessories and interior items created specifically for Moda Operandi. For example, Givenchy chiffon and leather cape, jeans with crosses from Tripp specializing in punk clothing, Meadham Kirchhoff T-shirts with positive “Hate” and “Fuck” inscriptions or sleepers with an anarchic cat with a pin in the nose (the result of a designer shoe collaboration and Charlotte Olympia bags with jewelry brand Tom Binns).

Jeans Tripp NYC

Cape Givenchy

T-shirt Meadham Kirchhoff

Charlotte Olympia and Tom Binns Sleepers

Back in boutique

In addition to the punk collection in the Boutique section, you should pay attention to Equipment silk shirts at below market prices ($ 200 for a blouse instead of $ 280 for Shopbop or as much as $ 380 for Asos) or a skirt from the opening Ceremony pre-fall collection of the American fleet. Also in the oncoming fall, a gray oversized coat for life “Calvin Klein Collection or items from the Mother of Pearl young designers fall collection come in handy.