Consumption community: What and how to buy on LuisaViaRoma
WONDERZINE DEADS, how the famous online stores are arranged: what to buy in them, how to save money and what to look for when delivering. In the new issue - LuisaViaRoma, the largest online store opened by the owner of the eponymous concept store in Florence. Wonderzine contacted his team and learned how to navigate the range, where Givenchy giants coexist, young KTZ avant-garde and sports brands like New Balance, and why it became easier to buy things from Russia.
what is it
What you need to know about LuisaViaRoma
The history of LuisaViaRoma is as romantic as the history of building a family business in Italy can be in general. It all started with a small hat boutique, opened on Florentine Via Roma by the wife of the Italian businessman Lido Panconesi - Louise. The business grew, clothes began to be sold in the store, and the young nephew of the couple (now the company's CEO) Andrea, who had learned from a visual merchandiser in Paris, went to his first purchase. There he saw innovative and strange creations of avant-garde Japanese designer, which he immediately brought to Florence. So LuisaViaRoma became the first European store selling Kenzo and its autumn-winter 1968 collection. Not surprisingly, the boutique soon gained a reputation as a pioneer in the discovery of young avant-garde brands around the world.
Interest in the store grew, people heard about outlandish stamps that can be bought only in LuisaViaRoma, but not everyone could go to Florence regularly. It is logical that in 1999 the company decided to launch the website Luisaviaroma.com, where you can buy everything the same (and now many times more) without leaving your home.
We opened an online store to give our customers around the world the opportunity to receive the same quality and service that the flagship boutique in Florence was famous for. At that moment, we still did not understand that it would have such phenomenal success: now sales from the site bring 90% of the company's profits. We offer more and more collections every season: from designers who will become stars tomorrow to large houses with a name. Our Buy It First service allows you to pre-order collections in the months before they appear in other online stores. We believe that our customers want to get not only the goods, but also a certain experience, and we do everything to remember them for a long time. When we reached the threshold of one million Facebook followers, we realized that we were doing something right. It was an important moment for us.
How to understand hundreds of designers at Luisaviaroma.com
In the online store LuisaViaRoma really comes a frenzy of collections, and clicking "View All", you run the risk of disappearing on the site for a couple of days. Therefore, if you have an idea of what you want - a classic Givenchy suit, a cap with a huge Kokontozai visor or New Balance sneakers for every day - it is better to go to the "Designers" section. The company tried to simplify navigation through the site.
Luxury
The section contains stamps with the name and things that obsessed people hunt for several months. For example, those same tights in Saint Laurent rhinestones and royal Dolce & Gabbana dresses for half a million.
Contemporary
The title of the section can be confusing: in fact, it is worth looking for things that can last longer than one season: 3.1 Phillip Lim workouts or Burberry trench. Also in "Contemporary" are collected second lines of large brands - from Just Cavalli to Michael by Michael Kors.
New talents
Collections of designers who just started their careers or found by buyers LuisaViaRoma in local Fashion Weeks quite recently. For example, from the new season here you can buy Alexander Terekhov's dresses.
High street
American Retro, Jeffrey Campbell or New Balance - unlike most of their competitors, LuisaViaRoma is not afraid to sell luxury and affordable brands on the site at the same time. And rightly so. How long have you seen a girl who would not mix Balenciaga pants with Converse sneakers from snobbery?
Sports style
Many brands from this section overlap with the previous one, but here you can also find Adidas by Stella McCartney sneakers, Superdry leggings or Christopher Raeburn windbreaker.
The site also has sections Denim and Lingerie, but with them everything is clear.
Of course, if you work as a buyer, you must understand, analyze the market. On the other hand, LuisaViaRoma has always been famous for a special selection of collections of designers who are not afraid to take risks. We are trying to find a balance: we can also find commercial things, for example, the perfect double-breasted jacket Dolce & Gabbana, but at the same time the craziest bows from the Alexander McQueen show. We do not want to turn our store into a catalog.
We deliver things to a huge number of countries around the world, so when choosing things, I often think about what a person needs in this region. For example, dresses with Etro floor with a closed sleeve always go well in Arab countries; Balmain jackets, lengthening the silhouette - in China. Now we are strongly developing in the direction of "Russia", and it is so interesting for me to watch what women like in your country like.
How to buy items on LUISAVIAROMA.COM
For a long time, LuisaViaRoma collaborated with EMS, so the packages could go for months. Not so long ago, the problem was solved. Now delivery to Russia is carried out free of charge via DHL for three to four days.