Get Inspired by The Story of Gilt Groupe

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

I recently had the great opportunity to meet Alexis Maybank, Co-Founder of Gilt Groupe. Though we didn’t have long to chat one on one, she did give a nice presentation to attendees of her recent book signing in San Francisco.

Her book, “By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way Millions Shop“, co-authored by Gilt Groupe Co-Founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, is about how these two women launched a fashion startup in 2007 that grew to be valued at $1B by the Spring of 2011. With the unique combination of their experience in the luxury retail and e-commerce startup worlds, and each with an MBA from HBS and penchant for high-end fashion sample sales Alexandra and Alexis were truly the perfect team to pull this off.

Before they created Gilt, Alexandra and Alexis were used to dashing all over New York City during breaks from work to strategically snatch the best pieces from local sample sales. Alexandra and Alexis essentially brought this concept online.

The book gives an exciting glimpse into just how Alexandra and Alexis handled the early years of Gilt, from brainstorming, to raising capital, to creating buzz, and to traveling an insane amount (all while in amazing heels I’m sure).

Prior to Gilt, luxury fashion brands weren’t typically looking at the Internet, and more specifically e-commerce, as a place that was refined enough through which to sell their pieces. If it wasn’t for Alexandra and Alexis’ relationship with Zac Posen (at the time, an up-and-coming designer) and his mother, Susan, the Gilt story would be drastically different. Because the Posens took a chance with Alexandra and Alexis, the women were able to leverage the Posen brand to bring others on board.

Besides Alexandra and Alexis’ relationship with the Posens, the timing was right in other ways as well. In 2007, Project Runway started exposing mainstream audiences to high fashion designer personalities and runway looks and around this time US luxury brands began creating “capsule” collections (think Marc by Marc Jacobs) aimed at making luxury more accessible to the everywomen or man.

Different sections of the book focus on different parts of Gilt’s growth and each offers sound business advice. In addition, funny anecdotes are woven through the story, which keep you remembering these insanely brilliant businesswomen are in fact actually human.

However, out of all the sections of the book, my absolute favorite is the one about raising capital because of personal ties to some of the names mentioned. Not only is Maxtrix Partners, the VC firm where I worked after college, discussed, but Nick Beim, one of the general partners, is quoted quite a bit. Notably, he was the original Series A investor in Gilt Groupe. Reading about him and the Matrix office was pretty surreal and made me feel like I’d gone back in time for a few pages. In fact, working at Matrix and being surrounded by entrepreneurs like Sheila Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com (also mentioned in the book) gave me just the push I needed to return to school. I don’t doubt that much of my current drive is from this time in my life.

Overall, I’d say the book “By Invitation Only: How we Built the Gilt Groupe and Changed the Way Millions Shop” is well worth the read. It’s fast paced yet detailed enough so you feel like you get insider info. It’s interesting and truly inspiring at the same time. Even if you don’t have a personal tie to anyone mentioned, once finished, you may just feel inspired to try and conquer the world.

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I’m honored to have this post included in this week’s Independent Fashion Bloggers weekly roundup:

 

Edited by: Victoria of vmac+cheese

Yawn. Mid-week holidays are fantastic because, well, they’re mid-week holidays. The down side? It’s Thursday and I’m sure we’re all wishing it was the weekend! Waking up after a holiday that includes all of summers’ best aspects (warm weather, fireworks, swimming, and grilling) can be painful indeed. To get you through your barbecue and burger hangovers today (and perhaps hangovers of another variety too), this week’s links all feature great, fun reads to peruse in your downtime. From fantastic DIYs to inspirational stories about women in fashion, you’re sure to find a good read. Settle in with a coffee, put some aloe on your sunburn, and enjoy.

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: JULY 5TH

SPONSOR:

New Bags Shopbop: Ferragamo, Gucci, YSL, Totes, Addition, Chloe, M. Williamson, Valenentino Bags, Rachel Comey, Tucker, Hindmarch & Margiela Bags

Cinematic Fashion: Restless

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Caroline Elizabeth, Women’s Style Editor

The 2011 indie flick “Restless” is an endearing movie about youth, life, death, and love that’s meaning will long stay with you after you watch it. Brilliant Mia Wasikowska (who played Alice in Tim Burton’s rendition of “Alice in Wonderland”), stars as Annabel Cotton alongside her quirky love interest Enoch Brae, played by Henry Hopper.

the unique way Mia’s character, Annabel Cotton, looks at life in this film is unexpected, while her style is much more predictable.

Her looks are typically inspired by menswear, but she puts a feminine spin on them.

Annabel’s wardrobe consists of many stripes and plaids. She wears many neutral looks with a pop of red or orange in one eye-catching piece like a jacket or accessory. She knows how to get the vintage look in a unique way that makes her stand out.

When putting together looks, I made them more season-appropriate because much of the movie takes place during fall and winter months. I created two outfits. One is slightly more formal and the other more appropriate for a more casual event.

For an event that requires a bit of dressing up, start with an interesting multi-colored plaid dress and layer a bright plaid blazer over it. A black straw bowler and two-tone kitten heels are totally Annabel and totally adorable. Add a satchel or structured cross body bag, perhaps one with a print or picture, and personalize it with pins.

For my second look, I took a risk mixing some black and brown which isn’t something I normally do. A pair of burnt orange high-waisted shorts with a cropped leopard jacket over a longer sleeved peter-pan colored shirt take inspiration from Annabel’s menswear vibe. A tan bowler hat with brown oxfords and a multi-colored messenger bag will have you ready for work, class, shopping, sightseeing, or whatever your day has in store. Don’t forget to add a couple of accessories like a bird ring (Annabel loves birds) or pendant.

Restless

ModCloth and Airbnb Partner for Today’s “Make a Wish List” Contest

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

I love when fashion brands get creative with their online marketing techniques! Today, ModCloth (one of the most socially savvy e-commerce companies around) has partnered with another San Francisco-based startup, Airbnb (a company that helps you find super unique short-term places to stay around the world), to bring you a vintage-inspired contest.

All you have to do is create a Wish List featuring at least five of your favorite vintage-inspired Airbnb finds and share it with friends! Easy, right? And multiple winners will receive gift cards from ModCloth and Airbnb.

Here’s the list Susan Koger, CEO of ModCloth created to use as inspiration:

And here’s my Wish List titled, “Vogueabond”. My list features a place to stay in each fashion capital of the world, perfect for anyone searching for local vintage fashion finds.

Think you can do better? Just try! All of the instructions are located on Airbnb’s blog. The contest ends today at 6 pm PST.

Cinematic Fashion: Across the Universe

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Caroline Elizabeth, Women’s Style Editor

The 2007 flick “Across the Universe” is definitely known more for its music than it’s costumes. The movie uses covers of songs by The Beatles to create a storyline for each new scene, as well as naming its characters- Lucy, Jude and Prudence- after the beloved bands’ tunes. However, it is hard not to notice the wonderfully fun hippie clothing that is vital in helping to tell the original story based in the 60’s and early 70s. The costumes sure caught my eye, especially those worn by the leading female, Lucy.

Lucy, played by the lovely Evan Rachel Wood, begins as a suburban, girl-next-door kind of character with cute but very quaint 1960’s clothing. That is, until she meets Jim Sturgess’ character Jude and she moves to New York City with him to work on a political anti-Vietnam movement. I really admired her style as she moved to New York and time (and the film’s fashion) morphed from the late 60’s and early 70’s. Her style becomes looser and more carefree, reflecting the “all you need is love” sentiment that many other young people were feeling of the time.

My favorite look of Lucy’s is during the scene when Doctor Robert, played by Bono, takes Lucy and her friends on a journey on his ‘magical’ bus, where they end up laying in a circle in a field. Her pale floral blouse with floral appliques with her cropped lace tank top underneath is the perfect combination that says “flower child”, but in a gentle, feminine way.

When looking to Lucy’s hippie style for inspiration, refrain from actual flowers, fringe, feathers, braids and headbands. A gentler approach to this counter-culture look with earth tones, lace, and pale florals as seen in the film is a simply more modern way to go.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

Start with a lace crop top of your choice, and add a sheer, thrifted floral blouse over it. Since it’s summer, get some colored denim shorts in medium-colored earth tones. (I always liked to avoid light-colored shorts in case I end up lying in the grass like Lucy!) Add a neutral clutch in a leather for a modern twist that still looks a bit vintage. If you’re going to add a pop of color, do so when it comes to your shoes. I recommend strappy wedge sandals in green or purple. Finally, some interesting round shades are a fun touch and needed for any flower child that plans to spend the afternoon in the sun.

Music & Menswear: Max McElligott of Wolf Gang

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Vanessa Lynn, Men’s Style Editor

As I’m writing this, it’s a rather dreary and overcast summer’s day in Madison, WI. But I’ve never been one to get down by rain because I’ve always felt that rain can bring us closer to fantasy; children trapped indoors by the weather allowing their imaginations to run wild, opening every cupboard door in search of the next Narnia.

The music by London-based band Wolf Gang makes me feel kind of like that. Their symphonic rock style and picaresque lyrics create another world entirely and Scottish frontman Max McElligott certainly dresses to fit the part as creator of that world.

The King and All of His Men by Wolf Gang

Max McElligott’s style is clean, but not too clean. He adds small touches to give his look personality that makes it completely his own and super recognizable. Generally, McElligott starts off with a very neutral base, (so neutral that half the time I think he could make an admirable Corneliani spokesman), just as admirable as his pairing with Burberry. His base wardrobe consists of a variety of suits in white, tan, or black with a slim fit.

McElligott’s signature go-to top is a white button down shirt. He usually pairs said button-down with a woven scarf that has an antique vibe to it, either loose around his neck or tied cravat style.

Finally, a Max McElligott inspired look is not complete without a little ornamentation. He usually favors a simple cross earring, which can still be rather daring to most.

How to pull this all together? If suits are not your thing, try a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans with a cuff or neutral chinos. As alternatives to McElligott’s favored white button-downs, try out either dusty (muted) turquoise or burnt orange. It will give the neutrals a pop of color but will still be understated enough to reference McElligott’s simplicity of dress. For shoes, try either a brown leather boot or a basic loafer.

If you don’t have an ear pierced or aren’t sure if that look will be your cup of tea, you could first try out an ear cuff. If that’s still too bold of a statement for you, try going for a rosary inspired neck-piece. It will be more subtle but will still capture the McElligott inspired look you’re going for.

Summer is Here and E-Tailers are Ready

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

Summer is officially here, but many e-tailers have been ready for days, or even weeks, with cool, glamorous, and even quirky site design updates.

Coach: This brand’s site opens with a short video of a dog climbing in and out and around a few different Coach handbags before shifting to the question, “What’s in your tote?” Coach definitely knows how to market to my demographic well by including two of our favorite things- cute animals and colorful handbags.

Prabal Gurung: As soon as you arrive to Gurung’s homepage, various images of a model in the designer’s Spring dresses appear, taking over the whole screen. Visually driven? Yes. Springlike? Very. A bit erotic? Maybe Gurung was reading 50 Shades of Gray when this campaign was designed. All in all, the dresses highlighted are beyond beautiful. You can’t help but click to see what’s next.

Hermes: Though this site has other hand drawn images, this is my favorite. It’s creative (almost Target-esque in the way one item becomes something else- a man’s tie used as a cape in this instance) and catchy. Anyone shopping on the site can remember when they were little and they saw their Father, or Father figure, as superman.

What seasonal site updates have you been admiring lately?

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E-tailers Decorate for the Holidays

Cinematic Fashion Inspiration: Alice in Wonderland

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Caroline Elizabeth, Women’s Style Editor

The wonderful thing about Director Tim Burton is that he never compromises his imaginative, unique and often dark artistic vision, while creating movie after movie that become blockbusters or blockbuster cult favorites among millions of fans.

I remember the general anticipation surrounding the 2010 Burton movie “Alice In Wonderland”, and it lived up to my expectations in terms of not only how the story was played out, but also the over all design. The Academy Award-wining costumes were created by the talented Costume Designer Colleen Atwood and while I loved them all, I will focus on Alice played by Mia Wasikowska and the costumes she wore.

Alice starts off as a ladylike, proper Victorian girl with beautiful dresses, but I love how her main blue dress is believably transformed throughout the film. When she eats a cake that says “eat me”, she grows in size and her dress becomes ruffly, off-shoulder, and draped. At this point she looks messy in a glamorous way.

When Alice drinks the bottle that says “drink me” and shrinks, she takes some fabric and wraps it around herself to create a strapless outfit with a big flowery bow on the front.

When studying Alice’s different looks in the film for inspiration, I selected a few different options to go with, but all feminine and floaty dresses in various shades of blue. I chose two options for one-shoulder dresses, one with intricate details, and one with loose, billowy sleeves. Adding light pink or brown shoes that are a bit Victorian-inspired with lace or bow embellishments work well with this look. And though Alice is young, you might want to look at heels or wedges to avoid looking too youthful.

ALICE

To me, pouch-style bags always suggest exploration, and Alice is certainly the adventurous type, so be sure to add one to your outfit. Last, is a clock pendant. Though Alice certainly doesn’t check the time frequently like the White Rabbit, adding this little detail is reminiscent of this part of the story’s theme.

Tory Burch Ups the Ante on Digital Presence

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

Over the past eight years, the Tory Burch brand has grown into something of a fashion phenomenon. I can barely think of a day when I haven’t seen a girl in Tory ballet flats or toting a handbag with the famous Burch emblem prominently displayed on its side.

Most recently however, Burch has been focusing on more than fashion design and the debut of her Resort 2013 collection, but also on upping the ante of fans digital experience with her brand.

Very recently, Burch gave her blog a makeover and launched her first ever app for iPhone and iPad.

Why the digital updates? For starters, just think of how many brands now have e-commerce sites, blogs, and Facebook pages. Since these three things are pretty much fashion brand standards at this point, brands have to go above and beyond to stand out and stay relevant (besides just creating great fashion design).

Burch’s blog makeover launched this week along with a smattering of posts focused on the color blue. Tory Burch Facebook fans were asked to check out the new blog look and new navy pieces, of which over 1,125 people “liked” the post in the matter of hours. According to Burch’s creative director, the blog hasn’t had a face lift since 2009 and it’s now more “visually driven”.

Burch’s new app (available on iPad and iPhone) lets users get cool perks, like free shipping and invites to exclusive events. Obviously, app users also get another way to connect with Tory Burch’s world.

While nice, neither update really surprises me. It was due time for a Tory Burch app (yay!). And given the popularity of sites like Tumblr and Pinterest, photo apps like Instagram, and how long infographics (even the terrible ones) have stuck around, I’m not at all surprised about this blog’s visual turn.

However, one other major development is on the calendar. Later this month, shopping through the e-commerce site will be available to 30 international countries. I’ll be tuned in to see how cleverly the Burch brand interacts with these new markets, and ok, perhaps saving to buy a certain navy bag.

Cinematic Fashion Inspiration: My Fair Lady

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Caroline Elizabeth, Women’s Style Editor

Though the 1964 film “My Fair Lady” starring Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle has several memorable fashion moments, my favorite is the Ascot Racecourse scene when the entire crowd is outfitted in to-die-for black and white outfits.


In fact, this is one of my all-time favorite fashion in film moments and just goes to show how important costumes are to the overall mood and story of a movie. In this scene, Audrey herself is outfitted in a white lace dress with black and white striped trim and a hat so big, I don’t know how she can balance it on her head!

Now, you don’t have to go directly to lace and feathers (or a giant hat) when planning your own look, but you can certainly do so if you’re feeling gutsy. Just remember that black and white is the key! I created two very different outfits to work off of for your own unique look. The first is a striped dress and matching accessories for a daytime, semi-formal event, and the second is a more casual evening or night out on the town with a striped blazer as the staple piece.

My Fair Lady

Making a statement with your look is fun, and so is going over the top, as long as you feel comfortable and confident. However, please remember to substitute Audrey’s lace parasol for a modern black or white clutch, and if you decide to don a fabulous hat take it down a few notches in size! Now, I can only dream that you will be surrounded by others adorned only in black and white, but you will just have to leave that part up to the imagination.

Cinematic Fashion Inspiration: June Carter

Posted on by Ashley Laurel

By Caroline Elizabeth, Women’s Style Editor

Reese Witherspoon’s sweet, talented, and stylish portrayal of June Carter makes it easy to see how she won the affection of Johnny Cash, played by Joaquin Phoenix in the Cash biopic “Walk the Line”.

When June and Johnny first meet in the 1950’s in the film, I was instantly drawn to June’s simple but feminine look, complete with a floral dress, a pair of kitten heels, and bouncy curls.

It’s important to add your own touches to this sort of ensemble unless you’re like me and don’t mind looking like you’ve walked out of a year 60 years prior to the current day.

walk the line 1950's

I suggest adding sleek, modern sunglasses, a big slouchy bag, and a bold belt to your 50’s-style dress. Don’t go overboard on the accessories, but do add some to keep it fresh. This look is perfect for any summer day’s occasion, from a picnic, to a wedding, to a stroll in the park.

As the film moves through Cash’s life and his relationship with June, we see the fashion change from the 50’s to the 60’s, and June’s look becomes sleeker with the times. Her hair is not only straighter and longer, but her dresses are less full too.

june carter 2

You can achieve this look with a hair straightener of course, and a more fitted, still feminine dress in a paisley print. Accessorize it with glamorous, fun earrings bracelets. I’d also suggest adding a pair of strappy heeled sandals to modernize the look.

Your new look inspired by June gives you the perfect excuse to throw your friends an outdoor, summertime tea party Nashville style, and play a little Cash in the background.