Chic at a Click: eBay Fashions

Fashion buying websites are taking over the fashion industry quickly and quite stylishly. Especially with a growing population of consumers who are, "using the Internet to find the lowest price," it is important for designers to look to sites like EBay as outlets to sells their merchandise. One of the biggest plusses to these fashion e-commerce sites is that these fashion obsessors are able to get their hands on designer pieces at a much faster pace then if they were to wait for stores to start selling these items. I think that it is especially important for designers to consider partnering up with mega fashion selling sites like EBay and Amazon because not only are more customers shopping online, but sites like these have an extremely large demographic and rest many more customers then say a store front. With EBay bringing in more than $1.3 billion on sales alone, it should be obvious why this is a step designers should take. -Kaitlin

As designers and retailers have continued to explore options to increase sales and exposure, it is not a surprise that one avenue has been through eBay, a mega online shopping and auction website. In the article, Chick at a Click: eBay Fashions a Deal with Designers, the success of eBay as a fashion website is discussed. At the time this article was written, eBay ranked as the number one fashion website “in terms of unique visitors and page views” (p.506). By incorporating new fashion pieces by having direct relationships with designers, eBay gives consumers the opportunity to own items more quickly than at a traditional retail stores. Consumers are also able to purchase unique items, that my never make it to a store and at the other end of the spectrum, they may be able to purchase a favorite piece that is older and may no longer be in stores. Having these different options gives designers, consumers and eBay as a whole, a chance to make additional profits, find awesome deals and participate in fashion in a new way. The above image's are from eBay's Holiday Collective campaign for this season.  -Rachael

eBay, the online-auction powerhouse, hold quite a name for itself. While being such a powerhouse, it still encounters some problems, one of these main problems being fraud. Although the existence of counterfeit fashion goods sold on eBay, has been a concern, eBay is still hasn't been deemed liable in courts for the sale of fakes. The company says it is doing its best to prevent fraud by removing listings for questionable items, when they are reported by consumers. In many cases, buyers who unknowingly buy counterfeit goods can get reimbursed for as much as $175 through an eBay insurance program. -Amanda





Ebay as a primary fashion source? Who would have thought. According to the article, "Chic at a Click: eBay Fashions a Deal with Designers," the online auction market has become a hot-spot for goods-seeking fashionistas. Once eBay realized its popularity and high ranking among consumers, they started to develop a plan to deal directly with designers. This is a smart move with great benefits for all parties involved, including eBay, designers, and consumers. Ebay gets a share of the profit the designers make from each piece sold, and in turn, designers are getting a much higher share with eBay than if they sell their collections to a department store. For the eBay shopper, products are offered online months before other stores receive their shipment. Ebay is promoting their unique apprroach to online shopping with special events and advertisements in high-fashion magazines, claiming "department stores don't have a department just for you" (p 507). This is another strong point within this business, shoppers can personalize their accounts and find clothing that fits their body and their taste! -Mallory

The Shadow Designer

The Shadow Designer article in Chapter 11 describes what June Horne, a buyer for Saks, goes through to determine the pieces that will be appropriate for her stores. The article shows what responsibilities are required for a buyer to be successful and how they relate to the designers. “ A designer concentrates on the collection, a buyer on the customer” (Horne). When evaluating the process, this quote explains how a buyer has to truly understand what the consumer expects; without consumer appeal, designers cannot sell their collections.  A buyer must use creative, fiscal and geographical elements to bring success to both their store and the designers. The above video introduces us to the Buyers at American Rag Cie and their outlook on being successful.  -Rachael

Buyers are some of the most influential characters in a company. Like the article The Shadow Designer stated, "the role of the department store buyer is to translate the look of the impossibly beautiful runway model into an outfit that a real-life woman can wear and purchase." I found it surprising that not only does the buyer have to responsibility to pick out that the store is going to sell but they also have the power to tell designers to make certain garments for their store. The example I found from the article is when Horne tells Alfaro that if he doesn't drop the slit on his skirt they would simply just send it back and not sell it in the store. I think I found this so surprising because I thought that they would just pick certain garments from designers to sell in the stores but I certainly had no idea that they had some much say that they could tell the designers what to make for their stores. But it does make sense that the designer concentrates a collection on the customer, and who better to know about their customers then the store buyer his or herself.  -Kaitlin 

The quote stuck with me throughout this reading was "A designer concentrates on the collection, a buyer on the customer". This I found to be very true and I related it back to majors within our school. No wonder buyers are derived from Fashion Marketing majors, because marketers know the ideal customer. Designers derive from Fashion design majors because they study how to make innovative clothing, not focusing on studying the consumer. After reading this article I have learned that it takes an overall well rounded Fashion and business knowledgeable person to become a successful buyer. You have to know the Fashion side and knowing what is trending and you need to know the business side in knowing your customer and knowing what will sale. This is a tough job that is specific for certain people.  -Amanda

June Horne, Buyer

June Horne at the Calvin Klein Collection Opening

After reading "The Shadow Designer," I was more aware of what the position of a Buyer actually entails. According to the text, a buyer's job is to "translate the look of the impossibly beautiful runway model into an outfit that a real-life woman can wear and (more to the point) purchase" (Lubow). The buyer acts as a bridge from the designer to the consumer. It is shocking how much influence and power a buyer has on both the designer and the consumer. For instance, a buyer can tell the designer what stays in the store and what goes back. Just as well, a buyer can heavily influence the purchase decision of a consumer, merely based on what they've chosen to have sold in the store. All in all, a buyer holds an important role in the fashion industry, and should be respected. -Mallory 

Move Over, Tupperware: Botox Parties Are In

First it is about the tupperware and now it is about the botox. Like we are all trying to become the 'Real Housewives' of the world. Dr. Roche has used this almost drug like facial procedure as a way to keep business booming and even find new customers. By offering a discount to the customer who gets a group of 10 friends together for a botox party, it makes sense why this lady trend is being seen all over the U.S. However, what is this saying about these botox going ladies? Personally, I see it in a way that these so called 'friends' are judging each other and fighting for this sort of most 'young' looking award. It is unfortunate to see that women today cannot just sit around and enjoy each others company while sipping cocktails and eating appetizers. Yet, women want to sit around a kitchen and watch their friends get poked in the face. I don't know, this whole concept just seems a little bit weird. Also, although this procedure is temporary, it is totally addicting, not to mention pretty darn expensive. It was also shocking to see how much Dr.'s rely on parties and get togethers like these for a large amount of their sales. I guess the new fad is looking more and more fake as we get older, and it is one fad I will not be a fan of, at least I hope not. -Kaitlin

One of the key points that grabbed my attention after reading Move Over, Tupperware: Botox Parties Sweep the Country, was the cost and pricing structure of the Botox. In the article, the author informs us of the following scale for a single vile of Botox, 

• Cost for the manufacturer: $40.00
• Cost for the Doctor: $400.00, which is a 1000 percent markup
• Cost the Doctors charge per vile: $2800, which is an additional 700 percent markup
• Each vile can treat three or four patients

A different perspective is gained when evaluating this pricing scale. For an individual to participate in this procedure, a great deal of money must be invested, but is the cost reflective of what one is actually receiving?  Cosmetic procedures have gained popularity and when seeing the potential profit for manufacturers and doctors, it’s not surprising to see why they would push things such as Botox parties.

So what is a Botox party? Well, basically it is a get-together of women who eat, drink, and have conversation, all while receiving treatments of Botulin Toxin, or more commonly known as Botox.  Additionally, this party masquerades as a “Spa Day” or “Girls Day.” For example, on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Adreinne Maloof, one of the cast members, throws her own Spa Day in her home. She invites all of the other ladies on the show, and it becomes quite the shindig, from drinks and hors d’oeuvres to manicures and medical procedures. In the article, “Move Over Tupperware: Botox Parties Sweep the Country,” Dr. Gregory Roche attends his wife’s Botox party, where he is the doctor performing Botox procedures on the guests. He claims that this is a fad on the west and east coasts, and wants to popularize it among the Midwest states (Creager, 2002). These parties provide a significant income for cosmetic surgeons because they get so many patients all at once (Creager, 2002). And this is why so many doctors are for these parties in the first place. I think this party fad is just so interesting. Of course, I don’t think I will ever be hosting one, but it might be fun to check out, first hand, what happens at one of these things! -Mallory

With these Botox parties, some ladies can get carried away and just want the injections all over. They dont take into consideration that getting the injections in certain areas can be dangerous. For example, it is highly recommended that you do not get botox around the mouth because it can cause drooling or trouble talking. Also, Botox given on the wrong forehead muscles can cause the eyebrows to rise in a constantly surprised expression. You should definitely find a doctor who is familiar with facial expression muscles. Botox wears off in three to five months, so nothing, even, a mistake is permanent, but still lasts quite a while if still a mistake. -Amanda