Have you been shopping lately? Right now traditional retailers are trying to sell you a velvet blazer, a mohair cardigan and rusty-tan leather belt to fill out your fall wardrobe. All of which are lovely, seasonally appropriate and makes sense.
But that's not what we do at Gilt Groupe, the company I co-founded with my friend Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. We don't go to market with one seasonal look. We're an invitation-only flash sale site with a roster of luxury designers who are here today, glamorously devoured the next. In 36 hours the Just Cavalli duchess satin overcoat will be gone. And in its place will be a pair of Stella McCartney raffia crochet peep-toe pumps.
Our members can be their own fashion editor on Gilt. She's a girl, or guy, who doesn't need to be handed an outfit in a catalog. She's a lady from the age of eBay, Hulu and Pandora. She is her own best vintage collector, tv programmer and music deejay. If our gal sees a pair of Christian Louboutin heels, she instinctively knows she will love those crimson-sole shoes at the beginning of a season or at the end.
That's not to say that we're not style arbiters. Our buyers edit everything. We curate and we like to be directional. We shoot every dress, every tank top, every pair of sequined leggings on models. And our styling team reaches glossy, magazine-worthy heights, snapping fashion dioramas all within a mile radius of our studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Which brings us back to how do our customers use our site. We know they're confident about their own style. They make their own fashion choices. They browse; they click; they take in the images; always rich in color and emotion. Of course we like it when they actually buy the clothes and we always remind them that they only have 36 hours to make that purchase. But we get it. Shopping at Gilt is a pleasurable, dreamy experience, like sinking into a magazine, although in this case you're only a click away from owning that divine Rachel Roy gown.
Speaking of which, since I have five minutes to spare, I might just go see what fashion editorials are up at the moment. Oh look, it's an Alexander McQueen silk taffeta puff-sleeve dress. Swoon. Click. Good buy.