Tuesday 2 October 2012

Affordable Luxury Within your reach

There are days when i browse through the racks of H&M and pick out something that makes me want to spend a few pretty pennies on and there are Days when I walk past Prada's window display and I salivate over their latest season vermilion colored Saffiano Totes .
F/W's IT BAG : glistening  crimson patent and tainted leather  totes.   Scarlet fever , courtesy of Prada . HOW DO they make leather look so scrumptious !!
 I then take a minute to decide which limb or organ I should sell to a dying Chinese tycoon in order to afford it but since I can't really pull of that voguelicious look with only one arm , I decided to read up on how I can get my claws on the new fall/winter must haves without spending a fortune. Believe it or not, life isn't  always a "Prada or Nada" situation. Luxury brands are now a lot more accessible, especially to those who previously couldn't even afford to read Harper's Bazaar (like me -.-) . Thanks to increased connectivity the internet provides , luxury items are just a click away from your doorstep through online shopping. Personally, I feel the underlying reason why online shopping deserves the highest praise is because they provide a platform for new up and coming designers to be more exposed to the mass market( and to us , the ever oblivious folk of Singapore ) For starters, if it wasn't for doorstepluxury.com, I would have never met with Sophie Hulme and her absurdly opulent & lavish calfskin totes.

Popular online retailers like Doorstepluxury.com ( the only place in SG Where can buy new cambridge satchels, Sophie Hulme Leather goods and Z by Zac posen Accesories) even have their own phyical boutiques.   
 
 I sincerely believe this will give Balenciaga a run for its money.   Hardware  in the hue of sunshine gold backed by kelly green calfskin . Sophie Hulme knows exactly now to make the luminous element of metal blend seamlessly with luscious leathers just like how Karl Lakerfield knows how to constantly look creepy.  
You can get your fix of Sophie Hulme's totez amazing totes at doorstepluxury.com
 Though internet shopping has become a Huge fashion force with the likes of Asos.com  spearheading the movement locally, people are still hesitant about Purchasing Luxury goods online due to the fear of being mislead into Buying Knockoff versions of  Louis Vuitton and what not.  I myself have encountered an online supplier that promised authentic Prada Gauffre totes at a fraction of their Retail price. ( the website is called edesignershop.com , DONT ever go there )  The offer was obviously too good to be true and I was left with a fake calfskin gauffre tote and a bank account $900 poorer.  It was a very painful experience but it further ignited my desire to keep on searching for the right way to shop luxury goods online.  After endless hours of scrolling through bag forums and reading up on magazine articles( props to Elle and Harper's Bazaar's ancient issues i dug out of my closet)  about how to steer clear of such websites that will leave you burned to a crisp, I finally ended up with a few websites that gave me enough confidence to make transactions over the internet again. 
AND better yet, some of their prices are less than half of the current retail prices.  Literally, A REAL STEAL !! My top pics on the list are....................

1) Laprendo.com
10/10 authenticity and quality assured. 

The name Laprendo popped up a lot in many online bag forums . With forum users praising the website up to the high heavens, I decided to see for myself the validity of the website. True enough, the online retailer who now has 2 physical boutiques is a household name amongst trendsetting fashionistas who want to shop chic high fashion without even leaving their lounge chairs. Known more for their recurring collection of Celine luggage totes that sell out faster than McDonald's breakfast meals,  Laprendo boasts a collection that ranges from mass market labels like YSL, Prada ( Its incredibly hard to find an authentic first hand Prada Online retailer ) Miu Miu, Mulberry and more to avande Garde Designers like Acrobats of God, Proenza Schouler, Roger Vivier and Red Valentino just to name a few. They even have fine jewelry from European designers for those who want a little more than just the passe diamonds of Tiffany and Co ( that brand is godly no doubt )

2) Net-a-porter.com 
Supplying couture fashion to fashionistas everywhere and as of now, the most powerful luxury fashion retailing platform in the world.



So spicy and hot that even fashion conglomerate Richemont wants a piece of the action. Being the pioneer of online fashion retailing, net-a-porter.com is now more than just a place people go to purchase the latest balmain jacket ( i just had to show a picture of the masterpieces Balmain created this year. Its exquisite!! extravagant and intricate , it perfectly captured the Faberge Egg inspired essence   ) 
At the creative helm of it all, Olivier Rousting showed us how lavish fully adorned jackets are an must have, especially ones from Balmain
Net-a-porter has grown into a fashion media behemoth since its first days of operation and now operates similarly to that of a magazine. With Columns dedicated to the ever changing trends all 5 seasons round and whole spreads depicting collages of of runway models strutting down in the latest wears from the biggest names in the industry, net-a-porter is as reliable as Vogue,Harper's Bazaar or Elle is.  It carries a wide variety of apparel as well as accesories and prides itself with their diverse collection that is promised to attend to the unique needs of every shopper. 

3) Eranzi.com 
An already well established Online retailer in South East Asia, Eranzi attends to the needs of buyers who have a taste more directed towards commercial luxury brands. 

Carrying more than 17 designers ( one of which is givenchy WOOTS ) , their products range from handbags to cases. What's unique about this website is their installment method of payment on selected items as well as free shipping ( which can be quite costly) within South East Asia. Their customer service by far as been very steady and up to date. Customer enquires are answered in less than a day and purchases are initiated smoothly through their user-friendly interface. 

due to the time crunch i have ( its 3.30 am now and im still awake -.- ) , Here are a few more reliable & authentic websites to satisfy your luxury/branded needs that u can visit and see for yourself.
Surprisel.com ( very wide collection of coach and burberry)
reebonz.com ( Very established in Singapore and holds regular sales)
cloutshoppe.com (similar concepts to laprendo and reebonz, highly trusted and efficient in customer service)
brandsfever.com ( its more for spree sales for items ranging from bags and perfumes to hampers for babies and furniture) 
barneys.com ( one of the most reliable online retailers for luxury goods in the world. Their products are known to contain the most current season items. )

 Once again, i thank everyone for continuing to read my blog and i do hope that you continue to patronize my writing. Any constructive criticism is much appreciated. Do stay tuned as I chitchat and snap photos with Fashion's biggest trendsetters at the VIP Women's fashion week @ marina bay sands this Friday .  if anyone is interested in attending, do drop me an email at dreamingofdior@gmail.com for more details on how to get an Invite.   

BTW, fall winter has passed and spring summer is once again upon us. I heard a white snow storm is brewing on the runways of milan . A more detailed "weather update" in the posts to come. 
Till then, good bye mon chéris

Fashion Qoutes:
Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world!” –Marilyn Monroe.


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