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So, after last issue’s intro to e-fashion you’re all geared up and ready to go? Well, here’s a rundown with some of the best online fashion stores in Australia, including Moose Shop, Mint Shop, Purest Cut, For-Tomorrow and eBay’s LuCid’s Bat Cave. Yes, this is where all the cool kids shop online!
Matt Brown over at Moose Shop is just super. So is Moose Shop. He’s one of the friendliest cyber shop-keeps around, his fun and vivacious attitude spilling through into the vast selection of items he chooses to sell in his online store.
What makes Moose so damn unique is the fact that all of the work that appears online is handmade to one degree or another. And such attention shows in the range of accessories and home goods available. And what a range! Moose offers jewellery, fine jewellery, art, space (which covers homeware), paper and textiles. Worth checking out are The Metropolis Collection, Cat Rabbit, Claire de Lune, Fun Is Cool, Shelbyville, Made By White plus the beautiful plush skull brooches by WA’s own The Tiny Little Girl. They also have early work from Of Cabbages And Kings (which is selling fast) plus prints by illustrator d’jour, WA’s Sean Morris (all heavy duty collectors please – take note).
Brown took a moment to chat about Moose Shop and the delicate craft of making things by hand – be they accessories or international internet selling sites.
How long have you been running Moose for?
Moose has been running since July 2006.About four years ago I became obsessed with the idea of running my own store, and after experiencing all kinds of different retail environments, decided in 2006 to quit my job and start the NEIS programme, which is a government assistance grant for people wanting to start their own small businesses. I originally hadn’t even thought of online trading, as I could imagine every aspect of the physical store, but when I was knocked back for my expensive looking budgets (that were totally low-balled), I had to rethink the strategy. Now I can’t imagine having done it ‘bricks first’.
What makes a Moose product?
A lot of hands and late nights, I think! Just about everything we have on the site is handmade, which gives them a great story and connection to their designer. I think I tend to choose items that are a little left of centre, and that offer a unique look in their category.
How user-friendly is your site and what components have you introduced to make it more user-friendly?
Moose first started like Internet Shopping 101. We had 12 artists and about 70 pieces of work. All people could do was look at the work and then purchase it. Now, we’ve got almost 100 artists and over 1200 pieces of work. We have more images of pieces so visitors know what they’re buying, we have an e-newsletter that goes out monthly to update people on what’s happening, and we’re also working on a Wish List function to make shopping with us easier. We’re always open to suggestions from visitors as to how we can make the experience more enjoyable at Moose.
What’s the one thing people love about Moose?
People seem to love the aesthetics of the site, which happened out my inability to shoot products against anything but a white background! I think that Moose has a crisp and clean look that lets the work speak for itself, so people don’t feel they’re being fooled into buying something from a misleading picture. They also like the logo.
And the worst thing?
As for complaints, we honestly haven’t had any. We’ve never had a piece returned or been asked for a refund, so I guess there are quite a few satisfied moose-keteers out there!
Moose has the most amazing array of accessories, particularly some of the more hard to get pieces from OC&K. Plus each item comes in its own individually gift wrapped envelope. Worst bit? If you don’t have a credit card, a PayPal echeque can seemingly take a small eternity to clear.
Over the Darling Harbour in Sydney, on the sun-kissed streets of Manly, is the super-chic Mint Shop. This shop is a veritable institution, but 21 months ago it went global when owner Zoe Fadeev decided to open up Mint Shop Online. Now she offers an amazing array of labels not only to the cool kids of the East Coast, but a veritable array of international fashionistas. For the girls there are labels including Runaway Lovers, Sumakhi, Something, White Suede, Maise, Amy Kaehne, Kate Hurst, Ebony Eve, The Cassette Society and This Is Genevieve (among others) while for the boys there is
Flux, Material Boy, Vanguard, Whipping Floyd, Kornerd, Nicholas X Morley, Another Boy, St Lenny, Thousand Reasons, Rest In Peace, Pete vs Toby, My Pet Square and many others.
Fadeev took some time out to chat about the cornerstone of her global empire, Mint Shop Online.
What led you to set up Mint Shop Online?
At the time we started there was a gap in the market. There were no male online stores and very few female online stores. We saw an opportunity and took it. Shortly after we started there was a boom in the market and online stores started popping up everywhere (and still are). We were lucky we got in early and already had a client base as the competition out there has really surged.
What does your store offer that makes Mint Shop Online unique?
We offer high fashion brands for both women and men online. Our store is really loved by the fashion savvy male!
What components have you introduced to make it more user-friendly?
We have been told our online has one of the best navigations around – men and women’s wear are separate. There are many ways you can look up our stock, by brand or category. We also have our newest stock listed on the home page (on men’s and on women’s). We offer free shipping for all orders over $300 and gift wrap all parcels.
What’s the one thing they love about Mint Shop Online?
One thing we get complimented on a lot is our choice of stock – we have many loyal customers who buy time and time again as they just can’t get enough of the product we have to offer, and secondly our fast delivery time – we often get feedback on how quickly parcels arrive.
What’s the hardest thing about running an online store?
It’s constant. You can’t take a day off. There are always questions, always orders to process and the site needs constant attention; it needs to be kept looking fresh, stock levels need to be maintained and accurate, and uploading new stock is a lengthy process.
What’s ahead for Mint Shop Online?
As we are still young, really our plan is build up our database and thus build up our stock levels. The more customers and bigger database we have the more we can offer customers – In terms of quantity (per item) and choice within a label.
A huge array of clothes to choose from. Throw in prompt postage and wonderfully wrapped presents for bonus points. Worst bit? Clothes sell out way too fast, so be sure to be signed up to their mailing list and be the first to know what’s just out.
Alpha 60, Another Boy, A.T.G., Friedrich Gray, George Terrific, LIFEwithBIRD, Material Boy, Mjolk, Schwipe, The End: all of these super cool Australian labels come under the one awesome fashion umbrella: Purest Cut. Russell Luong is the manager of this super cool Queensland-based online store and the service he provides is virtually faultless. He took a moment to explain what makes Purest Cut one of the most cutting edge online stores there is.
How long have you been running Purest Cut for?
18 months
What led you to set up Purest Cut?
The lack of any websites stocking the Australian fashion labels we are interested in and the need to just start something!
What does your store offer that makes Purest Cut unique?
We only stock what we think (in our humble opinion) is the top tier and cutting edge of Australian streetwear – Labels like Material Boy and Mjolk that are making major waves in overseas markets like Europe, the US and Japan.
What components have you introduced to make it more user-friendly?
We have always had the goal to keep our site clean, simple and user friendly. That way it’s easier for the actual products to be the focus of the site. Product is king!
What’s the one thing people love about Purest Cut and what’s the one thing they complain about the most?
Our customers love our labels and our customer service, which is evidenced by the number of repeat and loyal customers – We love you all!!!! The only complaint we get is that we are sold out of items very quickly, but that’s the nature of seasonal fashion – once an item sells out, that’s it!
What’s the hardest thing about running an online store? Not being face to face with the customer, but you can make up for that with a great online shopping experience!
What are your long term plans for Purest Cut?
We plan to be around as long as there are quality independent Australian street wear labels are in demand overseas. We’re all for Australian domination of the world!
These guys are so super cool because they do Platinum Express Post for West Australian clients, which means that your clothes get to you within two days tops. Worst bit? Can take longer than 24 hours for them to get back to you. But the huge selection of awesome clothes (plus Permanent Cart feature) more than makes up for this, plus the fact that they each come in their own individual gift box. Ah, luxury.
For-Tomorrow is a fashion dark horse, not only in mood and style but with what it’s accomplished in no less than six months. Part awesome fashion blog (www.f-t.com.au/blog) part online store, For-Tomorrow is a comprehensive fashion alternative. It caters to a unique style as well as unabashedly informing its shoppers what’s hot through its blog.
The driving force behind For-Tomorrow is one Adam Muniz, a fashionista if ever there was one. He is joined by Ivan Prasad, who is responsible for the slick graphic design on their site. Add Australia’s Next Top Model, Alex, modelling the clothes, and For-Tomorrow create a powerful team, one who deliver a slick array of products. And yes – they even have the mythic Material Boy Abadigital range available. Add Saint Augustine, Master/Slave, Cream, TV and rumours they might be stocking Of Cabbages And Kings and… well, if you can’t see why they’re so hot do you really have a passion for fashion?
Muniz took a moment to chat about how his online store differs from all the rest.
What’s the idea/driving force behind For-Tomorrow?
What drove me to start this was the fact that 90% of the boutique stores in Australia were run or owned by women. I had worked in many stores around Sydney and the fact that I’d have many guys coming in being upset over stock that wasn’t ordered really clicked with me. I hated that the women who put in the orders for the men’s stock did them within 2 minutes over a cup of tea, a biscuit and a telephone call all at once. I believed they really didn’t have a ‘grasp’ of men’s fashion and they just were not connected to the male fashion scene. I believed I could do a much better job overall and thus For-Tomorrow started.
What sets For-Tomorrow apart from other online fashion stores?
Our stock selection is very focused and our efforts are providing select key pieces for a broad range of current and new high end brands within Australia. Spring/Summer will target an androgynous look that will also suit the ‘smart male’, with heavy influences including dark and pastel colours, drapery, hand cobbled shoes, suiting, military jacketing and leather garments that all complement each other. This key look is the basis of housing our perfect mix of brands and garments. We are the only store that offers a pre-ordering system ahead of season, so you can jump on a see what’s coming and purchase what you like before the stock actually comes in, avoiding the disappointment of the rats that pretty much sit on stock that comes into a shop and purchase it up without giving a chance to other people.
We try and gain respect from our customers and prove we are well informed through our fashion blog and providing look books, runway reviews and our own photography.
Measurement and sizing guides are provided per item and size, unlike most websites where they have generic guides we actually painstakingly build our own guides per brand and per item.
We do our own styled looks pages incorporating the brands we stock using current ideas in the fashion scene. We also provide private studio appointments.
What are the long term plans for For-Tomorrow?
Long term plans are to expand overseas. I’m planning on jetting to New York and setting up base sometime next year, I’ll have my friend run operations from Sydney and I’ll start sourcing brands within the US. A lot of international brands have their agents running from New York so it’s very easy to stock high end brands once your’e based there. From Winter 09 we will be stocking April 77, Surface to Air, CORPUS, Sunday Sun (Cheap Monday’s higher end brother). We plan to build a customer base now, gain customer respect with current stock then move them into more forward thinking brands, rather than sticking to the Australian mainstream men’s wear. We also plan on expanding the current fashion blog into an online men’s video blog covering behind the scenes on many brands and their collections, really connecting with the designers many of whom personal friends.
A surreal, comprehensive range of cutting edge fashion makes this store a must. Add the fact that the people who run it know their stuff. Plus the covetable clothes. Worst bit? That the clothes don’t come in gift boxes. Mind you, the Platinum Express Post makes up for that.
Ah… eBay. For many people eBay is a secret cult, an extreme sport, a clique you’ve gotta click with in order to access all the vast riches and shopping delights it hides inside. It takes a while to understand eBay. After all, there’s no point (or adrenaline rush) in bidding on something three days before bidding closes. And there’s no point paying $10 to have a T-shirt posted when for $7.90 you can have it Express Posted and be wearing it within three days (and tell a seller how much you will pay for posting and what postage you expect – don’t settle for second best… or regular post).
Alternatively, you could just shop with a Power Seller, an eBay certified wunderkind, one who is aware of a seller’s needs, wants and flights of fancy. And there is no better Power Seller of must-have designer clothes than the legendary Diana Dun – aka lucid_dream71, owner of the internationally renowned eBay store LuCid’s Bat Cave. Not only is Dun the most considerate (and patient) seller, she has a passion for fashion which is unrivalled: the range of clothes she offers her customers is astounding. Add a positive feedback rating of 99.9% with over 9000 items sold, and lucid, (as she is affectionately known) rocks supreme.
Dun took a moment to chat about what exactly LuCide’s Bat Cave has to offer.
How long have you been a power seller on eBay?
Approximately 2.5 years. LuCid’s Bat Cave has been operating as a full time store for this length of time.
What does LuCid’s Bat Cave offer that makes it so unique – and popular – when compared to other eBay stores?
LuCid’s Bat Cave offers a full range of women & mens clothing and accessories for the fashion conscious individual. I source hard to find labels and styles along with a great range of Australian designer labels. This is an excellent store to shop in if you are looking for previous season or older stock that you can no longer obtain through your normal shopping outlets. You will find a range of brand new, excellent pre-loved clothing and accessories along with factory seconds.
Labels include Alannah Hill, Alice McCall, Bardot, Bettina Liano, Country Road, Cue, Guess, Hudson, Kookai, Lee, Lenny/St. Lenny, Mademosielle by Spencer & Rutherford, Material Boy, Metalicus, Mimco, Nobody, Nudie, Oroton, One Teaspoon, Rock & Republic, Sass & Bide, Scanlan & Theodore, Spencer & Rutherford, Sportsgirl, Thousand Reasons, Tigerlily, True Religion, Tsubi/Ksubi, Witchery and Zimmermann.
You will also find obscure labels in the store that have been selected for their design which reflects what is happening out in the fashion market today as well as classic favourites.
What’s the hardest thing about being a power seller?
Retaining the current store reputation. Consistently building on new ideas to always benefit the customers and encourage repeat visits.
The most rewarding thing?
Building relationships with some great shoppers and listening to what inspires them to shop the way they do. Watching the shop evolve from the beginning to how more focused it is today. Plus the constant challenge to keep improving the store.
What advice would you have to someone who is considering becoming a power seller on eBay? Is it as easy as it looks? What are some of the pitfalls?
Best to start selling as a hobby. Find things to sell that you are interested in and that are profitable. You are expected to have a minimum of $2000 gross monthly sales to credit power seller status.
Lucid_dream71 is just that – a dream. She allows seven days for payment, which means you can usually pay for stuff with the next pay cheque. Also, she rewards her loyal customers, sometimes extravagantly. Each purchase comes with treats, like Freddo Frogs. Worst part? She stocks such incredibly covetable clothes that you sometimes have to be prepared to pay an incredibly covetable price – but it’s worth it.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell
