I caught this over at Stylist.com, who reported on a WWD daily store about eBay’s new foray into designe
r-land. We already know eBay is a fantastic resource for searching out great deals on designer duds, but that usually took a certain amount of search savvy and a keen eye for when a piece was reliably what its seller claimed it to be.
Well, things have just gotten a lot easier–beginning next month, eBay will open up its “Fashion Vault,” where it’ll join other retailers like Ideeli and Rue La La in offering straight-from-designer fashions.
Stylist reports:
Last year, eBay tested designers such as Hugo Boss, DKNY and Max Mara, says WWD, and those lines are likely to appear again. Sales will be weekly at first but are expected to increase as the “vault” gets rolling.
Not to be outdone by sites like Overstock and theOutnet, eBay also has its own online outlet centre. Merchandise from Lord & Taylor is already available, and Brooks Brothers will jump in next month, according to the paper.
Exclusive designer sales are already on the site: Narciso Rodriguez and Norma Kamali both have capsule collections at prices well below those of their high-end designer lines, and WWD says eBay is also planning to collaborate with additional designers. We can’t wait.
eBay has the special sub-site up for preview now, with the opportunity to sign up for email notification of sales.
From the FAQ on the launch page:
Trusted sellers and designers you know and love work closely with eBay to bring you Fashion Vault sales events. For a limited time—only 48 to 72 hours—exclusive online events celebrate the designers’ work and offer you substantial discounts on brand new designer fashions.
These exclusive designs come directly from sellers who are authorized by the brand to sell their merchandise. And to make these deals even better, shipping is free.
Let me just repeat that last part, in case you missed it: FREE SHIPPING on all fashion vault purchases. Since shipping will normally add anywhere from $8 to $20 to the purchase price, that’s a deal sweetener I’m very much looking forward to. Another plus is that there’s no exclusive invite necessary to take part in the sales, unlike Rue La La and Ideeli. As long as you’re an eBay member, you’ve got an open invitation to jump on those sales.
It’s far too early to tell just how great the deals–or the selection–will be, but their test runs earlier this winter certainly bode well for some great finds. Sign up for the updates, and stay tuned.
