By Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor
As someone who loves discovering new brands and is, undeniably, fashion obsessed, I was thrilled to receive an email in my inbox about runway2street, a new e-Commerce marketplace designed to connect fashionistas with the latest, hottest brands.
runway2street was developed to create the ultimate destination for women in their 30’s and 40’s with the disposable income to drop any amount necessary for the edgiest, most unique goods. But that doesn’t mean the eTailer discriminates: runway2street was built on the foundation of brand and product discovery. So if you have a passion for fashion, runway2street is for you.
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In fact, Co-Founder and CEO Rathna Sharad revealed in an interview that she started building the plans behind runway2street because of her love of discovering new brands.
“I’m an avid follower of fashion and have been all my life,” Sharad told me during a phone call the day of the site launch. “Finding new brands is what I love to do.”
Discovering new brands and buying unique items was even a passion for Sharad when she worked for Microsoft. During her tenure, she traveled extensively, and instead of buying a souvenir from an airport gift shop, she sought out local designers.
Whether she brought home a ring, necklace or handbag, “all my friends started noticing what I was wearing, and they wanted to know where to get it,” Sharad reflected. “I started looking for the brands online and found it was almost impossible for someone in the U.S. to buy from them. That’s how I started exploring the idea.”
Rather than acting as a standard e-Commerce site or commerce marketplace for small brands, runway2street uses its platform to create a community of fashion enthusiasts that are hungry for content and beautiful products. Editorial-quality images create a feast for the eyes, offering shoppers multiple views of products: either on their own or on a model.
Visitors also can delve into the runway2street blog, which now is chock-full of Fashion Week outfits and trends. Brands also have the opportunity to show some face by participating in blog Q&As.
In fact, this community-focused, digital marketplace model is one of the key selling points for runway2street. The eTailer acts as a “connector” for brands and consumers. Most importantly, runway2street offers a way for brands “to reach their audience internationally, which is key in this day and age of globalization,” Sharad said. runway2street promotes all brands on social media and other marketing channels, so they can boost awareness among consumers and fashion influencers.
To ensure customers have a high-quality, luxurious experience, runway2street has established a set of criteria that will help streamline the brand curation process. First, Sharad looks at the quality and craftsmanship of pieces, then price points. Then, she makes sure that the brand in consideration has a strong collection of products that tell a specific brand story. “I think this is really important for our segment,” she said, “because women want to know how things are made. We want to find those gems and tell that story.”
Although runway2street has just officially launched to the public, I think this is going to be a very eventful year for the company, to say the least. In addition to spreading the word on Pinterest, Instagram, Polyvore and other social sites, runway2street plans to hold a series of “girls’ night out” events, “where women can try on shoes and jewelry and sip champagne.”
First stop? Seattle.
Stay tuned, readers. I have a feeling we’ll be providing an update soon!
