Seven things you need to know about Very Exclusive, by managing director Sarah Curran
Very Exclusive is live and open for business! The new shopping site, helmed by My-Wardrobe founder Sarah Curran and backed by Very.co.uk, is set to become our go-to destination for covetable pieces by accessible luxury brands. Hello, Whistles, Carven, Red Valentino and more...
Here, the lady herself tells us all we need to know about the hottest new fixture in the e-tail landscape.
It’s A One-Stop Fashion And Beauty Shop… ‘I’m very passionate about the everyday girl and I don’t think there’s an environment out there right now that really caters to her properly. The way she tends to shop is by mixing high street and accessible luxury brands, so on Very Exclusive we’re offering that mix to her all in one place. When we think about trends we just tend think fashion first, but actually they involve hair, make-up, nails… All of these things are really important to women, so that’s why we’re offering beauty too.’
Everyone’s Invited… ‘When I met with the CEO of Shop Direct, Alex Baldock, his intro line to me was this vision to democratise luxury. I was like, ‘you had me at hello.’ That’s always been my personal mission and that’s what the site’s focus is on. I think Net-A-Porter is a phenomenal website, but the reality is that most women A) can’t afford to buy the new Saint Laurent bag every season and B) might find that being surrounded by those super high prices makes for an intimidating environment. And I think for the Kate Joneses of the world, which is the majority of us, we want to shop on a site that we feel we can belong to.’
It’s Designed For Real Women (With Other Very Real Bills To Pay) ‘We have an amazing credit proposition which means you can take your basket and split the payment equally across three months, interest free. It’s such a savvy way for a woman to manage her fashion wallet from season to season.’
And It’s Not Just For Women Living In London… ‘For the last few seasons it’s been about this androgynous cool look in London, but actually for the majority of us, around the rest of the UK, we want nice heels to wear with a dress and we want to feel sexy and empowered. Our stock is not about basics, these are the must haves, the statement pieces for a woman’s wardrobe.’
All Of Our Favourite Brands Are On Side… ‘We started building it around go-to brands like Reiss, Karen Millen, Whistles and LK Bennett, then added ones like DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld, CK Jeans and J Brand – all of which are at the heart of every woman’s casual and denim wardrobe. Then we go to Marc By Marc Jacobs, Red Valentino, Carven for our special pieces and the more statement accessories.’
Sarah’s Assembled A Dream Team… ‘It wasn’t hard to convince people to join the team as everyone loved the idea and agreed that there are a lot of normal women out there who aren’t being paid much attention [by other retailers]. I’ve got an amazing group together - Vikki Kavanagh who was head buyer for denim and contemporary at Harvey Nichols, Clare Morgan who was general manager for Harrods beauty, blogger Simon Glazin is our social editor – everyone fits really well together. Besides, people find it very hard to refuse after a few glasses of bubbles…’
She’s Back And Ready For Business… ‘I always follow my gut. [After I left My-Wardrobe] I’d worked on a few smaller brands and nothing really was floating my boat, but with this role I just couldn’t wait to get involved as I felt that there was a space in the market. It’s been so different to when I started My-Wardrobe, it’s been a much more enjoyable process. We are a start-up, but I refer to us as a trust fund start-up. With the backing of Shop Direct, we have a lot of things that most start-ups don’t have. The business of fashion is a serious business, but how a woman shops is very emotional and we need to get on her wavelength. It’s all about making her feel fabulous at the end of the day.’