I’ve always had a prevailing fascination with what goes on behind the scenes- much like peering behind Oz’s curtain to see what’s really happening- so when I heard about the new online e-tailer site, Vaunte- where you can shop the closets of socialites, stylists, fashion editors, and industry insiders- I immediately went into high-alert, excited to be a voyueur inside the walk-ins of these high-priestesses of haute couture.
Gilt Groupe alums Christian Leone and Leah Park founded this interactive luxury marketplace, which launched last November, with the objective of presenting shopping junkies- who fancy designers such as Chanel, Prada, Celine, Valentino, Alexander Wang, and Marchesa, among others- pristine vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories from the collections of ultimate style arbiters. Although eBay and Net-a-Porter have a similar model, with Vaunte, there are no bidding wars and these frocks are totally authentic- as these opulent acquisitions come from the likes of high-profile women who could easily sell off their posh wares at auction houses if so desired-and the real deal here, is that your latest Lanvin could be scooped up at half the price.
Leone and Park do not regard Vaunte as merely an online consignment site – where consignor’s are given the name starlet– or a discount, flash sale site similar to their previous work place- rather an editorial online magazine, which is so exclusive it’s by invitation-only, and members are allowed to invite just two friends- provided they are equally as chic as them…think of this as a peer-to-peer swap meet for the privileged fashionista and philanthropist. I think I’ll go shopping now…www.vaunte.com
