Hearst: From Elle & Marie Claire to E-Commerce

Hearst (which owns Elle, Marie Claire, Esquire and Cosmopolitan, among others) has launched the first of a few new digital-only products, a shopping site called BestProducts.com. According to Digiday, the site will be overseen by executive director Patrick Varone and will have a team of 15 when fully staffed.

BestProducts will also feature Hearst’s publishing platform, which the company uses—or will use

Hearst Corporation

soon—for all of its brands. The custom CMS allows Hearst editors to see what stories are trending well and sibling sites and share editorial content with each other, so they can scale their audience faster.

The idea of BestProducts.com is not to attempt to compete with Amazon but to serve shoppers who need help making up their mind on what to buy but don’t want to do the work of sifting through the Web’s ocean of information.

The site’s editors will evaluate and recommend products in nine verticals including food and drink, gadgets, beauty, fashion and home, based on what’s trending around the Web and what consumers are already saying about them online.

✿ » For trusted authentic luxury products & services

Delortae Agency™ | Luxury Income Video Ad

#DELORTAEAGENCY partners Luxury Income Club | Built on Brands | Video Ad Campaign For First Luxury Authentic Home Based Designer Business aimed at UK start-up’s & entrepreneurs, See full unique opportunity here  http://delortae.agency/club

Delortae Agency Luxury App

Luxury high-end retailers Barneys & Macy's reveal profiling cases against black shoppers

Furious people took to Facebook to vent their anger over the recent profiling of shoppers in the New York retailer, Barneys.

Anger: Furious Facebook users attacked Barneys' website over what they call 'modern racism', including the likes of rapper, Jay Z

On Barneys' Facebook wall, users have posted their opinions, said the New York Daily News.

Barneys' menswear ad was bombarded with angry comments

'Love these shoes ... but having dark skin, my hard earned money may not be enough to allow the purchase at this establishment,’ Facebook user Amelia Rios Alex wrote on the page, which features glitzy photos of shoes, perfume, jewellery and apparel.

An ad for a John Varvatos suit with the tagline, Modern Monochrome, attracted 72 people to vent about the profiling scandal. 

‘Modern racism,' said John Renaud.

‘Monochrome is right. Whites only’, according to David Nieves.

‘Will I get arrested if I buy this?’ asked Ramona Morgan.

‘Do handcuffs [come] with this or are they sold separately?’ said Facebook user Glenny Lennox.

This comes as a fourth person has come forward with similar claims, this time against Macy's - the second in a week.

Another department store customer came forward Sunday 27 October 2013, with the fourth “shopping while black” complaint in a week — a customer who says he was surrounded by cops after a legitimate purchase at Macy’s Herald Square in New York.

Art Palmer, of Brooklyn, holds the clothes he bought at Macy's Herald Square in April. He says he was stopped and questioned and had his bags searched by undercover NYPD detectives after leaving the store.

JAMES KEIVOM/NEW YORK DAILY NEW

Art Palmer says four plainclothes cops questioned him three blocks away from the flagship store after he bought $320 worth of Polo dress shirts and ties in April.

Palmer, a 56-year-old exercise trainer from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, said he made the purchase without incident, using both his Macy’s platinum card and his American Express card.

He was walking to a gym on Park Avenue when police surrounded him and demanded to see his ID.

The officers said they were suspicious because they had lost sight of him on the store’s surveillance cameras, he said.

When asked if he believed he was racially profiled, he told the New York Daily News that there was 'no other reason'.

He was allowed to continue on his way after he showed his receipt for the duds and the cards with which he purchased them.

When Palmer returned to the store the next day to complain, a Macy’s manager blamed it on the cops and said officers frequently come into the store to monitor surveillance videos without permission, according to Palmer.

The latest accusation echoes those by Trayon Christian and Kayla Phillips against Barneys and by actor Robert Brown against the same Macy’s.

Shocking: Trayon Christian, 19, lclaim they were interrogated by police after buying expensive items from Barneys

Shocking: Kayla Phillips, 21, claim they were interrogated by police after buying expensive items from Barneys

Two black Barneys customers said this week they were detained by police after making expensive purchases, while last week actor Robert Brown said he was paraded through Macy’s Herald Square store in handcuffs and detained for an hour after being racially profiled and accused of using a stolen credit card to buy his mother a $1,350 watch.

Trayon Christian, 19, is suing Barneys, saying he was accosted by undercover NYPD officers after using his debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in April.

Kayla Phillips, 21, said she was surrounded and interrogated by police after purchasing a $2,500 orange Celine suede handbag from Barneys in February.

Brown, one of the stars of HBO show Treme, was released after being in cuffs for about 45 minutes without any charges.

Robert Brown with Sean Connery who he starred with in the movie, Finding Forrester. Brown is suing Macy's for racial profiling

He’s suing the store and the NYPD, charging cops racially profiled him and violated his constitutional rights.

Fashion megastar Tyson Beckford, 42, told PIX11 on Thursday that he frequently gets judged on the colour of his skin in Barney's and other places.

Tyson Beckford on the Runway

'I might have the most recognisable face in the world. I still get followed all the time, any time I go to a store,' Beckford said outside Barney's.

Barneys CEO Mark Lee (center) joined Lundgren in meeting Rev. Al Sharpton (right) after four complaints about alleged racial profiling at the New York City shopping havens surfaced last monthJames Keivom/New York Daily News

Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton has threatened protests against Barneys and a possible boycott for 'upscale racial profiling'.

'In major cities like New York, blacks and Latinos not only worry about being “stopped-and-frisked” by police, but they also fear the embarrassment of being “shopped-and-frisked” in retail stores,' he said in an opinion piece for the New York Daily News.

'Perhaps all retailers need a friendly reminder of the immense buying power of blacks and minorities. We will definitely remember those who welcome us and those who would rather profile us, and we will speak loudly with our dollars — bottom line.' We ever naively believe that our work is done?' Sharpton wrote.

Sharpton said it was a 'travesty' that police and retailers interrogate black people who buy expensive items.

'Barneys, a high-end retailer with stores in major cities, must answer for this pattern of biased behaviour, as must the NYPD,' he wrote.

'Our National Action Network (NAN) Brooklyn chapter President Kirsten John Foy said it best when he called Barneys’ behaviour schizophrenic. On the one hand, they want to expand their brand to the urban market, but then they turn around and see us as suspects rather than prospects.

Macy's CEO Terry Lundgren will attend the conference on racial profiling

Pic: M. SPENCER GREEN/AP

'Barneys and other retailers that openly discriminate against us must be held accountable. Simply apologising isn’t enough; we need to see a plan of action as to how they are going to rectify their ways.'

Sharpton has demanded a meeting with Barneys CEO, Mark Lee, and is 'currently mobilising activists for peaceful direct-action against the store and the NYPD.'

Earlier this week, Lee said the company had retained a civil rights expert to help review its procedures and offered his 'sincere regret and deepest apologies'.

'Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights,' Barneys said in a statement.

Barneys New York

In his comment piece, Sharpton also highlighted the experiences of 'Treme' actor, Rob Brown, and Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker.

Brown claimed he was paraded through Macy’s Herald Square in handcuffs and placed in a holding cell because an employee suspected that his credit card didn’t belong to him in June,

Whitaker said he was accused of stealing and patted down after leaving a store in Morningside Heights.

'When international celebrities can be disrespected and mistreated in such a humiliating manner, how can we ever naively believe that our work is done?' Sharpton wrote.

Amidst the controversy let us not forget the buzz around the launch of Jay Z’s Barneys collection more about high prices than style.

Canceled! Barneys calls off Jay Z's holiday fundraiser that promised to raise $1m for his charity after mass furor over racial profiling claims

Some potential shoppers were "disappointed" with the pricey line, while others were willing to drop a few thousand dollars for a piece of Jay Z's look. The launch was marred by the controversy surrounding Barneys after two black New Yorkers said they were racially profiled at the store.

The Madison Ave. display in Midtown is assembled 20/11/13. Jay Z has said all the proceeds from his line will go to charity and that he will sit on a council to tackle racial profiling, unfortunately for the multi-millionaire, on Tuesday the New York Daily News announced the department store chain has canceled the event which guaranteed to raise $1m for the rapper's Shawn Carter Foundation.

The store - which blamed the cancellation on 'unforeseen circumstances'. This comes just after the megastar stood by the expensive New York store just days ago.

In a statement made on his website Friday, Jay Z said he'd agreed to attend the party, which also served as the launch for his BNY SCC fashion collection, under the condition that he helped lead the store's review of its policies.

'The easy position would have been to walk away and leave policy making to others hoping that someone addresses the problem. I will not leave the outcome to others,' he wrote in a statement posted to his website Life and Times: A Statement From Shawn “JAY Z” Carter 11.15.2013.

The rapper-turned-mogul said that one of the stipulations for his continued support of the store was that he be given 'a leadership role and seat on a council specifically convened to deal with the issue of racial profiling'.

'I am in a unique position to use my voice to affect change to this disturbing issue,' he wrote.

'I will take this into my own hands with full power to recommend, review and revise policies and guidelines moving forward. I am choosing to take this head on.'

It's not clear if Jay Z will still get involved with those policies now that the party has been canceled.

So are luxury high end retailers telling black shoppers your money is not respected or wanted here? Have your say..

RELATED ARTICLES
» Rev. Al Sharpton addresses recent racial profiling by high-end stores
» Fourth New York shopper, pointing at Macy’s, makes racial profiling allegations
» Al Sharpton threatens boycott of Barneys over 'racial profiling'
» Barneys calls off Jay Z's fashion collaboration fundraiser that promised to raise $1m for his charity        after mass furore over racial profiling claims
» Barneys, Macy's CEOs to lead city's high-end retailers in anti-racial profiling forum
» Readers sound off on Jay Z, feminism and Elmer Fudd
» Hamill: Between racial profiling and insane prices, Jay Z's Barneys collection a joke
» Jay Z's new Barneys deal doesn't address racial profiling: lawyer 

For luxury authentic products and services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it, leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Marc Jacobs is leaving Louis Vuitton

Final salute: Marc Jacobs addresses the audience at his final show for Louis Vuitton in Paris on October 2, following a spectacular 16-year tenure at the brand. Source:DailyMailUK

MARC JACOBS is leaving Louis Vuitton . The news was confirmed this morning after the Louis Vuitton spring/summer show at Paris Fashion Week 02/10/2013.

When Marc Jacobs stepped onto the runway after the Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2014 show at Paris Fashion Week, he smiled and accepted the applause for what was to be his final reverence for the label.
The designer, who has worked at the helm of Vuitton for the last 16 years, is leaving to focus on his eponymous label ahead of an IPO (Initial Public Offering), the LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault confirmed this morning.

And Jacobs made sure he went out with a bang at Paris Fashion Week by presenting a celebration of his greatest hits including clothing inspired by his first ever collection, shown on a set featuring pieces from previous shows.

Mr Jacobs' 2014 collection for Louis Vuitton was imbued with signature elements from his 16-year run at the label, which he has transformed from a dusty heritage luggage purveyor to a commercial luxury powerhouse.

The show was staged with Mr Jacobs's evolved flair for lavish settings.

'To the showgirl in all of us,' read his notes for the collection, which was presented among reinvisioned versions of the elevators, escalators, carousels, fountains, and hotel corridors that he has previously created for Louis Vuitton's seasonal grand displays.

In fact, fashion's overall commercial expansion, which has skyrocketed in the last decade, can be easily traced through photos of his tenure at Vuitton. 

His evolution at the label is a prime example of the industry's transition from an exclusive tribe to a novel, friendly affair.

It was Mr Jacobs who masterminded and evolved the modern idea of themed collections, over-the-top settings, and dramatic staging effects. His adeptness at these grand events grew alongside the expansion of digital media.

Seasoned pro: In the last 16 years, Mr Jacobs steered the Vuitton brand through a variety of successful phases, the most fruitful of which was the brand's obvious foothold in the 'logo-mania' trend of the early aughts. Source:DailyMailUK

In memory: Mr Jacobs recreated many of his most successful Vuitton moments for his final show, including a reinterpretation of the fountain he created for the label's fall 2010 show

Mr Jacobs now leaves Vuitton (which he joined in 1997), after starting its ready-to-wear business from scratch, as well as growing its overall commercial popularity and cool quotient.

In the last 16 years, Mr Jacobs steered the Vuitton brand through a variety of successful phases, the most fruitful of which was the brand's obvious foothold in the 'logo-mania' trend of the early aughts.

When he was appointed to Vuitton, the brand's holding company LVMH also bought a majority stake in his namesake brand and later helped him launch a diffusion line, Marc by Marc Jacobs, for spring 2001.

In memory: Mr Jacobs recreated many of his most successful Vuitton moments for his final show, including a reinterpretation of the fountain he created for the label's fall 2010 show. Source:DailyMailUK

Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman commented: "Marc has provided fashion with so much during his years at Vuitton.

"It's important to know how to exit, as well as arrive, and it's going to be exciting to see how this impacts on the creativity of his own line."

Nicolas Ghesquiere

And as for Louis Vuitton, while no announcements regarding Jacobs' successor have been made yet, former Balenciaga creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere is reportedly the frontrunner.

For luxury authentic products and services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it, leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Britons: Number One in E-Commerce Revolution

A study by the British Retail Consortium has found that almost 1 pounds in every 5 pounds is spent through computer, tablets and smartphones, making Britain the most tech-savvy nation in the world when it comes to online shopping reports MyRetailMedia.

Retail spending made via the internet (excluding food) accounts for 18.3% of all retail spending, according to the BRC’s figures.

Britons are also expected to spend more than 20.4 billion pounds in the run up to Christmas, with some 10 billion pounds being spent in December alone, according to a separate study.

The BRC said: “Online sales of non-food products in the UK grew 12.1% in October versus a year earlier. The online penetration rate was 18.3% in October, the highest level ever recorded by our monitor over 23 months”.

Britain’s love of online shopping is so strong that the rest of Europe, and even the USA, are behind the UK in terms of online spending.

This trend has not gone unrecognised and many retailers are working on their multi-channel offering in order to survive.

The shift has led to a major re-think about the problem of Britain’s high streets with many retailers urging the government to reconsider business rates.

The BRC is not alone in their online spending forecast either. The IMRG, the trade body for web stores, is predicting that Christmas web sales will increase by at least 15% compared to the previous year.

Spokeswoman Tina Spooner said: “Already we are seeing a number of retailers ramping up their online offering in the run up to Christmas.

“Click & Collect, next day delivery and even on-hour delivery slots are just a few of the options on offer to attract the lucrative festive shopper at this highly competitive time of year”.

For luxury authentic products and services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it, leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Longchamp has opened its biggest European flagship store in London

Longchamp Regent Street pic Harpers Bazaar

LONGCHAMP celebrates London flagship store. Having gazed longingly at the boarded-up shop façade on Regent Street, the moment has indeed at last arrived! The long awaited launch of Longchamp’s biggest European flagship store in Regent Street – which finally opened its doors to the public on 16 September 2013 after a London Fashion Week party on 14 September attended by the fashion glitter-rati including Kate Moss, Pixie Geldoff, Alexa Chung and model Georgia May Jagger, as well as the brand’s current campaign model, Coco Rocha.

In a boost to London and the UK, Jean Cassegrain, chief executive, said that London is a 'key city' for Longchamp and offered access to UK and global shoppers. The flagship Regent Street store, is the French luxury company's third in London, complementing sites at Westfield London and New Bond Street.

Longchamp Regent Street pic Harpers Bazaar

Mr Cassegrain added; "We felt we needed a stronger physical presence in London. London is important because it is one of the key cities in Europe. London is London but it is also the UK and and the world." Cassegrain added at present Longchamp has 'specific plans' to open stores outside London but that this is the 'next step' of expansion in the UK.

The family owned luxury company attributes it's success to this factor of ownership has no plans to sell to rivals or float on the stock market. Growing quicker in Asia than Europe, the company invest across the continent. "You can't really afford to leave any market out, Cassegrain said, "In today's world you really have to be global. The ones who aren't organising themselves to be global have no future at all."

Thanks to those fabolous peeps at Harpers Bazzar we were given a little sneak preview last week. The flagship store covers 500 square metres, including their world-famous bags – the Legende, the Gatsby, the Balzane, the Roseau - as well as the Kate Moss-designed Gloucester collection.

Longchamp Regent Street pic Harpers Bazaar

The two floors within the impressive space are separated by a floating mezzanine level – dedicated solely to displaying Longchamp’s famed La Pliage collection, since 1993, more than 26million versions have been sold. With a large sculpture spanning the height of the building forms the store’s centrepiece. The ground floor displays women’s bags, accessories, shoes and ready-to-wear, while the first floor showcase men’s collections and luggage.

“The mood throughout is light, elegant and relaxed with clean lines,” explains a press release. “Natural materials such as stone, marble, glass, wood and leather recall Longchamp’s heritage of craftsmanship.”

Fabulous time to go shopping!



Location:
229 Regent Street
London, W1
http://www.longchamp.com


For luxury authentic products & services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it, leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

London’s first ever designer outlet to open in Wembley in October

Computer Generated Image of how the London Designer Outlet will look

LONDON’S first ever designer outlet in the heart of Wembley will open its doors on October 24, it has been revealed today.

The London Designer Outlet (LDO) boasts 350,000ft² of retail and leisure space which includes up to 85 shops and 15 restaurants, with a mix of high street and brand names.

The full array of shops, all offering up to 70 per cent discounts on current season lines, will be open for business in spring 2014.

Retailers which have signed up to LDO include L.K. Bennett, Superdry, Guess, Marks & Spencer, GAP and Clarks.

London Designer Outlet will open its doors on October 24

Well known restaurants including Prezzo, Handmade Burger Co, Las Iguanas, Nandos and TGI Fridays as well as regular multicultural food markets will also being opening branches.

In addition, film buffs will be able to take full advantage of a new nine-screen Cineworld which is also included in the line-up.

The launch will also mark the completion of the first phase of the Wembley City development which is being created by Quintain.

The £3.4billion project will create 7,000 jobs and includes the four -star luxury Hilton hotel which opened last year, 4,200 new homes and the £90m Civic Centre which replaced Brent Town Hall in July.

James Saunders, chief operating officer for Quintain, said: “We spent a great deal of time finding out what local people really wanted and needed from London Designer Outlet and then focused on bringing this to life.

“This means that alongside high end labels LDO will offer trusted brands that appeal to a huge range of people.

“We expect the appealing range of shops offering unbeatable discounts on current season lines to ensure the outlet becomes a major destination for astute bargain hunters.”

As part of the opening celebrations this autumn, LDO will inspire the local community with a colourful festival of activity involving hundreds of people from nearby schools and dance groups.

The event has been conceived and developed by the international design company behind the London 2012 Athlete’s Parade and Paralympics Closing Ceremony.

For luxury authentic products & services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

Content Friend: Kilburn Times UK

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it, leaving a comment or subscribing to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Dolce & Gabbana to Host 4th Store Opening in London

On Saturday, 15th June 2013, Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana and Dylan Jones, the Editor in Chief of British GQ, will celebrate the opening of the fourth Dolce&Gabbana boutique in London with an event that will be part of the official London Collections: Men’s calendar during which the Summer 2014 Tailoring Collection for men will be presented. 

Dolce and Gabbana 5th Ave boutique during the NYC opening event

“We are thrilled to welcome Dolce&Gabbana to London Collections: Men, and we are delighted that they are opening this season with such a high-profile event. London welcomes Domenico and Stefano and hope they decide to have an event here every season.” Dylan Jones, Editor in Chief – British GQ

Italian and English sartorial traditions meet and blend in a new, one-of-a-kind space, designed and created exclusively for London and located at 53-55 New Bond Street. The new boutique is part of the Group retail development strategy that comprises the creation of a series of special stores where the classic Dolce&Gabbana style finds a new expression thanks to the unique identities and traditions of the cities in which they are situated.

“London has always been one of the cities we love the most. It’s not by chance that we have decided to open this particular store here. British sense of style is part of their DNA, it’s been part of their culture for ages. Just like in Italy. When Dylan invited us to come, we couldn’t say no!” Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana

Dolce&Gabbana’s boutiques in London are located at 6 (menswear) and 175 (womenswear) Sloane Street and at 6/8 Old Bond Street (menswear and womenswear).

Pic: Courtesy of Dolce and Gabbana

For luxury authentic products and services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

Versace Re open Avenue Montaigne Boutique in Paris

Versace Avenue Montaigne Boutique

VERSACE announced the re-opening of their Avenue Montaigne boutique in Paris.

The Italian luxury brand house were quick to remind us the boutique, the first in Europe with the new store concept conceived by Donatella Versace in collaboration with English architect Jamie Fobert. 

Jamie Forbet

Jamie Fobert is one of architecture's bright sparks, and boasts Givenchy and Antony Gormley among his clients. He designed the east-London club Cargo, a shimmying Mecca for music industry juniors and fledgling designers, and his popularity is matched by his success: the Anderson House won the prestigious Riba Manser Medal in 2003, essentially the prize for the best house in Britain.

Since then Fobert's practice has grown strong. In 2005 he was commissioned for a high-profile extension to the Tate gallery in St Ives, and he has just completed the interior of a new Givenchy outlet in Paris, which opened in February this year.

Without doubt, the boutique lacks none of the luxury we have come to expect from the brand and leads to one of the most opulent shopping experiences worldwide.

The 350 square meter store mixes the opulence and traditions of Italian architecture with the dynamism and energy of Versace today the brand house proudly announces.

Pic credit: Versace

For luxury authentic products & services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

Peter Philips Steps Down as Creative Director of Chanel Make-Up

Peter Phillips

PETER PHILIPS after five years at the creative helm of the Chanel Make-up division has stepped down as creative director of Chanel Make-Up as reported by a recent company statement. 

Five years of coming up with some of the beauty world's favourite nail polish colours (Jade, Particuliere and Mimosa were all the creations of this creative mind), formulating some truly one-of a kind products and coming up with some of Chanel's most fabulous catwalk make-up looks, Philips is swapping his official title for a contributing artist role.

Peter Phillips backstage, Chanel catwalk

"Peter Philips, as creative director of Chanel Make-up, has brought his talent, creativity and vision to Chanel make-up and made women dream, the world over. After five successful years, Peter Philips has decided to return to a more independent position continuing his work as an artist collaborating with the best photographers, stylists and models for editorials and projects such as Chanel fashion shows," read a statement from the brand.

Pic credit: Chanel

For luxury authentic products & services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net

Rihanna Brings High Street Fashion to London Show

Rihanna

RIHANNA launched her first clothing line with British high-street retailer River Island on Saturday, adding A-list glitz to the British leg of the international fashion circuit reported Reuters 16/02/13.

The fashion credentials of the British high street have flourished in recent years as more household clothing brands inch onto the catwalks of major fashion centres.

Models strutted in a line through a tiered catwalk of five square compartments at Rihanna's show, pausing in each to showcase midriff-bearing mesh tops and yellow shift dresses.

Denim tops teamed with slouchy jeans and monochrome dresses with thigh-high slits mirrored the Barbados-born singer's dressed-down but raunchy style.

Rihanna for River Island

"I loved it - it's so Rihanna, it's got Rihanna's name all over it," Los Angeles model Tolula Adeyemi said in the crowd.

Rihanna, a chart-topping R&B star, has already made a foray into fashion, teaming up with Armani Jeans in 2011.

With Britain facing the prospect of a triple-dip recession, many retailers have been forced to grapple for consumers facing income squeezes. The start of 2013 has seen a number of retail casualties, such as the demise of music retailer HMV.

But fashion industry and marketing experts warn A-list credentials are not always a sure-fire strategy for long-term brand success, and the haute-couture setting of the launch could even alienate Rihanna's target mass-market high-street audience.

Rihanna for River Island

Mary Ellen Muckerman, head of strategy at international brand consultancy Wolff Olins, said it was not hard for celebrities to create buzz.

"The celebrity has a built-in network to get word out and raise the profile of the collaboration very quickly, but what collaborations do struggle with is probably sustainability - how can this not just be 15 minutes of fame," Muckerman said.

STAR SELLING POWER

The boyish designs are Rihanna's first with River Island, a clothing chain that traces its history on Britain's high streets back more than 60 years and is known for its youthful clientele.

The crowd-drawing clothing line between British retailer Topshop and supermodel Kate Moss in 2007 is widely credited with initiating the burst of celebrity lines onto Britain's high street, paving the way for Madonna and Kylie Minogue.

"Celebrity dressing drives a large part of the industry. If celebrities are wearing it, there is confidence that you and I will want to wear those clothes as well," said Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council.

British value chain New Look said it attributed sales of just under 3 million pounds ($4.66 million) to its Kelly Brook line in 2012. The retailer reported group sales from its 1,100 international stores at 710.5 million pounds ($1.10 billion) for the first half of 2012.

Clothing retailer N Brown said its line with former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff accounted for around 5 percent of sales for menswear brand Jacamo and had spurred a ripple effect.

"The wider halo effect is what I see as being the real benefit of using a celebrity," said Paul Kendrick, marketing director at N Brown.

HIGH STREET, HIGH FASHION

London Fashion Week, best known for cutting-edge design, is also hosting upmarket retailer Whistles, as chains increasingly share the runway schedule with up-and-coming designers such as Mary Katrantzou and Holly Fulton.

British Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman said in the British press this week she viewed the high-street foray into fashion as positive, but warned there was a saturation point.

Wendy Hein, a lecturer in marketing at Birkbeck College, said there was a mismatch between London's high-fashion catwalks and the high-street label.

Rihanna Arriving In London for The Fashion show

"River Island is very much a high-street retail brand and wouldn't have that much of a connection to high fashion and couture," Hein said. "I think considering this mix, there's a danger here in terms of how this is being presented to high-fashion audiences and markets.

For luxury authentic products & services; http://www.luxuryonlinestore.net