Luxury, luxury, why art thou, luxury? In an age of 'cheap chic', our connection with fashion's Romeo appears to have soured as high street stores continue to make expensive designs progressively reachable to consumers. For some time, designer brands have been fighting to hold their exclusivity, with websites such as asos that offer imitations of renown dresses and catwalk creations at a smidgen of the real retail price. Having recklessly condemned the fashion world, 'the Sienna syndrome' has granted cheap clothes a certain cachet. Primark is the next Dior; H&M is the new Hermes.

Fashion and High street

However, the plain interchange-ability between high street and designer is beginning to wane, in particular among higher-earning consumers. The days of washed-out scrawny jeans, broken-in cowboy boots, blue jean Waistcoats and everything else under the 'boho' umbrella are numbered. Moral concerns about manufacturing and the belief that we're all 'worth it' has got savvy British shoppers looking to buy fewer products which are good calibre and, most importantly, branded. Lavishness may have been democratised, but it is also being re-invented - clue the dawn of the 'vente-privees'.

Invitations to 'vente-privees' have long been the realm of only the most well-connected fashion insiders. Traditionally, they have been used to give luxury brands a discrete and premium environment in which dispose of additional products to trusted customers. The conception is already big in France and looks set to become the next hottest fashion item in the British retailing, especially as this exclusive privilege is now going online.

Selection of fashion accessories

Boasting a right choice of opulent brands and an in embers' club feel, secret e-boutiques are about to be the fashion's virtual Bond Street this year. Posing as a cyber personal shopper, they will give invitees great rate on dashing designer pieces, from Chloe shoes and Damaris lingerie to D&G accessories and admittance to major discounts.

From a patronage point of view, the Britain is utterly primed for an explosion in online secret sales, with net shopping at an all-time high and up 50% on last year. One website that is capitalising on this new trend is recently-launched BrandAlley, whose sister web page Brandalley already boasts 1.3m members and 1.8m visitors per month.

Conclusion

Luxury has in essence been democratised via the internet by giving convention people fiscal and geographic admittance to a world of dream brands", says Brand Alley CEO Sven Lung. However, the ethos of the secret sale, with the club environs and short-run schedules sales, gives people a sensation of involvement and being on the correct track, while still maintaining the premium environs and integrity of related brands. The charm of a website like Brand Alley is a result of this new feeling to opulent goods and reflects the consumer's hope to buy good quality, classic items at best prices.

Uchenna Ani-Okoye is an internet marketing advisor and co founder of Free Affiliate Programs

For more information and resource links on fashion visit: Wholesale Fashion Accessories

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