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Marc Jacobs, McQ and Vivienne Westwood: Shop Direct lifts the lid on Very Exclusive launch brands
My Wardrobe founder Sarah Curran has unveiled the details of her latest venture – a luxury arm within Shop Direct – and some of the brands that have signed up for its launch next February.
Very Exclusive will focus on luxury women's clothing, footwear, accessories and beauty when it goes live during London Fashion Week next spring. It is focusing on women aged 26-35.
Brands including Marc by Marc Jacobs, McQ, Red Valentino, Carven, Kenzo, See by Chloe, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and J Brand Jeans are among those that will be available, alongside high street favourites such as Reiss.
The beauty offer will include brands such as Stila, T3, Bliss, Elemis and Laura Mercier.
Shop Direct believes Very Exclusive has a unique selling point in that consumers can spread the cost of the purchase over three months. This plan has already gained traction on the etailer's other sites, including Very.co.uk and Littlewoods, but this is the first time it has branched into the luxury sphere, where the temptation to spend more than you currently have in your bank account is that much greater. The APR is 18.9 per cent.
Group retail and strategy director Gareth Jones said:
After months of market research and testing, it’s extremely clear to us that there’s a real appetite – both among existing customers of Very.co.uk and women who don’t currently shop with our brands – to shop a standalone luxury site and have the option to spread the cost.
He added:
We’ve also been delighted with the reaction from the luxury brands we’ve spoken to, who’ve seen immediately that Very Exclusive offers them the opportunity to access a customer base that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to buy their products outright.
Curran said:
As well as offering the option to spread the cost, there’ll also be a keen focus on accessible price points. The site itself will provide a rich editorial experience that will guide women through the season’s collections, trends and key looks.
Since joining in January, Curran has also set about hiring a team for Very Exclusive, appointing Harvey Nichols' Vikki Kavanagh as head of fashion buying this summer. Clare Morgan, previously head of beauty at Harrods, is now leading Very Exclusive's beauty team.
Other roles across buying, trading and creative are still being filled and the team will be based on London's Pollen Street, separate to the rest of Shop Direct, which has its head office in Liverpool.