Last night saw the launch of vintage online clothing store atelier-mayer.com. The brainchild of luxury fashion PR, Carmen Haid, and fashion journalist, Alice Kodell, the inspiration came from Haid's grandmother, Claudia Mayer, who ran an haute couture atelier in Vienna during the 1930s. The pair decided to bring her vision into the 21st century in the form of an e-boutique, selling vintage womenswear and accessories sourced from markets, auctions and private sales around the world. Featuring a virtual dressing room, in which customers can view possible styling combinations, it also has video footage and interviews with fashion luminaries including Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and Loulou de la Falaise.
According to Haid, it's a combination of factors which sets atelier-mayer apart from other online boutiques: "The prices are good, very wide-ranging [a blue spotted ‘60s trapeze dress is priced at £74.75, and a Christian Dior dress is £402.50]. Everything is environmentally friendly. The packaging is recycled, the delivery couriers offset their carbon footprint by planting trees." It also has the look of a smart glossy magazine, thanks to the design of fashion illustrator Jason Brooks. He has created Madame Mayer, who appears throughout the site as a personal shopping assistant, and who is, according to Haid, "my grandmother re-born, smoking cigarettes and being fabulous in high heels and fur." Asked about the difficulties start-up companies face in the current economic climate, Haid thinks, "it's a good time for vintage. Every recession creates opportunities. We've done research, and people do still spend, but they're just more careful. You can go to Zara and buy a dress that you'll wear for one season, but you can you go to our site and find something unique for the same amount."
