Fashionistas wept when eLuxury closed earlier this year, but they will be pleased to learn that the online boutique has been turned into a web magazine called Nowness.

According to luxury firm LVMH, a shift in the market -- and not in sales -- lead to eLuxury’s closure. The past year has seen many design brands concentrate on custom e-commerce sites, crowding the category and spreading thin demand. Nowness will feature a more comprehensive scope, and focus on a variety of creative fields including fashion, art, design, entertainment, travel, food and wine, and beauty.Continue reading...

As consumers seem to get younger and younger, the web and its social networking sites have become important areas of potential growth for brands. Luxury retailers have taken note and are making great strides in getting attention.

"(The web) is very important by the sheer fact people are spending more time online, on Facebook, Twittering," said Emanuel Ungaro's chief executive, Mounir Moufarrige.

Design houses including Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen, streamed their catwalk shows on the Internet at this past September's fashion week. Facebook is bombarded daily with new brands, including these same fashion houses, whose pages have amassed hundreds of thousands of fans. Quite a few are using Twitter.Continue reading...

The fashion world is abuzz with the news that Forever 21 has extended its brand to include a seasonal fashion-beauty-lifestyle magazine.

Slated to launch next week, Nitrolicious reported that Forever 21's main goal is "to reinforce their belief that anyone can achieve a high-end look, no matter what the budget – which has become even more essential today in these tough economic times.

Each issue will include two to three features, as well as a fashion gallery of looks with styling tips, trend coverage (keeping availability at Forever 21 in the forefront), street style, beauty tutorials, books/art/music reviews, coverage of brand collaborations, and VIP interviews. The magazine will be available as a gift with a purchase of $40 or more in all Forever 21 stores nationwide, and can be viewed for free on the company's website.Continue reading...

It is an established fact that kids just don't understand what a recession is, nor would they care if they did. Trust me, scientists have proven it. Little girls, in particular, love their knick-knacks, and dolls are no exception.

The New York Times recently noted the influx of fashion-"minded" dolls. The Moxie Girlz, along with four Liv dolls and the Barbie Fashionistas, were all introduced this past August. Barbie and her accessories still took in about $3 billion last year. The Liv and Moxie lines are each expected to generate $30 to $40 million this year, according to Jim Silver, editor of industry journal Timetoplaymag.com. Not too shabby for a pile of plastic, wouldn't you say?Continue reading...