Nowness Allows eLuxury Another Moment Of Life

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.

The website describes its editorial vision and expansive offerings:

“An aspiring new destination for exploring the best in luxury lifestyle, Nowness will launch in early 2010, connecting you to exclusive content from the world’s leading creative minds. As a preview of what is it come, Nowness will feature a new story every day across a spectrum of luxury categories.”

Those stories, intended to build pre-launch buzz, began to appear in August and gave readers a taste of what to expect once the e-magazine is up and running. Recent topics have included the book "Dior Backstage," photography exhibits, and Raf Simon's new website. Access to past articles can be found on the site’s Twitter, Facebook, and RSS feed. The Nowness web-magazine is expected to go live by next month.

Though reviving eLuxury as a different and more dynamic brand has created much enthusiasm, the it remains to be seen if Nowness can compete in this competitive field, and win over shoppers who still love the pleasurable feeling of making an in-store purchase.