Seeing Stars on the Web

As awards show season gets under way, celebrity fashion will be receiving a tremendous amount of global press, even more so than your typical Hollywood-obsessed news day. Outside of Los Angeles and New York, capitalizing on this high product visibility has never really been an option for brick-and-mortar stores, but when you’ve got a web shop with international reach, riding the coattails, handbags and jewelry of young starlets can result in a serious boost in sales. After all, it seems like the world cares who are wearing what these days.

LeeAngel.com

With dozens, perhaps hundreds of designer jewelry line represented by their own web shops, Lee Angel could easily get lost in the crowd. However, key placement in celebrity obsessed magazines like People and Women’s Wear Daily shows off the upscale baubles and trinkets on gorgeous models and recognizable faces. The site’s “As Seen In” section makes shoppers aware of this fact, and you can bet the bracelets, necklaces and earrings will be a welcome gift for any gal this Valentine’s Day.

Shopcitygirl.com

This Oregon-based online boutique takes a more direct approach with its “Celebrity Fashion” section, going so far as to feature pictures of singers, actresses and models wearing the shop’s featured products. Simply by posting a few tabloid photos, magazine photo shoots and movie stills, the Northwest site manages to harness star power from afar to position itself as an ‘it’ fashion destination.

Shopkitson.com

This boutique’s location in the hip Robertson Blvd. shopping district of Los Angeles gives it a clear advantage when it comes to marketing its products’ celebrity appeal: location. It’s been known to turn a famous actress’s shopping experience into a public event, boasting lines of stargazers down the street and droves of paparazzi across it. Between the magazine coverage and a few well-placed photos on the web site, the brick-andmortar store’s web presence has broadened its customer base exponentially.

Shopintuition.com

Another Los Angeles retailer that attracts star shoppers, this one uses good word of mouth to bring celebrities through the doors of its small, modest storefront. But the boutique’s website is consequently capable of generating a lot more business by plastering its home page with photos of famous fashionistas browsing its racks, and even highlighting items purchased. Even with a small marketing budget, you can now find the shop featured in a dozen national tabloids and fashion magazines. It just goes to show: it’s a star’s world, we only live and shop in it.