California Apparel News

FarFetch.com is further extending its reach into the U.S. e-tail market

In the ever-growing age of the Web, it’s more important than ever for boutiques to have an online presence.

U.K.–based FarFetch.com sells high-end and under-the-radar designs drawn from boutiques across Europe that may not have the resources to launch their own e-tail sites. It’s now bringing its online business stateside with the help of some e-tail experts.

The team behind RevolveClothing.com and its sister sites ForwardForward.com and ReverseReverse.com—led by founders and owners Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas—have partnered with the company to launch FarFetch U.S.

Translating the site to the American market was a matter of getting the right retailers on board that share FarFetch’s vision, according to Mente.

“We weren’t sure whether the target market and product would vary with the American customer—if it would end up being more denim based or more casual,” Mente said. “[Shopping online] is all about access, and shoppers want something special.”

Shoppers can find pieces from brands with more of a cult following such as L.A.’s Odyn Vovk and Unholy Matrimony to famed lines such as Maison Martin Margiela and Comme des Garçons.

The U.S. FarFetch portal is also American Rag’s first foray into e-tail. The venerable L.A. boutique threw a soiree to celebrate the partnership on May 13 that also featured a performance by recording artist Angel Taylor.

In addition to American Rag, the FarFetch U.S. site is currently partnering with Los Angeles and New York boutiques such as Traffic, EVA New York, Assembly, Anastasia, Fred Segal Man and Bblessing.

But it’s the hidden gems between the two coasts that are piquing Mente’s interest.

“Every big town outside of L.A. and New York has these amazing stores, and now we’re going through and finding the wealth and fashion in those cities,” Mente said. “The message that we’re sending to our customers is that there are these stores that you may not have heard of and all have different perspectives—it’s a sense of discovery.”

Mente hopes to further grow the roster of U.S. and Canadian boutiques.

American Rag's Mike Flynn (left) with Michael Mente at the party thrown to celebrate the partnership with FarFetch.com (Photo courtesy WireImage)

Recording artist Angel Taylor performs live at the American Rag store (Photo courtesy WireImage)