Chanel to launch e-commerce site

In the wake of New York Fashion Week, Mashable ran an interesting article on the fashion industry’s relationship with social media. Today, Chanel, not content with their formidable iPhone app, which puts it’s competitors’ apps such as Gucci and Dior to shame, confirmed they will be offering some of their products online.

Chanel sells amongst the most expensive ready-to-wear collections of any luxury label, with a beautiful raincoat for example costing well over £4,000. Other brands, such as Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, already offer e-commerce functionality, it just remains to be seen whether Coco’s company can do something special with it. With e-tailers Luisaviaroma.com and Yoox.com already well-established, it will be interesting to see if online shoppers balk at the high markups that might seem more justified in the retail environment of the brand’s flagship store on Avenue Montaigne, especially in a recession. Brand Republic has more.