Keaton Row has added a new twist to online shopping.
The website, created by Harvard Business School graduates Cheryl Han and Elenor Mak, pairs shoppers with fashion advisors from all over the country, based on a personal style Q&A given to each new member who signs onto the site. Think online dating but with a refreshed and personalized wardrobe, not a first date, as the goal.
"What we realized is that people want a back-to-basics, personal touch when shopping online," Han says.
The advisors called stylists receive commissions on items sold, making the experience a virtual take on the direct-marketing model employed by businesses such as cosmetics firms Avon and Mary Kay.
Han was working in e-commerce at L'Oreal and Mak in operations finance at Victoria's Secret when the longtime friends recognized that, although customers were empowered with numerous choices when shopping online, the experience was also becoming increasingly daunting.
Keaton Row, which they launched in January, aims to streamline the online shopping experience for busy, professional women by pairing them with stylists who can advise on how to keep their wardrobes on trend and up to date. Once a client and stylist are matched, the stylist curates a look book to show a selection of clothing and accessories chosen to suit the client's individual style. Clients pick the items they want to see in person, which are sent to them with no obligation to buy. Stylists and clients may continue to work together via online correspondence, based on the customer's ongoing styling needs.
Han compares the experience to "that relationship that already exists between women who have been receiving shopping and style advice from friends and family for years."
Anyone can apply to be a Keaton Row stylist. Candidates are screened by Keaton Row's style director, who selects stylists based on the individual's eye for fashion, tech savviness, active social media presence and ability to be a "fashion influencer" within her or his social circle. Currently the website has about 2,000 stylists.
"We're creating a sales force of outsourced stylists for the retailers we work with," which include Les Nouvelles and Shopbop, Mak says.
Keaton Row stylists can be compared to Avon ladies of a generation ago, leveraging their social circles and contacts to attract new business. But unlike the direct-selling force of 20 years ago, these stylists are utilizing social media and online correspondence to cultivate clients and make sales.
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Keaton Row puts personal stylists online