E-tailing a Hot Topic at FGI Panel

Online shopping emerged as the dominant theme of discussion at Fashion Group International’s “Innovative Retail Icons” event at the Chamberlain hotel in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 19.

Sally Lohan, the West Coast editor of the international research and trend-analysis service WGSN, moderated the panel of retailers, who enlightened guests on their successful business strategies. Zoe Schaeffer and Renee Roman Klein, co-proprietors of the sophisticated contemporary boutique Presse Boutique in Los Angeles, emphasized the importance of a clear point of view and personalized customer service for both bricks-and-mortar and online stores. Kari Miller, director of public relations for Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, added that online retailing is an increasingly significant part of the business for bricks-and-mortar retailers. Saks Fifth Avenue’s online store is the No. 2 performing store outside of New York. Jill Johnson, chief executive officer of the Santa Barbara, Calif.–based e-tail site CoutureCandy (www.couturecandy.com), stays competitive by offering podcast discussions with designers and live chat help. Nina Grossman Warner, owner of Bittersweet Butterfly, the hybrid fine-lingerie and flower shop in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, said the novelty aspect of her shop and the focus on lesser-known designers differentiates her from other retailers.

After the panel, a multimedia runway trend report gave a bullet-point breakdown of Fall 2007 trends from Paris’, Milan’s, New York’s, Los Angeles’ and London’s fashion shows. Winners of the 2007 FGI-LA Foundation Scholarship were announced as well.—Rhea Cortado