Days of Wine and Backless Dresses at LuLu’s
Based in Chico, Calif., LuLu’s (www.lulus.com) debuted in 1996, during the early days of e-commerce.As e-commerce picked up steam and its market started skyrocketing, LuLu’s co-founder Colleen Winter felt her shop for college-age women needed something more to stand apart from the crowd.
In 2009, it launched its private-label line, LuLu’s, which currently makes up 70 percent of the company’s inventory. Currently, its top-selling item is the “Rooftop Garden Backless Maxi Dress.”
The dress retails for $45. Along with being backless, it features a plunging neckline and crisscross spaghetti straps. It comes in four colors, and the best-selling one is in a vibrant, dark-green color.
LuLu’s also does a good branded business, and top brands are Obey and BB Dakota, both based in Orange County, Calif. While the website employs buyers located in Southern California, Winter travels weekly from the college town of Chico to downtown Los Angeles, where she goes on buying trips to the California Market Center, The New Mart and the San Pedro Mart.
For general trends, LuLu’s is selling a lot of maxi dresses, leather, and ice skating skirt–inspired fashions, as well as anything that features a wine color. It’s what the shop’s demographic wants.
“Our core demographic is 18 to 24,” Winter said. “She just graduated college. She has her first job, and she is a chameleon of fashion—sometimes a vixen, sometimes a sweet vintage look. We like the fact that she is willing to try new trends, and she can change day to day.”—Andrew Asch
