Now it is possible to get that Alexander Mc Queen clutch you always eyed on your trip to the mall, but never could manage to purchase, perhaps from the very person who purchased it instead of you. Confidential Couture is India’s first online portal for buying and selling pre-owned designer accessories, founded by Anvita Mehra. The website stands guarantee for all the products’ authenticity, and each product is bio-cleaned to remove dirt or grime that might have settled on them over the period of use. Products are priced on the website on the basis of their condition. While it sells online, it is possible to arrange a private viewing session, where you can look at the products that you intend to purchase before buying it. The sellers vary, and everyone’s identity is kept confidential. Before a product is listed on the website, it is checked for its authenticity, it goes through a cleansing process, and is photographed professionally. Once this has been done, the product is listed on the website along with detailed descriptions about the condition of the item.
“Vuitton and Fendi are our most popular brands. We have 27-30 customers waiting for a Vuitton bag at any given time,” says Mehra. The website has been divided into three categories — Fairly Used, Gently Used, Never Been Used and Vintage. They cover products from 15 designer brands, including Alexander Mc Queen, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Chanel, Escada, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Jimmy Choo. As a portal, it works both ways — it is possible to sell them products online as well as buy from them.
The website deals in bags and accessories such as shoes, jewellery, scarves, belts, wallets and sunglasses. Mehra thought about opening a reselling website when she studied in England, and came across such websites, and thought that she would do something about the second-hand luxury goods market in India, which is virtually non-existent. Mehra says that while there is a high level of awareness about high fashion in India, purchasing power might be a factor that holds people back.
Confidential Couture makes couture accessible to those who may want the Louis Vuitton or Hermes bag, and those Fendi sunglasses, but don’t have that kind of cash lying around.
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