This New Luxury E-Commerce Site Will Be the Ultimate Destination for Shoe Lovers
Onward Luxury Group is launching its own multi-brand e-commerce site.
The site, called Blancah.com, to be unveiled over the coming days, promises to be a luxury e-tailer managed directly by OLG. And it will be the ultimate destination for shoe lovers both male and female alike. It’s currently in password protected soft launch mode.
More from Footwear News
Specializing in footwear and accessories Blancah will sell a selection of OLG owned or licensed brands which include J.W. Anderson, Proenza Schouler, Rochas, Francesco Russo, Samuele Failli and Elie Saab, plus emerging footwear labels Carlotha Ray, Maria Luca and F_WD. Blancah will also offer offer an assortment of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear from its roster.
FN caught up with Onward Luxury Group CEO Fabio Ducci to find out more.
Why did you decide to launch this e-commerce site to sell products from your licence portfolio and your own brands?
FD: “We have always sold our products in our physical stores in Milan and in Paris, once called Iris after as the original Iris shoe factory based in Fossò near Venice. The e-commerce is the natural evolution of our retail strategy, in order to give a boost to our digital visibility to all our licensed brands.”
There is already a lot of competition with e-commerce multi-brand platforms, what will make you stand out and give you the edge?
FD: “Compared to the other multi-brand e-commerce, we sell products that we produce directly and sell wholesale so we have a deep knowledge of our market. We care about the quality of our ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories and we already know our most wanted styles and the seasonal trends.”
Who is the target customer?
FD: “Everyone. It’s all in name. (Blanca means white in Italian) Blancah offers customers carte blanche, a white space where they can be whoever the want and find their own identity. We will offer a wide and different range of styles, from sustainable flip flops by Carlotha Ray and the ultra feminine Francesco Russo shoes to the cool unisex chain loafers by JW Anderson.”
Will exclusives be an important element for the platform?
FD: “We are working on exclusives with both our licensed brands and our own brands F_WD and Carlotha Ray.”
Who operates the back-end technology of the site?
FD: “We’re using the platform Shopify. The Canadian e-commerce has been one of the pandemic’s big winners.”
OLG is something of a unicorn in the fashion world. Basically a one-stop shop, it manages the production and distribution of mainly accessories alongside some ready-to-wear for a growing portfolio of big name brands: J.W. Anderson, Proenza Schouler, Rochas, Brock Collection, Joseph, See by Chloé, Francesco Russo, Samuele Failli and Maria Luca. It has just announced a licensing deal with Elie Saab. It also owns footwear labels Carlotha Ray and F_WD.
The group itself is owned by Japanese parent, Onward Kashiyama, which also owns factories in Tuscany and the northern Italian shoe district of Brenta which means everything can be produced in-house too.
As well as showrooms based in Milan, Paris, New York and Tokyo, it also operates two physical boutiques in Milan on via Sant’Andrea and in Paris on Rue de Grenelle.
Another arm of the business is the virtual showroom it runs in partnership with NuOrder. The business to business platform digitally showcases all the group’s brands. Each has its own dedicated section expressing identity and inspirations.
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.