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Success for the ‘notonthehighstreet’ women
The Not Girls - Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish
The founders of Not on the High Street have enjoyed a successful first two years of trading, in which they have found themselves winners of numerous start-up awards. These accolades have included: Grazia O2 X regional winner 2007, Startups Women in Business; Young Guns 2008; HSBC Start-up Stars; Marie Claire 23 Women; Startups 100; The 50 Best E-Boutiques and MSN Best Shopping Website.
Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish have truly been unstoppable. Since launching in 2006, the site has grown from 100 businesses to over 750, selling everything from fashion to home ware, fragrances and jewellery. Funding has come first from Spark Ventures in 2007, and in August 2008, another 1 million pounds was raised from Venrex. At that time, the team was enforced with business development experts Giovanna Latimer and Serena Coulson, formerly of Advent. Founders and majority shareholders Tucker and Cornish built the site, driven by both a passion and a frustration.
Organic Laptop bag with charitable vision
Melania J:Tote
Christmas is almost upon us, and what better to ask for than a bag that is not only stylish but also kind to the environment and with the strength of an Ox to cart your technical world around with you. Each week I seem to come across interesting solutions to the same dilemmas, but with a sustainable twist and this week it is the turn of the gorgeous Melania laptop bag from J-Tote.
Grazia have raved about it and Shiny Shiny claim to have drooled over it. Made of organic brown leather, the Melania has a detachable padded strap - perfect to take the load of a laptop - and wooden handles for when you want a chic bag with the carrying capacity of a cruise liner.
Launch Blubangle: a different (rented) jewel every day of the week
black beauty
First came LOVEFiLM: for £3.91 you could pick 2 films a month from 65,000 titles, have it sent to your door and return it in a prepaid envelope. Now, launched by founder Cherie Lehman, we have Blu Bangle - an online store for the rental of high quality, high fashion jewellery where women can swap items as often as they like from the comfort of their own homes. Never again will you wear the same piece more than once.
The site is simple to use, allowing for jewellery to be browsed by type – bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and wedding pieces – and then by colour and gem. Search complete, favourite items are added (in order of preference) to a virtual jewellery box and a subscription level chosen. Read more
Luck has nothing to do with it- Van Leeuwen’s online adventures
Marianne van Leeuwen: founder of dutch price comparison site Miepkniep
It is a perfect morning in Amsterdam and sitting at a tiny bar table is a woman, Marianne van Leeuwen. Without saying a word, she radiates a playful energy coupled with an air of someone who seems to have it all. [You wonder to yourself at just why some people are so lucky?]
Marianne van Leeuwen has been on an online entrepreneurial adventure for the last 10 years. The founding of MiepKniep in 1998, the first Dutch price comparison website, was only the first chapter. Already though, it was evident from introducing a price comparison website to the Dutch culture in particular, a nation of traders over the centuries, that Marianne has a strength for good ideas. And running with them. Read more
Calypso Rose, entrepreneur with a social conscience, initiates Pocket the Problem project.
A truly inspiring project organized by young entrepreneur Calypso Rose, founder of CLIPPYKIT and by Make your Mark. Yesterday evening saw the opening of the exhibition in London at City Hall. ‘Pocket the Problem‘ is the project that was set up to enable girls to explore the concept of fashion with a social conscience. 650 girls, all aged 14-15, formed teams to come up with a unique design using the Clippykit Bag to raise money and awareness about an issue of importance to them. The winning design was about gun and knife crime.
Calypso Rose
Calypso Rose, only 27 years old, approached the Make your Mark foundation with her idea to tackle the negative image of teenagers and to assist teenagers in an entrepreneurial way with the Pocket the Problem project. Read more
Travel: Launch BAHighlife.com
This month saw the launch of the TRAVEL WEBSITE of British Airways. It’s the online version of articles which appear in High Life and Business Life, the magazines in the seat pockets of plane chairs.
BA
The site offers tips on the smartest restaurants, finest hotels and interesting cultural spots. For the busy business woman who wants to fit in a shopping spree, it features articles on ’speed shopping’ in Paris and ‘quick style counsel courses’ in Milan under its Fashion and Shopping per country section. Read more
Launch bikini website Habinki
Habinki Website
Chloe Holding, one of thenextweb and thenextwomen’s mentees, has defied the credit crunch and launched her website HABINKI. The website offers a range of custom-made bikinis and necklaces.
Chloe set up Habinki from a passion she had for travelling to exotic places and buying clothes, translating these interests into designing bikinis and sourcing manufacturing and ultimately setting up her own e- business in sexy, glamorous and flattering swimwear for women. Read more
Online show Viktor & Rolf
Victor&Rolf Spring 2009
For anyone who missed the Victor & Rolf exhibition at the Barbican Gallery in London, there is an online fashion show of their latest collection Spring 2009, as was just reported by Marketingfacts. Where you are able to purchase the clothes online, is however, not so clear. Net-a-porter is not the answer in this case. Click HERE to see the show online.
Launch: Girl Meets (i.e. rents) Dress
With the party season starting soon, Anna Bance, formerly a PR manager at Hermes, launched GIRLMEETSDRESS. The website lets you borrow…party!… and return the most beautiful party dresses. Labels include Chloe, Marlene Birger and Diane von Furstenberg. The lay-ouy of the website reminds us of NET-A-PORTER, but without the exorbitant prices.
Girlsmeetsdress browse page
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