High end merchandise store coming locally for the 1%
 

Just heard about this from a friend and thought I'd share! Anyone here already on their list? :okay:

Exclusive clientele pay thousands to browse high-end merchandise

http://www.canada.com/life/6628944.bin

Vancouver's one per cent have a new place to spend their millions.


Starting Wednesday, wealthy members of Colton's Personal Couture will pay $25,000 upfront to shop the couture brands by appointment in a private showroom stocked with their favourite luxury labels. Of the annual fee, $7,500 goes to membership dues, and the $17,500 balance is store credit. "Fashion confidantes" will guide them toward clothes and accessories that look classy and tasteful, and that suit their lifestyle.


More than 400 people, culled from the client lists of private bankers and luxury car dealers, have already expressed interest in the concept.


But at first, the club — Owned by Howard Colton — will only accept 200 clients, gradually increasing to 400 as they iron out new-business kinks.


It will primarily cater to the Asian population which, as Colton said, love brands and love to shop, but can benefit from the guidance of fashion experts.


Even the super-rich need help navigating trends and putting together a personal style, Colton said, adding that he believes $25,000 isn't a barrier for the clientele he will serve.


The establishment of the club — which also provides clients with a personal limousine service so they can travel to and from the showroom — indicates the changing retail landscape of the city. Twenty-five years ago, Leone was the only luxury brand store in Metro Vancouver. But in recent years, Tiffany, Coach, Hermes and The Room at the Bay have opened to cater to the high-end consumer.


As the principle partner and luxury Italian supplier of the online retailer BlueFly.com, Colton has well-established connections to European design houses. But this is not another BlueFly.com, he said. He wanted to create a new business that has a more personal touch.


"I wanted to do it in a more bespoke kind of way," he said, emphasizing that this is not a typical retail shopping experience.


"We don't want 5,000 people to come through every day like Holt Renfrew, Leone or Boboli. We want one-on-one. And that we should become their fashion confidantes."


Colton also understands that even the very rich love a deal. So his mark-up is lower than usual. He'll make his money on the membership fees.


The club is in a Richmond, B.C. penthouse that Colton has transformed into a luxurious personal fashion showroom. Chandeliers adorn every room and it boasts over $500,000 in merchandise, including unique Alexander McQueen clutches and a $50,000 handbag by Hermes.


Wearing his limited edition $60,000 Frank Muller watch, jeans and patent red shoes, Colton proudly showed off his space. He pointed out the zebra wood cabinet in the men's department in which all the drawers are lined with suede and Tom Ford and Etro hang on the custom-made hangers. The women's area boasts a small shoe section and lots of wonderful bags by Miu Miu, Prada, Gucci and Balenciaga. The clothing range will expand as they come to know their clients' sizes and preferences, he said. When a client visits, his or her preferred brands will be displayed.


"We dress the showroom according to the preferences of the client but we will try to nudge them a little sideways."


Yvette Cartier, a resident of New York and Montreal, heard about the club from a friend. An investment banker, she describes herself as a "big shopper who likes select merchandise."


"I am not a Holt Renfrew shopper," she said. "I shop abroad to buy every season, but it can be difficult because sometimes what I want is sold out."


She said she was very impressed with the merchandise she saw at Colton's. "It was very edited and very beautiful." Cartier spent her full store credit in one visit and said she would do it again. She doesn't care if she gets a discount. She just wants the goods.


Vancouver Sun


kgram@vancouversun.com

The ballers have a new store to get fashion advice and designer threads.

Why would asians spend their money here? Selection in Vancouver is not great relative to close-by cities like LA, or Vegas which would have way more selection.

The one good thing from this: It could help the rich, yet classless. AKA mainlanders.

money cant buy class, but now it can! :fullofwin:

More like 0.02% if it's 400 potential clients out of 2M+ population in GVRD.

:lol

Uhm...... did somethign change in the business laws in Richmond?

Last time I checked, you weren't allowed to run a business from a residence in Richmond, how can he get away with doing this out of a condo penthouse?

writers a hack, referring to the 1%

Might as well just delete the fashion for sale sub-forum.

we already have stores offering silly prices on merchandise and if you want to get better furniture than that you get custom work done.... and in those shops the attendants are extremely helpful and if that isn't good enough you can hire personal shoppers/assistants that will do the same... and if that isn't enough you're extremely wealthy and you would have a personal tailor as well as shop @ whatever designers own office where only select clients get to go to


So this guys so called couture store is simply trying to money grab from some unsuspecting idiots with too much money.... no wonder he's targeting new money

(interesting that article doesn't support commenting...)

if i was vain and rich enough id just spend the 25k on a personal stylist that can source the same shit for me. prolly 1/4 of the price too. or id just get a couple of high end hookers to go shopping with

Coltons Personal Couture

penthouse my ass, it's just a regular office building. Gonna be fun to see clai's crashing into luxury cars as they flock to Kirin on weekends. :lawl:

Interesting concept. But I doubt it'll fly in a small town like Vancouver. The really rich can simply go to Europe directly every season. What's the credential of this Colton guy? Is he some well-known stylist or something? Are his advice really worth the coin?

Yea, it's not like everyone that is super-rich wants this type of service. Only if you need to be eye candy to your clients or in need of screaming Benjamins over Confidence.

in b4 w6sta

it won't fly here. The rich come here to diversify their real estate holdings mainly for the good of the children. There can be no bragging rights telling their friends they bought their stuff at a high end store in Vancouver when everyone else has roots in Vancouver as well. Would you rather tell your friends you bought it at the XYZ store in Vancouver or you flew out to Europe and purchased during a shopping trip?

Rich mainlanders are fun to be around once in a while if you enjoy spending money frivolously. They only do it to show off, you can't show off to your friends if no one else can enter into the store.

Dude did you not read the article? He's was wearing his limited edition $60,000 Frank Muller watch, jeans and patent red shoes. With style like that I would gladly pay anything to shop at his store. :suspicious:

When I saw 1%, I thought of OMCs.

Dude will be out of business within 2 months and good like going up against online retailers from Italy who not only sell designer labels that are marked down by 20% compared to high end retailers in North America, they also get all the new stuff for the current season before most of the stores.

Everyone knows you go to BoysCo for the coolest clothing, and satchels.

Shopping is not convenient in Vancouver so buisnesses like that have a good chance to succeed

someone quick! go tell him that he just made a big mistake!

Did a quick search and there was no Colton in China; should've just opened there, Beijing & Shanghai

Also whats the point so spending 25k if you cant show it off. He needs to make some kind of crest or badge to put on clothes so every one will know.

1. Build a high end shop in a penthouse.
2. Sign up a bunch of people at 25K each.
3. Hide the money
4.Declare bankruptcy.
Seems like a good plan to me. If he sells 200 memberships that's 5 million right there. If he was serious he would not take all the membership money up front.