I have to admit, I’ve been holding out on you. One of my favorite sites for the past few months has been Of A Kind. The site features limited editions of cool, fashion-forward apparel and accessories from up and coming designers. Each “edition release†is truly limited — sometimes just a handful, sometimes a few dozen of each item is available. It’s a new kind of flash sale — one that kinda I wanted to keep for myself so I’d have a better shot at scoring that cute pair of earrings or fabulous wallet. But this secret was just too good to keep, particularly because it meets many Millennial ideals when it comes to shopping and buying.
So far, from the description above, you’d probably classify Of A Kind as a clothing and accessories shopping site, but it’s so much more — and it’s those extra touches that make it so successful with Millennial fashionistas. Each edition release comes with a full profile of the designer(s), from where they get their inspiration to where they source materials to where they work.
With Gilt Groupe laying off staffers and closing offices, it seemed like flash sale sites might be going the way of the dodo. Gilt fans have been complaining for a while now that they don’t know the designers featured on the site anymore — it used to be Valentino and Missoni, and now it’s Karen Zambos and Miguelina (who?). Of course, they’ve probably never heard of the brands on Of A Kind either, but the site graciously introduces them to the designers and clues them in to what’s hot right now. It feeds Millennials’ need to be in the know about the next big thing so they can be the first to tell their friends.
And to further help Millennials stay in-the-know, the site is also part fashion blog, highlighting “Stuff We Love.†We love that this section keeps us on top of trends and tells us where to score other “it†items. Between the regular editions and style news, this is one powerful fashion resource. What’s more, the items on the site — both for sale and featured products — range widely in price. Some are very affordable, some are splurges for special items, so there’s a little something for everyone.
There’s also the social/global responsibility angle that appeals to young shoppers. Whenever the designers or brands are involved in social issues, the site specifically highlights their efforts. For many designers, that includes paying fair wages to impoverished workers or getting involved the communities where they source their leathers, silks, and other materials, and for other designers it means supporting causes that matter to them, like fighting the sex trade in third world countries. Millennials like to feel their helping others with their purchases and making socially responsible decisions.
We think Of A Kind is a great site to follow both for fashion trends, and also for understanding how to target Millennials. Just don’t buy up all the editions — I still have some shopping to do!
