Can technology bring back the fashion boutique experience? This startup thinks so.
The last 20 years of the internet have been all about the consolidation of e-commerce. Amazon controls everything today, as they’ve built a $500B behemoth. A little-known fact is that Amazon has also quietly built a $30B advertising business, as they charge brands for the privilege of showing up higher in Amazon’s search results.
Meanwhile Shein, with their mobile-app-only shopping, is doing $10B/year in sales and valued at more than H&M and Zara combined.
In summary, it’s been a great time for Amazon, Shein, and Walmart.com but not such a great time for consumers who want the personalized experience of a fashion boutique. Also, it’s definitely not been a good time for small independent fashion brands who struggle for exposure in a world where Amazon controls everything.
Maison Orient, a new startup in Istanbul and NYC, is changing that. For consumers, Maison Orient provides the experience of a fashion boutique, with products and collections carefully curated by the company’s founders and a level of personalized experience that is rare in today’s world of giant e-commerce. And for independent brands, Maison Orient provides access to new markets with better brand exposure and better margins than is possible selling through the e-commerce retail giants.
There is much being written in 2022 about how we’re entering “web3”, a new era on the web where the pendulum swings back toward empowering smaller merchants and individual consumers. Maison Orient is a shining example of that trend, using new technologies to create a fashion tech platform that delivers the boutique experience favored by consumers and fashion brands alike.
Maison Orient will be presenting this week at Demo Day for the 4thly Startup Accelerator.
