You too can buy next season today

1/4
10 April 2012

Cast your mind back to 2009, when life was simple.

Shopping involved matching your wardrobe to the weather. In autumn we bought chunky sweaters and ski socks, while in spring our vice was flirty frocks and sunhats.

Those days are over: the fashion season is dead.

High-end style enthusiasts, dissatisfied with the autumn/winter collections currently available, are already buying up next summer's offerings at speed. While celebrities with friends in high places are used to getting their hands on the next big thing as soon as it leaves the catwalk, the rest of us are champions of the waiting game.

This autumn, however, a growing number of websites are transforming the way we shop. Leading the revolution is New York-based fashion e-tailor Moda Operandi. Hailed as "fashion's fairy godmother" by American Vogue, the site's co-founder Aslaug Magnusdottir offers her customers the chance to shop the collections of selected designers less than 48 hours after they appear on the runway.

Similarly, Burberry - a leader in fashion's digital age - has designed a "Buy the Runway" facility for its iPad app which allows a select group of customers to purchase outfits as they watch the show.

While this premature approach does have its limitations - not everyone wants to buy a bikini in December - its appeal for fashion circles is obvious: there is nothing more infuriating than the sight of something you can't have.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in