Monday, November 22, 2010

comparing and contrasting fashion websites

Every company has a company culture and a unique “personality,” if you will. This persona often comes through in a company’s website. Fashion companies are no different from this. The more different the two companies, the more different their websites would be. Two fashion companies that fit this example of being at opposite ends of the spectrum are Chanel and Deb shops.


Chanel is located at chanel.com. Their website reflects their personality. Like many luxury brands, the site uses dark colors and luxurious images. The backdrop is black. Their tabs are labeled: Chanel News, fashion, accessories, fragrance, make up, skincare, fine Jewelry and watches. Above these tabs are videos that begin to travel in luxurious homes. One scene is a glamorous winding stairwell. There are two scenes that seem to be a living room. One actually looks like it could be a patio. Finally, there is a scene that moves over their store. You see the European looking building with an awning that prominently displays the name, “Chanel.” There are no prices on the home page. One has to dig to find the prices that do exist and are only for certain products on the Chanel site. The mood is clear. This is a brand for the upper crust.

Deb Shops, on the other hand, conveys a different mood, to go with their image. They can be found at: debshops.com. Their home page is bright with a white backdrop. There are three alternating photos on their home page. One of the photos shows some regular girls gathered together in Deb clothes outside having fun. Another shows two girls dressed up in some of Deb’s affordable formal attire (less than $100 for a homecoming dress). Finally, the third scene in the rotation shows some products, they are jewelry, socks and shoes. On this website, the pictures that come up are stationary, as opposed to Chanel’s site where the scenes had a camera moving through them. Also, on the Deb website, the prices are prominently displayed. Deb uses pink to accent their white website. There is no mistaking; Deb is for the girly girl. They are especially for girls in their teens and twenties. Their website reflects this by feeling young.

As we have seen, the luxurious Chanel website is dark and sleek with a rich feel to reflect their prices and high-end image. They sell to both genders and on their website, no gender identity communicated. Deb Shops has a website that feels young and feminine, like their customers. They communicate their prices clearly for their value-oriented consumer. These two websites are worlds away from each other, just as the stores behind them.

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