Since Natalie Massanet founded net-a-porter more than a decade ago, internet shopping for fashion has grown exponentially.
In the US last year, internet sales for clothing and accessories made up 14 per cent of the US$173 billion Americans spent online, according to Forrester Research.
While online sales in Asia are smaller, they are growing steadily. Ruder & Finn's Luxury Forecast 2010 revealed more than half the consumers surveyed in the Greater China region were willing to purchase online.
But with most fashion brands available on the net, navigating cyberspace has become a more complex task. The result is the launch of a host of intermediary websites which are designed to allow shoppers to streamline the process of online purchasing; whether it's navigating 100 boutiques simultaneously or finding a pair of limited-edition Louboutins.
One of the most popular sites is shopstyle.com, a search engine devoted to fashion. Users can refine their search by designer, brand, store, sales items, price point or colour. In addition to apparel, the site covers categories such as homewares.
For lesser known brands and designers, Farfetch.com brings together items from independent boutiques, including cult stores L'Eclaireur in Paris and Feathers in London. These specialise in niche brands across categories such as Luxe (designer wares), Lab (experimental designers) and Cult (diffusion lines). Among the brands included are Azzedine Alaia, Carven and Rick Owens.