Virtual gem of a business model
Hong Kong-born model and television star Amber Atherton is relaunching her online jewellery business with a stronger social media focus. 'I am relentless with work. If I didn't need to sleep, I wouldn't. I want to be constantly going,' says the 20-year-old about her online business, MyFlashTrash.com.
On the surface, Atherton is a typical, ambitious Hong Kong expat. Daughter of a Cathay Pacific pilot, born at the Matilda Hospital, she lived in Discovery Bay, Sai Kung, and Pok Fu Lam, and spent her teenage years at boarding school. She has that privileged expat worldliness and love of shopping, but that's where the 'typical' part of Atherton ends.
Wide-eyed innocence, freckles, heart-shaped face: Atherton is reminiscent of a Caucasian Devon Aoki. But don't let her youth fool you. She has spoken at conferences on new media, is co-designing a fine jewellery line, is studying Brand Management at the London College of Fashion, and her own jewellery collection, Typhoon Palace, hits Hong Kong's Harvey Nichols in September. The London It girl's business has grown into a successful online portal for eclectic jewellery designers and customers, with all labels hand-picked by Atherton from around the world.
Her British television debut was on NBC-owned programme Made in Chelsea, sold as a 'scripted' reality version of Gossip Girl. With the show set to go stateside, Atherton's career is at a major turning point. 'They wanted to pigeon-hole us as rich girls doing nothing,' she laughs. 'They don't film as much real life stuff as I'd like, like me going to business meetings... so the public will have the perception we are these brunching, shopping tai-tais in Chelsea!'
Young labels like Yuen and Sophie Breitmeyer have received international exposure thanks in part to exposure on Atherton's site, and Atherton has collaborated with 2010 New Jewellery Designer of the Year Alexander Davis. Traffic on MyFlashTrash is hitting about 25,000 visitors a month, with sales every day. 'We have such an international fan base - it's exciting for me to see FlashTrash as a global brand.'
Atherton says that the strength of her e-commerce model is a focus on social retail and marketing. 'We have a really interactive platform: a magazine, blog, MyFlashTrash TV, social media - [there's] a real community feel.'