In-circle perks: Gilt Groupe and Koodos

You, my friends, don't deserve this:
I've effected one massive blunder and I'm left thinking of how to make it up to you.
[Cue: Excuses]
...Okay, seriously, it's just that the phenomenon was launched during my "pre-travels" Christmas season i.e., toward the end of November. At the time, my mind was constantly occupied with one item or the other on my ten ft. long shopping list (I could've given ol' St. Nick a run for his cookies, or mince pies.) So I created a post that's remained a draft until my glimpsing it a few minutes ago. [End Scene]

What??
What am I blabbering on about??
Essentially, the GILT GROUPE founded by fashion merchandising twosome Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. It's the premier (U.S) online 'invitation-only' destination for hard-to-imagine-you'd-ever-be-getting-a-piece-of-the-action designer sample sales!! Since I got invited last November when the Groupe debuted, there've been gloriously tempting sales from Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Marchesa, Sari Gueron, Kwiat!!!! And at upto 70% off!! Joy!! For true fashion aficionados (and bargain delighters, like myself), it's an act of divine intervention in the simplest form. I mean I don't know about you, but have you ever been to a Kwiat Sample Sale??!!

Imran Amed of the Business of Fashion reviews his interview with Rachel Wolkowitz, Gilt Groupe's Director of Marketing & Communications to understand the platform of this service. In the second portion of his series titled, "The Art of the Private Sale," Amed publishes his interview with the CEO, Miriam Lahage, of London's heralded koodos.com (March 2007)—at which I'm also registered :). I'd actually joined koodos.com much earlier in the year, last year, and completely forgotten about it. So sad. I really need to organize my online bookmarks!! This second online port is not so snotty as to require an invitation-only basis for joining. J/K, I'm not implying Gilt does snotty. Well, they do actually, it's the whole point; but, it's not a bad thing, so gyrlies please don't go revoking my digital carte blanche to the sales. I'd die. Koodos.com offers a yummy 'general' sales section from top (European) designers in addition to the 'private sales,' that take place on specific days as listed on their sales calendar; as does Gilt Groupe. Gilt does not offer a 'general' always-on-sale section; it lists the upcoming sales and sends an email to their members' inboxes each week introducing the sales of the week, usually about three per week. On each sale day, members get another email reminder at noon (used to be ten am!!, noon's so much better) when the sale starts. Some are one-day sales, others run a few days. Koodos operates in much the same manner.

About a week ago, WWD reported Gilt's novel partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Do you know what this mean??!! I suggest you visit the CFDA webbie and check out the sheer number of member designers!! I've already invited some of my friends to Gilt, I get credited 25 bucks for each referred friend's first purchase. If I haven't sent you an invite, let me know, it only skipped my mind. I apologize sincerely. With Koodos, when you do refer a refer you (and your friend) get £5 each to spend; that's per friend referred. My only sadness concerning Koodos is the d*mn exchange rate and the recessed American economy!! Perhaps, sadder is the fact that I'ven't bought anything on either website yet; I was just being selfless *bashful eyes* you see... christmas shopping for my parents and everyone else in the previous months required constantly going into the shoppes and not waiting for specific sales.

Anyway, to make up for my shocking absent-mindedness, I'm referring the next few email-subscribed readers of my memoirs who request an invitation by "email"; 'few' because I need to ascertain any associated legal connotations with doing so.







Again forgive me.
Huge kisses and truffles.
(R.I.P. Heath Ledger)