The eight-month-old web retailer Moda Operandi is capitalizing on an untapped market segment of consumers who want pieces fresh off the runway.

Their business model involves an online Trunk Show, just days after a designer’s show, in which members – which currently number around 50,000 – can pre-order any piece from the collection. The designer produces the pieces to order and delivers them to Moda Operandi, which packages them and ships them to the customer.

Although this supply chain involves an intermediate step between supplier and consumer, it does involve the consumer placing orders which are fulfilled directly by the designer. This is advantageous because it allows consumers access to pieces which may have never been produced otherwise; and many pieces which do end up being sold in stores have their design “edited” to be more accessible, or are only sold in common sizes. Thus Moda Operandi provides a solution to a problem which has plagued both designers and consumers.

By offering their service online, Moda Operandi is jumping onto an e-commerce fashion bandwagon which is likely to grow. This medium is rich with opportunities such as Moda Operandi’s partnership with Vogue; now vogue.com‘s runway photos link to Moda Operandi’s site.