Nicole Dee’s recent blog on the online fashion company Moda Operandi caught my eye, as I agree with Nicole that it occupies a so far untapped niche in the fashion industry.  Many fashion designers create haute couture lines that are sent down the runaway as well as corresponding ready-to-wear lines that then become available to consumers, but Moda Operandi allows women to order straight from the runway collection, something the fashion industry is yet to see.  This business is highly customized, in that the customer reviews the “Trunk Show” within three days of the actual fashion show and picks from the collection what they want; the designer then produces only the pieces that are ordered, most of which will never reach stores.  Moda Operandi has taken over a spot in supply chain operations by facilitating the delivery of fashion from the manufacturer directly to the consumer.  Although this company will only appeal to a very specific consumer, with over 50 thousand women already in their customer base that are willing to spend big money to receive exclusive products from 57 successful, globally known fashion designers, Moda Operandi is definitely on the fast track to raking in some major profits.

Moda Operandi Co-Founders

It can be debated that a company’s brand is potentially the most valuable asset it has.  Perhaps one of the best examples of this would be credited to Apple.  With the value of their brand increasing by fifty eight percent in the last year alone, Apple has clearly proved why it deserves to be number 8 on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands list.  With a sense of innovation distinct in the electronics industry, Apple occupies a broad niche that
consumers seem to be flocking to.  This could in large part be due to their constant evolution of their products; each time Apple launches a new generation of one of their products, people are still responsive because they identify with the older version but still covet the new features that are added. For example, the iPhone 4 was nearly identical to the iPhone 3GS, the improvements including a longer battery life, higher megapixel camera and the introduction of FaceTime technology, however the demand for the newer product was so high that it was crashing pre-order websites.  Through their constant innovation and knowledge of consumer wants, Apple has grown into a worldwide brand that consumers everywhere have come to covet.