FashionJunkie.com Profiled on StyleSight.com!

In the shameless act of self-promotion, I thought I’d share the latest FashionJunkie.com press mention with everyone. Our friends at Stylesight.com, a leading online fashion trend forecasting service, profiled Fashion Junkie in a “Market Intelligence” news story. Check out the complete profile right after the Jump!

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FashionJunkie.com founder Fleischer says personal shopping service is on the rise, despite economic downturn
Posted On November 11, 2008 (1:38 pm)

imageDara Fleischer calls Fashion Junkie an “online style source for serial shoppers,” a business that would seem to be bracing for a severe downturn in today’s gloomy retail climate. But despite choppy retail waters, founder Dara Fleischer is finding that rather than shy away from spending, savvy consumers in search of smart investments are more prone to taking advantage of her services. “People are obviously shopping less, but people have to wake up and get dressed everyday so for me I’m always going to offer expert tips for looking and feeling your best,” Fleischer told Stylesight News in an interview. “People are always going to need that.”

Through blogs and emails from her website, FashionJunkie.com, subscribers can discover new ways to update and reinvent their wardrobes, knowledge that any shopper can build on for the cost of a personal shopping trip with Fleischer herself.

With the unemployment rate on the rise and the value of the U.S. dollar still waning against international currencies, it would be safe to assume that her personal shopping business is taking a hard hit. Instead, Fleischer has noticed an uptick in requests for advice on what to wear on job interviews, and says that her European clientele has also increased.

“I get a lot of European clients who want to get good, affordable clothes,” she said, adding that her tours can serve as a cost-friendly alternative to Broadway shows. Fleischer recommends that tourists looking to shop for bargains invest in one of Fashion Junkie’s tours, which in addition to her expert advice, can lead to discounts at some of her retail partners, which includes SoHo’s popular shoe boutique Te Casan.

Group walking tours range from $100 per person for a group of four to $125 per person for a group of two or three, while individual private tours run $275. All shopping tours are available any day of the week, last for four hours, are tailored to each client’s need, and promise a one-of-a-kind tour of Manhattan’s neighborhoods such as the Lower East Side, Nolita and the West Village.

Fleischer prides herself on taking clients to stores that are “off the beaten path” and aptly refers to shopping tours as “Shopping Safaris” on her website.

Perhaps the most widely-discussed development in fashion today, aside from the sinking economy and investors’ woes, is how the style of the new first lady, Michelle Obama, is impacting the consumer mindset. Fleischer says that the new first lady embodies the bargain and quality-seeking attitude that she encourages in her clients.

“She is a perfect example of mixing low end and high end designers,” Fleischer explained, citing Mrs. Obama’s popular J.Crew set on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and her election-night dress by American designer Narciso Rodriguez.

So what would this self-proclaimed fashion junkie recommend for fall?

“Color is so huge right now,” Fleischer says. “With the depressed economy everyone is wearing black, but I say ‘give your wardrobe a shot of color.’” Fleischer also recommends that women invest in lace-adorned shoes and handbags, menswear-inspired vests, or a leather motorcycle jacket.

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Filed: Interviews, News & Views, Press

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