I must confess, my experience with mail order catalogues is a little sketchy. Having lived in one city or another, there never was the need to use them but I understand for many people, they are lifesavers. As online shopping begins to erode the need for mail order, La Redoute, the French mail order company has reaped the benefits. As well as being pioneers of chic clothing available via mail order (if you’ve seen some of the other mail order catalogue horrors, you’ll appreciate La Redoute even more!), they were one of the first people to collaborate with big designers like we have seen other high street retailers do in recent years. The amazing rollcall of names include Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, Viktor & Rolf (yes, H&M did not get there first) and Azzedine Alaia. You may have read about Sophia Kokosalaki’s collaboration with La Redoute (stock arrives in 4 weeks!). The prices varies between £55 and £115 so it is not exactly dirt cheap but Kokosalaki suggests that the quality is not at all shoddy.
"I was so impressed- not only with the quality, but also how quickly they ‘got’ the design. I’d ask "can you do something like this?" and, a week later, they would have made it in exactly the right fabric."
Looking at the collection, you can see subtle hints of Kokosalaki’s trademarks and attributes but combined with wearable clothing that would appeal to a wide range of people, which is ultimately La Redoute’s aim.
Then there’s the longtime partnership with Cacharel that’s always very cute fun and affordable. Again, it seems like Cacharel’s own design quality is not sacrificed.
Furthermore, whenever I browse La Redoute, it almost always shocks me how many designers they have partnered up with, designers that aren’t household names but there they are! Gaspard Yurkievich, Tsumori Chisato and Christian Wijnants to name a few. The other thing that surprises me is the lack of press or attention which can only be a good thing for us shoppers who don’t have to face the ‘Sorry this item is not available’ block message (Target is guilty of this). In the same way that Topshop discreetly partnered up with Peter Jensens, Jens Laugesen and also Sophia Kokosalaki, with these La Redoute collections, we get the chance to actually buy the garments rather than have thousands of people succumbing to press hype and creating a needless shambolic mess.
(Gaspard Yurkievich dress and shoes, Tsumori Chisato top, Christian Wijnants dress)
Ultimately what I’m saying is, La Redoute is going about the designer-high street collaboration in the right way and long may they continue if they keep on choosing the kind of designers they have been going for.
I like Redoute clothing and have ordered from them before, but the combination of super-low prices and manufacturing in China makes me wonder if sweatshop labor is involved. Does anyone know how to check on this?
(Sorry this is such a long post and maybe a little out of the topic)
Well, I guess this entry is not as much advertisement for La Redoute as a statement that they’ve been working with designers for long -but I really can’t remain silent, that would be like watching somebody with high cholesterol drink oil and not saying a word.
First let me state that I like the clothes at La Redoute: nice, affordable, sometimes edgy, what more can a girl ask for ? And there is also the fact that by shopping online, you save lots of time.
Actually, I probably like these clothes a little too much for my own good… which would explain why I have more than one scary story about ordering on La Redoute.
To make it short, let’s say that it’s not nice and convenient anymore if you’re not getting what you’ve ordered (and paid for) -not ever. Which seems to happen quite frequently with la Redoute.
Usually it goes like that : after 5 weeks, you’ll realize you didn’t receive anything. Then, you’ll check your order online and be told : a- they don’t have half of what you ordered anymore b- your order is in a dispatching center, it’s been there for 4 weeks c- they’ve taken the money d- oh no wait ! your order has been sent !
Now you could try and call, but everytime you manage to talk to somebody, you’ll get a different person who’ll say something different to you.
That’s how the most gorgeous coat (it was a Cacharel one) ever got by me last year, and how they ‘lost’ TWICE my order (they sent it twice, they said) in February.
That’s why in France, many people will tell you that it’s way safer to go and shop directly at the La Redoute shops -funny for something that started as an order catalogue, no ?
Oh my god what scary stories! I was OBSESSED with that Cacharel coat too – was it the multicoloured woven tweedy one?
Jesus…had no idea what horrors you have to go through! OK…. to be fair, I have ordered once or twice and experienced no problems. I gather they ship from a UK warehouse here so at least I’m not waiting for something to come from France and it’s always arrived a-ok.
So sorry for your bad experience with them but you understand that I wasn’t advertising La Redoute – just trying to point out how these designer collaborations go under the radar a bit.
La Redoute’s service can be questionable at times (their US distribution is handled by Lane Bryant or something like that), but having ordered several Vanessa Bruno pieces last year along with a bunch of their house brand stuff, I was very satisfied with their product and love their collaborations with designers – much more so than the much media-hyped others. Definitely looking forward to the Kokosalaki collection, and her collection with Nine West too! I wrote a post a while ago about these designer/mass retailer collaborations and totally agree that La Redoute’s partnerships go under the radar – but perhaps all that will change…
Yes, cheap prices and production in developing countries go hand in hand as well as the always lurking questions about working conditions and quality. Unless something is really awesome I try my best to refrain from purchasing purchasing items made where factory conditions are said to be sub-standard.
La Redoute’s definitely the Topshop of catalogues/online shopping – you’ve got the basics, trend-driven stuff, and slightly pricier amazing designer collaborations. The Viktor & Rolf shirt I bought a few seasons ago is my pride and joy: fantastic cut, an edgy twist on a classic. This season, I only wish I was a Kokosalaki sort of girl… But everyone’s right about the ordering, it is a bit shambolic (although it used to be worse). Just placed a £200 order so we’ll see how that goes…
i was glad to see this post,i have been ordering from la redoute for years and love them! that being said, i have to chime in to say i’ve had at least two bad experiences with service…and i have never been satisfied with the quality of their non-designer shoes…
I’ve had a couple inconveniences ordering from La Redoute, but I will say that, growing up in the midwest, I really liked having La Redoute available. A buckle recently fell off of a well-loved brushed cotton skirt with finger pleats and buckles on the sides that I got from them, and even though I haven’t found a way to fix it yet, I’m still hoping–the skirt really is that cute.
I have been a long time fan of La Redoute. They’re my favorite “catalogue” type online store. I have that Tsumori Chisato top actually! I just recv’d it two days ago. I utterly and completely adore it, and can’t believe I only paid $50 for a TC top.