Vena Cava to Redesign, Launch E-Commerce, Expand Blog

Vena Cava

Designers Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock's Web site, venacavanyc.com, will have a whole new look -- and URL -- come Tuesday. In addition to dropping the "nyc" at the end of its current web address, a facelift and a relaunched blog, an e-commerce shop will be stocked with pieces from the spring 2011 collection and the secondary Viva Vena line.

To Design

It's been our blog that's helped us to reach and connect with our audience. It's become an ongoing mood board that lets people know about Vena Cava's 'world' outside of fashion. It's allowed us to articulate our own little culture and connect with people who may not find us in their local town, Mayock told WWD.

Launch E-Commerce

The design duo tapped Launch Collective to help with the overhaul of the site, and designer Lydia Turner worked closely with the two to achieve the desired aesthetic and overall look of the site. "All of us did a lot of independent research in order to figure out what we loved and didn't love about other Web sites, and what we could do to give ours the handmade, not-too-slick feel that our collection is known for," Mayock said.They ended up using collages and colorful backdrops, and dissected everything -- from the visual elements to the functionality of the site -- to make the redesign feel like their own.

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Other new features include a "Vibes" tab where pals of Buhai and Mayock will model and style apparel from the current collection (including accessory and reading suggestions), and there's also a virtual "Garage Sale" section of the site, a portal for the two to sell nonapparel, one-of-a-kind objects and trinkets.

Vena Cava To Redesign

Originally, we wanted to have a real garage sale but we were lazy, so last summer we decided to have an online one instead. It was essentially our own curated eBay, Buhai said, adding that the success of this project (all 60 items sold out in two days) is what convinced the duo to initially delve into e-commerce. 

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It ended up being such a strong branding tool -- and so fun collecting so many treasures -- that we thought it should be a permanent feature on our e-commerce site.