NEW YORK, Sep 5, 2010 / — The newest membership to hit cyberspace, I-ELLA.com (www.I-ELLA.com) launches Sep 9th.
An invite-only online marketplace to buy, borrow, swap and sell, I-ELLA is like Gilt-meets-Ebay with a charity component.
Whitney Port and Veronica Webb will kick off the site by opening their closets and donating pieces to be sold on I-ELLA with proceeds benefiting their primary charities. Mary Alice Stephenson, Amanda Ross and many more notable fashionistas are signed up too.
I-ELLA.com is the brainchild of Ella Gorgla. Originally from Monrovia, Liberia, Gorgla is a graduate of the Columbia Business School and London Business School with studies at Yale.
She is on a mission to have companies donate 10 percent of top line revenue to charitable programs and is using her own site as an example. I-ELLA hits a nerve with the recession weary consumer who wants a new fashion piece to refresh a wardrobe and is pleased to join a fashion community to shop, borrow or swap while doing good.
How It Works
Buy/Sell:
Seller indicates actual retail price (even if item was purchased on sale). I-ELLA suggests a 35-40 percent discount over retail, but seller ultimately sets price. Seller keeps 90 percent of buy price. I-ELLA keeps ten percent of transaction (whereas most consignment shops keep at least 25 percent). I-ELLA donates ten percent of their fee to one of three charities selected by the buyer. The good news – for VIP clients, the I-ELLA team will pick up items from you.
Borrow:
Items can be borrowed for one week or one month intervals. The lender sets the price. When the item is borrowed, I-ELLA keeps a ten percent transaction fee and ten percent of that fee is donated to a charity selected by the borrower.
Swap:
Items can be swapped for a flat fee of five dollars per item per user (regardless of the item value). Ten percent of the five dollar fee is donated to one of three charities selected by recipient.
Insider’s Closet
I-ELLA also features celebrity auctions. Each celebrity pulls together their most-loved pieces and gives history for each. Users then bid on items during a two-day auction, with proceeds benefitting the celebrity’s charity of choice. Stars have the opportunity to share their love of fashion with fans while promoting a good cause. In addition to celebrities, fashion industry veterans from editors to stylists and even socials will have the opportunity to sell their pieces and promote their causes as well.
Shop + Give
Every time a consumer shops on I-ELLA, a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to various charitable and social ventures selected by I-ELLA’s editorial team. Users have the option to direct proceeds from each transaction fee to one of three charities selected each month.
We invite you to sign up at http://www.i-ella.com