africhic.com Unveils African Designers to the World

Online, January 5, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Meet africhic.com, Africa's answer to net-a-porter. Launched in December 2009, this fashion site sells everything from chic evening wear and playful bold printed dresses to beaded necklaces and butter-soft leather handbags. A virtual catwalk on which a selection of hand-picked local designers can showcase their talent, it gives fashionistas all over the world the chance to buy designer fashion 100% made in Africa.

Sylvia Gruber has scoured the country for the most cutting edge creations so now, for the first time, the exciting offerings from Suzaan Heyns, Thula Sindi, Superella, Lalesso, Michelle Ludek, Nazir Mohammed, Missibaba, Urban Africa, Philippa Green and Ida Elsje can be found under one roof. Other designers from South Africa and the rest of the continent are set to follow.

Serving up a one-stop African fashion fix, various shopping options make the site easy to navigate. Categories such as the types of clothing (skirts, trousers, etc.) or the occasion to wear it to (Sunday Brunch, Saturday Night Fever, etc.), mean that its now easier than ever to find the perfect outfit, simply a click away.

With prices starting from R500 to R4,000 africhic.com offers both mid-level and high-end fashion - with many collections exclusive to africhic.com. With a loyalty system and regular specials it will also pay to shop on-line, and with a secure payment system, guaranteed 72 hour delivery, door to door and an 8-day return policy it's a safe as well as convenient way to shop.

But africhic.com is much more than just an e-boutique. Behind the virtual shop window there is an interactive browsing experience with backstage footage of the designers talking about their looks and inspiration. Shoppers are also invited to have their say by voting for their favourite designers and post reviews on outfits.

'In South Africa, accessibility of broadband spreads and more women crack the glass ceiling. Spare time has become one of our rarest commodities. On-line fashion retail is mammoth overseas and has revolutionized the way we shop - I strongly believe that the time has now come for South Africa to take off.' says Gruber.