Designers Climb On The Virtual Catwalk

At first, Yves Saint Laurent didn't want anything to do with the Internet. The French designer feared that putting his extravagantly detailed, hand-sewn collections online would degrade his elite image and permit counterfeiters to spy on next year's styles. But now Saint Laurent realizes there's more opportunity than danger on the Web. Like his decision to make off-the-rack clothes in the 1960s, the Net will let him reach far more people. "I was the first French designer to open a pret-a-porter boutique," says Saint Laurent. "The Internet allows me to make my creations accessible to everyone." He has launched his own site, begun broadcasting his couture shows live on the Net, and is considering selling accessories online.

The oh-so fashionably late fashion designers are finally embracing the Web, and that could end up revolutionizing both the clothing business and e-commerce. Up until now, most retailing on the Net has been about slashing overhead to offer lots of no-frills products at cut-rate prices. Not any more: New, mostly European companies are out to prove that cybershoppers are as willing to buy haute couture as hot CDs.