Ex-Zappos Leaders Launch Fairejour, a Thoughtful Online Retail Experience
March 7, 2013 – What do you do with over ten years of combined experience at one of the world’s most outstanding online retailers? If you’re Lianna Shen and Alex Kirmse, you do it all over again, but with a twist.
“This is a different kind of retail,” said Shen, Co-Founder and CEO of Fairejour.com. “A certain group of consumers out there are becoming more aware. They like to know where things are made, how they are made, and who makes them. That is our market.”
Just over a month in business, the site now houses nearly 30 independent labels from 9 different cities around the world. Much of what Fairejour curates is unique, one-of-a-kind, locally made, ethical, eco-friendly, etc. But that’s really just icing on the cake.
“Our collection is of the highest quality and design standard, made by people who truly love their craft. And that’s the most important thing,” said Shen.
The husband and wife couple left mass-market retailer Zappos.com at the end of 2012 – he formerly headed the mobile, front-end development, and user experience teams and she, the VIP.Zappos.com loyalty platform – to pursue a dream of “thoughtful products, seeing the world and collecting beautiful things.”
“The products speak for themselves,” said Kirmse, Co-Founder and CXO of the website’s clean, straightforward design. “Before we bring any designer or product on board we ask ourselves if it fits the thoughtful, extraordinary standards we aim to represent. We touch, feel and try on every single product, and even model many of the products ourselves.”
The site features an array of products, from ethically handmade Brazilian shoes to locally-made upcycled wood installation lighting pieces, as well as of-the-moment fashion pieces in limited runs from independent designers in U.S.A., Canada and the U.K.
Fairejour.com is a tightly curated, non mass-market experience.
“We’re not trying to be everything to everyone,” added Shen. “But for those who are looking for this kind of experience – we hope they love it as much as we do.”