Two Los Angeles entrepreneurs have launched a video-first e-commerce fashion website they expect to be ahead of the curve when it comes to managing and selling merchandise to Gen Z shoppers.
It will have streaming video to sell products, take care of orders and shipping, help designers source product and corral their product lifecycle management. Accessible at Viavia.live, the platform features brands including Lioness, Oval Square, Gramicci, Slvrlake, Sami Miró Vintage, Jeantrix and Adrian Cashmere. Also, Viavia’s own private-label collection will be featured.
“We are launching with over 60 global brands for our fall/winter,” said Sixuan Li, the company’s chief executive who cofounded Viavia with her husband, Andrea Pasinetti. “And we aspire to carry hundreds of brands.”
She said fashion retail is undergoing a radical transformation, and Viavia wants to be at the forefront of this new transformation. “Legacy wholesale retail platforms are grappling with a change in consumer behavior as the next generation is becoming more engaged and leaning on video for product and trend insights. Authentic creator-led, video-first content is simply not how legacy players are used to engaging with their customers.”
Viavia’s multichannel approach includes a variety of sales outlets, with a focus on social commerce. The idea is that its international network of ambassadors and hosts, which includes creators and stylists, assemble short-form videos and conduct live streams from cities all around the globe.
In addition, Viavia is helping manage the back end of businesses. Brands can access Viavia’s supply chain and product management tool, called Alma. It is an AI-powered system that assists brands with identifying and managing global suppliers, reducing expenses and decreasing production lead times. “Alma continues to be the largest value-added,” Li noted. “It’s a tech solution to build and manage future-proof supply chains for brands.”
