Ever wonder about C. Wonder?

November 23, 2011

Ever wonder about C. Wonder?

I was flipping through the pages of a magazine this evening and saw a cute monogram belt buckle design for $50 from a brand I never heard of: C. Wonder. If you're smacking your forehead in disgust at how behind I am in fashion and retail news, I want you to know that I've been known to live under a rock. Your frustration is duly noted.

Back to the belt buckle. The price and design were too preppy to pass up so I immediately popped it into my search engine and BOOM - cwonder.com. And... no e-commerce! Initially, I was confused as the magazine clearly stated that the buckle could be purchased from the website but after digging a little deeper, I also found some other interesting tidbits. The private equity firm that owns the C. Wonder brand and concept is called J. Christopher Capital. It happens to be named after its founder, one Chris Burch. Yes, as in Tory Burch's co-founder and Tory's ex-husband Chris Burch. Looking at these C. Wonder designs and products, I get just the oddest sense of deja vu. Like I've been there, seen that, worn this brand before. Hmm, must just be me...

C. Wonder's angle is to target the customers who like the geometric, bright and funky TB / Kate Spade-esque designs but want to buy them at a lower price point. What do you ladies think? Is this a store you're definitely going to have to check out, especially once they start e-tailing in a month or two, do your loyalties lie with Tory, or are you sick of seeing these "prepster" type products everywhere? And if you've been to the store in Soho, please share!