Celebrity endorsement and branding has fuelled our obssession with everything designer, but not all of us can afford it. Yet all that is about to change, thanks to an award winning website, as Rosamund Jones-Griffiths finds out... As the epitomy of everything designer, Selfridges has just celebrated its first birthday and they may want to retrospectively analyse their first year as one of the biggest retailers in the new Bullring shopping mall, an attraction that has earned Birmingham its latest accolade as the new shopping capital of Europe. In such a short space of time Selfridges have made many alterations to its stock, having been introduced to a very different consumer to that of their London and Manchester stores. As a city our shopping habits have proved to be very label orientated. Unfortunately where there is a designer label, there is also a price tag to match. A desire to buy into a lifestyle similar to that of the Beckhams and Kate Moss has led to a rise in the popularity of designer labels such as Dolce and Gabbana, Christian Dior and Moschino, to name but a few.
 As well as the exclusivity surrounding these labels, the focus and praise showered on those celebrities who continually appear to reinvent themselves as stylish individuals places yet more expectations on us to emulate them. All very good if you have plenty of time and money, but lets be honest how many people do you know able to pop into town on a Saturday to pick up a little Gucci number and a matching pair of Choos? However there may be a solution. Internet based fashion company ASOS, or As Seen On Screen, as it was formerly known, is now in its fourth year of trading as a dotcom. The company aims to supply celebrity inspired fashion at an affordable price. Since its advent, ASOS has won a number of awards and in 2003 was regularly featured in the top five web clothing stores, as decided by Hitwise - an online service that compares ASOS with its competitors. The praise that the website has received is easy to understand. Once on the website there are a number of different sections to choose from, the main two being mens and womenswear.
 All areas of fashion clothing, accessories and footwear are covered with a common theme - they have all been seen on a celebrity at some point. Not all of the items are exactly the same but they are an extremely good match.
 The items are often designer brands and diffusion equivalents, however they are increasingly fashion items that have never been seen before, such as the I snogged the drummer slogan vest worn by Abi Titmus, designed by Smashing Grandpa, a label whose profile has been raised due to effectively free celebrity advertising. The entire site contains fashion related items similar to that, or the same as those sported by celebrities such as the Beckhams, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Robbie Williams and Vernon Kay. The female celebrities also have pages entirely devoted to their style.
 The Victoria Beckham page has an entire capsule wardrobe consisting of identical pink Birkenstock sandals, worn recently by the former Spice Girl, a variety of denim, trucker caps, sunglasses, trucker caps, a variety of slogan T-shirts that Mrs Beckham has made so popular recently and even a range of cosmetics. Theres a huge choice that starts from as little as £5 up to £40 for a pair of jeans.
 Popular labels often seen on ASOS include Playboy, Lipsy, Religion, Technics and KSwiss. Selecting an item for closer inspection you are treated to a 360º preview and zoom option. The selected garment or accessory is also accompanied by some styling help. ASOS keeps a record of any other products purchased along with the selected item. Clicking on the Ruched Smock Top, inspired by Jude Laws new partner, actress Sienna Miller, the site recommends a pair of green vintage drop earrings, as seen on popstar Javine and a pair of skinny fit jeans, inspired by American actress Cameron Diaz. Even for the eternally hopeless, fashionably challenged amongst us, the foolproof guidelines of the ASOS website can become a positive fountain of fashion inspiration and cheap chic. It is doubtful that this site will suit everybody, however for those wanting to recreate the designer look, or merely like the look of something different but dont want to use half their wages to achieve a fashion conscious look, then ASOS, and other websites alike, seem the ideal solution. www.asos.com | 
With over 550 city centre stores, each categorised by location and specialty, our shopping directory will help you make the most of your trip into the city.
We also have all the details of the latest offers and events at your favourite city stores.