It’s taken me a while to introduce you to the latest addition to the fashion world:  Moda Operandi.  The reason is simple:  most of the brands they feature are the designs you see walking down the runways during Fashion Week…meaning, pieces are all in the four-figure range.  And I know how you love it when I torment you with things none of us can reasonably have.

But, today, they’re featuring Issa…a brand that’s gained serious notoriety as a favorite of Kate Middleton, and which is actually not all that expensive.  Since I’m way, way too excited about the royal wedding (is anyone else considering staying up to watch, or is it just me?), the timing was just too good to be true.

Launched (in part) by Lauren Santo Domingo, a Vogue contributor, major socialite force, all-around extremely stylish individual, the MO concept is this:  they provide runway shots of every look from the most recent show of the designer they’re featuring, and subscribers (you have to be “admitted”…which cannot very hard, as evidenced by the fact that they let me in) have the opportunity to pre-order pieces from the coming collection.  So, for example, they recently featured Alexander Wang’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection – you could look at the runway looks and pre-order any pieces you wanted.  They place the order directly with the designer, and you get the pieces in fall when they launch.  In that world in which you’ll Just Die if you don’t get the coat you saw on the model in look 37 of the fall Valentino show, you can see how this would be useful.  Or if you were insanely rich, and would rather shop the looks from the comfort of your computer.  You know, either way.

Since they’re typically featuring the highest of high-end brands, I generally just look for curiosity’s sake – I always find it fascinating to see what runway pieces end up retailing for.  But today, they’re offering Issa – and it’s actually worth a look.  This designer is generally regarded as the DVF of the UK….so, lots of wrap-dresses and other extremely flattering wares.  And the prices are, well, splurges, but not inaccessibly so.  The dresses start in the $400 range.  And with soon-to-be-Princess Kate wearing Issa’s designs nonstop, I can promise you most of these styles will be gone the moment they hit the racks this fall.  So, pre-ordering may not be the worst idea.

I’m particularly palpitating over these two looks:

Printed v-neck jersey dress, $400; Red dress coat, $850

Both of them are sadly just barely within the grasp of reality, which makes them extremely dangerous.  Especially given the fact that you only put down a 50% deposit when ordering…so it’s sort of like EZ-Pay on QVC.

Some other pretties that are worth showing:

Three-fourths sleeve wool dress, $538; Boat neck dress, $588; Printed floor-length skirt, $625.

Oh, friends, I’m sorely tempted, I must confess…and this whole 50% deposit business isn’t helping.  (Hmm, surely I can come up with $600 by August…that’s easy, right?  I’ll just order, and deal with the reality later.)   Plus, an Issa dress would make a lovely consolation prize for not being invited to The Wedding…don’t you think?

If you want to join MO, let me know – I have a few invites to share.  Or, of course, you can complete their little questionnaire process, and most likely get in that way.  It does make for some beautifully torturous eye candy.