Two new sites are launching this week, and both come from parent companies with formidable fashion cred. First off is Nowness.com, not yet open to the public. Backed by luxury firm LVMH, the new online project (which I first mentioned in December) is a mutli-media, cultural catalog. I got a sneak peek today and the real highlight of the site is it's 'choose your adventure' type of navigation; except here, audiences can choose whether they 'love' or 'don't love' a certain article, and a new selection of content will arise based on your tastes. The layout--pretty minimalist and punctuated by large photos--is especially eye-pleasing. And the subject matter (from Agyness Deyn's screen debut in a 12-minute film noir and contemporary art exhibitions to Balzac's A Treatise on Elegant Living) was pretty on the mark for anyone who aspires to cultural cognoscenti-dom. The best news: subscription to become an 'insider' is free.

The second site, Couturious, launches tomorrow and is an entirely different kind of fashion site. Directed at designer fashion loving female consumers, the site allows its audiences to moonlight as Rachel Zoe. Much like predecessor Polyvore, Couturious is centered around allowing users the chance to virtually style wardrobes and then to share those looks via profile pages. What sets the stylist-cum-social network porthole apart, however, is its 3-D models and photorealistic representation of clothing and mannequin alike. And, upping the site's sartorial cachet, Couturious has partnered with the likes of Alice + Olivia, Cynthia Rowley, Charlotte Ronson, Tibi, Tory Burch and Yigal Azrouel.

Couturious will exclusively feature wares from the 6 labels' Fall 2010 shows (although at launch the site will only have Spring 2010). Part of Like.com's virtual umbrella (which recently acquired Weardrobe.com, which gives clothing recommendations complete with shopping links based on street style shots), Couturious is definitely striking its niche while the iron is hot. Whether either of the two new launches will soon become household names remains to be seen.