The Shophound

OVER AND OUT: Betsey Johnson Schedules A Final Liquidation Sale This Weekend

It's been a rough few months for veteran designer Betsey Johnson whose ongoing business troubles over the past couple of years has ultimately brought her to a liquidation of her business and left her trademarks in the hands of Steve Madden and a group of licensees. Though there is no shortage of good will in the industry for the preternaturally energetic, cartwheeling character whose influential career stretches back to the 1960s, the cheering crowds at her seasonal runway romps haven't been followed up by customers at her stores, lately. In fact, the common refrain when news of her liquidation hit the industry was something along the lines of, "I love Betsey! She's so great ...but I never wear her clothes."

Well, as such things will do in the industry, her business is closing with big liquidation sales in her stores that began over the weekend, but that's not all. Starting this Friday through Monday, her company will be holding a special Liquidation Sample Sale at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in Times Square which will presumably include whatever apparel and accessories are left in Johnson's warehouses at up to 80% off "and more" as they say. Click for a view of the official flyer after the jump.

It's not completely the end for Betsey, as Madden and licensees will continue to offer products with her label at wholesale, and Johnson and a few design staffers will remain to offer creative direction, but it looks like we have seen the last of her Fashion Week extravaganzas —which, it must be said, haven't changed much in the 20 years or so since The Shophound attended our first one.
Maybe that was the problem.

Betsey Johnson Liquidation Sample Sale
10 AM to 9 PM, Friday, May 18th - Sunday the 21st
Millennium Broadway Hotel, 6th floor
145 West 44th Street between Broadway & Sixth Avenue, Times Square
See flyer after the jump

AND WE'RE DONE: Say Goodbye To ESPRIT

About 5 years ago, Esprit tried to stage its own little '80s revival by opening a suite of prominent stores in Manhattan in efforts to revive its fortunes in its original home country of the U.S. Unfortunately, despite the brand's continuing success in overseas, it didn't do too well at enticing American shoppers of what had once been an exciting, groundbreaking brand a quarter of a decade earlier. A few months ago, Esprit announced that it would be closing its remaining New York stores with the exception of its Rockefeller Center flagship. Though the units at Columbus Circle and on 34th street would be gone, the one store would remain in hopes of eventually igniting interest. The New York Post is reporting, however, that the Fifth Avenue store will be shuttered as well, as soon as this week. So, goodbye Esprit. You... well, you probably won't be missed that much, but it was a good try. This leaves a sizable 14,000 square feet for the taking on a prime stretch of Fifth Avenue, so keep an eye on that spot for what will hopefully be a terrific store, but will definitely be one with deep pockets.

Rock Center Esprit no more (NYPost)
Previously:
The '80s are Back: Esprit Coming to Rockefeller Center (4.27.2007)

SLIMMING DOWN: UWS Says Goodbye To A Gap

That highly desirable corner store at Broadway and 86th Street used to be a Gap until earlier this month. As a part of efforts to trim underperforming locations announced last year, it was closed along with a few other Manhattan locations which smacked of 10 years ago, when the mega-chain also corrected an overexpansion in the city that seemed to put a Gap on nearly every other corner. This particular store was one which many observers predicted would be shuttered due to its strange layout, and we can tell you from our own observations that it was not a particularly well designed store that probably should have been closed in any event —or at least gutted and completely redesigned.

One thing we can remember, however, is way back when the Gap was a great place to shop no matter how many branches sprung up about the city. Hopefully some of the new creative management at the company will be able to rejuvenate the chain which has held up poorly after the onslaught of H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and any number of other fast-fashion chains that have proliferated over the past 10 years.

This closing leaves only one Gap left on the Upper West Side on Broadway near Lincoln Center which is currently undergoing a long-running renovation that has left it covered in plywood even as it continues to operate. Hopefully, this means an exciting new redesign is in the works and maybe a rebirth for a battered but not quite beaten retail icon.

NEW YEARS BLUES: Stealthy Closures Mark The End Of 2011 UPDATED

The past season has seen better fortunes for big luxury stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus even as the economy trudges along. it also brought a uptick in retail rents that has seen several stores forced to shutter or relocate to more affordable locations. Neighborhood stalwarts like the Upper West Side's Therapie multi-purpose beauty/variety store, and the popular branch of Gourmet Garage at Broadway and 96th Street were both turned out of their homes before the end of the year due to rising rents.

Less explicit circumstances have also been unkind to smaller, independent designers who have shut their doors. We already mentioned that veteran designer Jackie Rogers has closed her Madison Avenue shop where she has had a retail presence for decades. Relative newcomer Lisa Perry charmed the press with her swinging sixties mod dresses reminiscent of Courrèges, Mary Quant and Rudi Gernreich, and found a fan in the unexpectedly daringly dressed "Today" show host Ann Curry, but apparently it wasn't enough to keep her Madison Avenue store from its current empty state*. Now the folks at Racked tell us that youg up and coming designer Carlos Campos has closed his Orchard Street boutique after a scant few months in business. Apparently, there was even a big bunch of legal papers stuck on the door indicating several thousand dollars worth of overdue rent.
Awkward.

Time was when opening a modest shop in an up-and-coming neighborhood was a great way to develop a fashion label by providing a showplace for a designer's collection and getting instant feedback from customers, but the New York gentrification cycle has become so accelerated that the worthy smaller players that make a shopping area interesting are shut out. Campos is not listed as exhibiting in the upcoming Menswear trade shows Capsule and Project as he has in the past, so we hope this doesn't mean that his line has shut down completely, but if he has hit a few more bumps in the road than he can handle, we hope hw gets back on his feet soon.

*UPDATE:
Good news from the folks at Lisa Perry who have gone out of their way to let us know that things are actually going very well and her shop is only taking a few months off. She will be moving her new shop a few doors away to 988 Madison Avenue at the corner of 77th Street in April, so you can add her name to the list of stores that are merely relocating on Madison in 2012.

Carlos Campos Abruptly Shutters on Orchard (Racked)

NEW YEAR'S TRIM-DOWN: Tommy Hilfiger Ditches His SoHo Flagship

Sometimes it's hard to tell what's going on with Tommy Hilfiger's brand. It has had a rocky history, but with a lucrative exclusive deal with Macy's and a new arrangement with Italian luxury manufacturer Itierre to fully produce his Simon Spurr and Peter Som designed signature runway collections (possibly for the first time), Hilfiger seems to be on the upswing. Despite some dodgy attempts to broaden his appeal, like the failed "Tommy" contemporary line that briefly took over his Bleecker Street shop, he seems to be on his way to rivaling Calvin Klein to be the top jewel in parent company PVH's crown. That's why it was a little surprising to see his extravagant flagship boutique on the corner of West Broadway and Broome Street shuttered not for renovations, but for good.

Why, exactly? Presumably, the store was not pulling its considerable weight which is surprising in tourist-heavy SoHo. Perhaps the designer's large Hilfiger Denim store on Broadway, which remains open along with the rest of his New York locations, was pulling business away from the main store, but some official explanation will probably be forthcoming shortly.

It's not that it will be terribly missed by locals. Originally designed to blend with SoHo's distinctive, historic cast-iron architecture, the building was roundly criticized for being a ersatz, Disney-style imitation which emphasized rather than obscured its newness. Eventually, Hilfiger painted the entire building a dark charcoal gray to minimize its sore-thumb qualities. Now the question is, who will take over the sizable multi-level retail space, and will whoever it is invest in an exterior remodel to distance themselves from the previous occupant?

LIQUIDATION ALERT: So Where's The Sale?

Since Syms and Filene's Basement announced their joint liquidation last week, lots of sale-minded folks have been poised to attack the stores the minute the final clearances start.... except they don't seem to be happening just yet.

Our guess is that it's because this Chapter 11 bankruptcy included a voluntary liquidaton plan. Syms Corp. decided to close down itself, after previous bankruptcies at Filene's Basement which it purchased, rather than having a court decide for them what would happen. This way, we are guessing, the company has more control over when and how it will close down. Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Retail Partners have been hired to conduct the sales, and earlier reports indicated that the closing sales will begin just before Black Friday, so look for them to start in about a week and a half or so.

Will you want to go? It's not as if you will miss them. The company's stores will likely be plastered with neon-bright Going-Out-Of-Business posters. Imagine the crush of people looking for discounts on already discounted merchandise during the Holiday season. Will you want to endure that? If you already shop there regularly, then you probably do, but off-price shopping is usually a hit-or-miss proposition at best, so think about the time and effort involved vs. the likelihood of finding something you actually want. Remember, these stores are going out of business for a reason.

Previously:
Liquidation Alert: Say Goodbye To Syms & Filene's Basement

LIQUIDATION ALERT: Say Goodbye To Syms & Filene's Basement

Syms Corp. and its subsidiary Filene’s Basement have filed a Chaper 11 Bankruptcy petition in Delaware indicating the company's intention to voluntarily liquidate its assets including its 46 stores. That means that the recently merged stores and their decision to combine their brands has failed.

Once a pioneer in the off-price business, Syms failed in recent years to keep up with fast-growing competitors like TJMaxx and it's related chains as well as flash sites which made the fight for off-price goods to sell even harder. Plans for a combined Fifth Avenue flagship store at 44th Street were rumored to be canceled in recent weeks. The company's New York City stores on the Upper West Side, Union Square and the Financial District should be holding going-out-of-business sales starting before Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) that are expected to run through the Holiday Season, so if there's anything worthwhile left, expect a crush of crowds looking for reductions on already reduced goods.

Syms, Filene’s Basement File for Bankruptcy (Bloomberg)

DEATHWATCH: Steuben Calls It Quits Forever

The Shophound was surprised to see the windows of the Steuben store on Madison Avenue plastered with Final Sale signs, and when we walked into the store, there was the unmistakably mournful air of a once venerable and still well-admired company drawing its last breaths. A crestfallen salesperson told us that Steuben is not just closing the store, but shutting down its 108-year-old crystal and glass production entirely. Within a few weeks, it will be gone from the market completely, ending an era of fine crystal and art glass production in the United States. The Madison Avenue shop is its only freestanding store.

Owned for most of its existence by commercial glass giant Corning Inc., Steuben was nurtured to produce fine glass and crystal that could compete with legendary overseas brands like Baccarat and Waterford. Whether or not it was a big moneymaker for Corning, its quality and prestige were points of pride for the company which made enough money from Pyrex and Corningware to support an artisanal division that represented the finest America could offer. For generations, no upscale-minded home or bridal registry would be complete without at least one or two pieces of Steuben glass even if it was just an ashtray or paperweight. The name became a mainstay in luxury stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus, often presented in its own, pristine in-store boutiques which was uncommon for a crystal and glassware brand. The company's failure to keep up with changing tastes led it to fall out of favor by the time the 21st century began, and new corporate pressure to operate more profitably led to lower quality products that didn't help matters. In 2008, the brand was sold to retail conglomerate Schottenstein Stores Inc., who quietly chose to shut it down about six weeks ago. Though Corning has since reacquired the trademarks, and may rehire a few of the laid-off workers, it is not expected that it will start producing glassware under the name again.

The upside for collectors is that today's closeouts will become coveted collectors items before too long, especially if they came from Steuben's upstate New York factories. What's disappointing, though, is that at a time when luxury markets are again surging, and distinguished American clothing brands like Woolrich, L.L.Bean and Pendleton are being revamped and rediscovered by a younger generation, nobody can figure out how to preserve an iconic name like Steuben.

Steuben 667 Madison Avenue (at 61st Street)

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Blush Bows Out But Hangs In On Bleecker Street

Weekend visitors to Bleecker Street found one of the last remnants of the street's past as a neighborhood shopping street in the throes of closure. Blush, a women's boutique commonly described as "funky" is shutting down at 333 Bleecker Street between Christopher and West 10th Streets, but claims to be moving just across the street. What's remarkable is that while most of the independent boutiques that have been evacuated from their precious homes on Bleecker have never been heard from again, this one is relocating, apparently, on the same street. The fact that Blush has lasted as long as it has may be a result of a well-timed lease. In reading online reviews of the store, however, we discovered customers consistently describing the staff as "pushy". Surprisingly, this was not always a criticism (though it wasn't much of a compliment). Perhaps an aggressive sales staff is what an independent store needs to survive in such a valuable location.

Is Blush the kind of tenacious little store that will survive the street's transformation from neighborhood shopping to luxury? Time will tell, but its having found an alternate space on Bleecker speaks well for its survival. We're not exactly sure which space it is moving into, but the bigger question now is what big name (and it's sure to be a big name) will be moving into the prominent storefront at 333 Bleecker?

CLOSING NOTICES: John Bartlett Departs

Don't let us mislead you. John Bartlett the designer is still very much among us, but he has closed the West Village boutique that bears his name.

The Shophound wasn't aware that Bartlett has thrown in the retail towel earlier this month until yesterday when we took a leisurely wander through the Village to discover the windows of his boutique covered over not to protect it from hurricane winds, but in butcher's paper indicating that the store had been shuttered permanently. On the door, there was a letter from the designer explaining that while he will continue selling through his website and designing the John Bartlett/Consensus and John Bartlett/Statements collections for The Bon-Ton Stores Inc., he has decided to devote more of his time to animal protection and advocacy causes, particularly the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund.

Bartlett has been increasing his involvement with animal causes steadily over the years, frequently using his store to host weekend adoption events with the North Shore Animal League. Though he showed (and wore) leather pants at his Fall 2010 show, by the time the collection hit his store, he had sworn off all animal products and announced that he would not stage another runway show until he could produce a fully vegan line that met his exacting standards. Bartlett created the Tiny Tim Rescue Fund in honor and memory of his own three legged adopted dog who became well known to customers as a part of the designer's logo as well as a frequent resident of the store. The fund supports rescue groups that pull animals from high-risk/high-kill shelters and provide medical care and fostering in order to find permanent homes for them. The fund receives sponsorship from Bon-Ton as well as 10% of all profits from merchandise sold on the John Bartlett website.

As for us, we'll miss John Bartlett's store. The designer has been a great friend to The Shophound since we walked into the store shortly after it opened to find him manning the register himself, as he often did on weekends. To his great credit, he has always followed his instincts in a way that makes his work uncommonly personal as well as commercially appealing, and we fully expect to keep hearing plenty from him in the future even without a store.

John Bartlett (Official Site)
John Bartlett/Consensus and John Bartlett/Statements available at The Bon-Ton Stores Inc.

After the jump, Bartlett's store closing letter in its entirety