The Shophound

COLLABORATON ANTICIPATION: Macy's Next Capsule Comes from Calvin Klein... Who Already Sells To Macy's

Macy's designer collaboration program has taken an odd twist with the announcement that Calvin Klein will be the next label to join forces with the immense retailer.
Wait, doesn't Macy's stock racks and racks of Calvin Klein in its stores already?
Yes and no.

While the roster of designers who have participated in Macy's capsule collections over the past year has mostly been made up of designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Alberta Ferretti and Giambattista Valli among others whose price points are well above the chain's moderate parameters, this capsule of dresses (sketches are pictured above) will be from the brand's Francisco Costa designed Collection division. Costa's work usually features price tags running as much as ten times this line's $135 to $180 price points. In addition, this project appears to be separate from Macy's previous collaboration program which has been done as part of the store's Impulse contemporary department. This special line will be presented as part of the upcoming storewide promotion, “A Magical Journey to Brasil”. The Brazilian-born Costa will be representing his home country, and WWD reports that the labels and hangtags will read "Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein" marking the first time the designer's name has been featured next to Calvin Klein's in this way.

The rest of the brand's products won't be left out of the mix, however. Kevin Carrigan, who oversees the rest of Calvin Klein's non-Collection lines, will be creating exclusive products for men and women under the brand's moderately priced main label and underwear lines.

The promotion which begins next month will feature exclusive Brazilian and Brazilian-inspired products throughout the store over the course of two months in a manner reminiscent of country-specific promotions that were a regular feature at Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus in decades past. Costa's dresses will be released on May 15th.

Francisco Costa to Do Calvin Klein Capsule Line for Macy's (WWD)

How Much Will It Cost To Make-Over Macy's Herald Square? Only $400 Million.

In what has to be the most overdue move in retail, Macy's has announced that its iconic Herald Square flagship is about to undergo a top to bottom renovation over the course of four years that will cost $400 Million. Do we even need to say "It's about time"?

WWD reports that the project will add another 100,000 square feet to "The World's Largest Store" bringing its total up to 1.2 million square feet. So the renovation won't make the store any less overwhelming, but it will hopefully make it easier and more pleasant to shop. Plans include new, more upscale restaurants and cafés throughout the store and a women's shoe department expected to be the world's largest that will display 300,000 styles at a time. Louis Vuitton's leased shop, one of the luxury brand's most productive, will be remodeled and expanded, and the store expects to add a hall of "two-to-three-level" luxury handbag and shoe designers. Does that mean we will see Gucci and Prada in Macy's sometime soon? We're not holding our breath on that, but the total price tag of the renovation is expected to soar above the $400 million level as the store will call on vendors and designers to help foot the bill for the construction of their new in-store boutiques.

Other changes will include a huge expansion of menswear over seven floors on the store's Seventh Avenue side from its current five, a total overhaul of the 8th and 9th floor home furnishings departments, a reconfiguration of the Cellar housewares department and a restoration of the store's exterior among many other planned renovations. Perhaps the most important element of the project, however is the upgrading of the building's complex infrastructure systems with new, more efficient technology. Shoppers may remember the store being evacuated and shut down on occasion in recent years due to electrical fires and other system malfunctions. The famous wooden escalators will be preserved, though they are thought by many to be hazards that have caused injuries. One of them will be dismantled to provide parts for repairs of the remaining units.

Most importantly, we hope the McDonald's and Starbucks concessions will be allowed to remain in the store, because even after a renovation, Macy's will probably still be exhausting to shop. Who won't need a Big Mac or a Frappucino to keep their energy up?

Macy's Plots $400M Herald Square Revamp By David Moin (WWD)

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Macy's Taps Doo.Ri For The Next Impulse Line

Macy's has been parsing out information about its designer collaboration lineup, but couldn't have better timing for its latest announcement. Doo.Ri, who just received a nice publicity boost for designing Michele Obabma's most recent state dinner gown, will create an exclusive collection for the department store's contemporary Impulse department. The line will focus on designer Doo-Ri Chung's signature draped jerseys, and will appear in 225 Macy's stores on February 25th for an eight-week run at prices ranging from $39 to $159.

Target's recent Missoni extravaganza shows that consumers are in no way tired of designer collaborations —as long as it is the right designer. Macy's is winding down a high profile line by Karl Lagerfeld, and Doo.Ri will follow one from Giambattista Valli which launches next week to sell through the holidays. Macy's officials seem to have more in store for the series of collaborations, but they are keeping their cards close to the vest. Unlike Lagerfeld and Valli before her, there was little going through the rumor mill about a Doo.Ri line for Macy's. The designer tells WWD, “The customer is very different from whom we’ve catered to before, but I really didn’t have to adapt. Macy’s wanted to keep the design level high. I didn’t feel the challenge was very different,”

Doo-Ri Chung Next Up for Macy's (WWD)

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Lagerfeld's Macy's Line Comes Into Focus

The first images from Karl Lagerfeld's upcoming collaboration with Macy's Impulse department have been released through WWD today. Though it's hard to imagine that the famous multitasker would have one extra second for another project, the sketches pictured above are unmistakably from Lagerfeld's hand. Additionally, the August issue of Vogue shot one of the dresses on flame haired actress Deborah Ann Woll (that's True Blood's baby vampire Jessica to you). The folks at Fashionologie have generously scanned the page for everyone showing a dress reportedly inspired by the designer's work for Chloé in the 1970s.

The 45 piece line is expected to become available at the end of August in 235 of Macy’s more than 800 stores, and on macys.com. Items will range in price from $50 to $170, averaging around $100 (thought the dress photographed for Vogue is listed at $309 —a mistake?). Lagerfeld follows Kinder Aggugini and Matthew Williamson in the department store's new collaboration program with an unconfirmed collection from Giambattista Valli expected next, For Holiday selling, all four designers are reported to be creating exclusive gift items for the store.

Of Macy's, Lagerfeld tells WWD, “It’s the perfect department store in the U.S., where everybody can find what they’re looking for without ruining their budget.” Never mind that Bergdorf's, Saks and Neiman Marcus sell heaps of Chanel and Fendi, his big day jobs, Macy's is his favorite —this week, anyway.

Macy's Is Lagerfeld's Latest Fashion Project by David Moin and Miles Socha (WWD)
A First Look at Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's (Fashionologie)

 

Macy's Reaches Deal With Union Averts Walkout

It looks like Macy's Herald Square will be spared the indignity of a strike. Though the deadline passed last night, Macy's management and Local 1-S of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union continued negotiating and have reached an agreement which will be voted on by employees today. No details of the deal have been released. Employees had already voted to authorize a strike if necessary, but it seems likely that shoppers will not be faced with picket lines at the landmark department store when they show up for one-day sales.

Macy’s Reaches Tentative Deal With Union (WWD)
Previously:
Is Macy's Looking At Labor Troubles? (6-8-2011)

Is Macy's Looking At Labor Troubles?

While not all of New York City's immense department stores are unionized, Macy's, the world's largest, is, and the five-year contract covering its nearly 4,000 area workers expires next week. They should be bracing for a tumultuous negotiation. Crain's reports that today's visitors the Herald Square flagship store will find workers protesting proposed cuts in scheduling and benefits just as the company has announced increased same-store sales and a fivefold increase in first quarter earnings. Workers are arguing that further profit increases shouldn't be pursued at their expense and that they should be sharing in the store's success instead of losing work hours, overtime and other benefits. Macy's management is expected to defend their demands by pointing to a murky economic future and sharply rising apparel prices which could affect business in the immediate future. It all sounds like a potential PR nightmare that could tarnish the store's reputation with the kind of nickel and diming usually associated with discount chains like Walmart.

Will we see picket lines in front of local Macy's stores? Workers, who are represented by Local 1-S of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union are expected to vote this weekend on whether or not their union should authorize a strike. Today's rally is expected to include Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio whose planned speeches could draw more public attention to the impending contract re-negotiations. Job growth in the retail sector has been among the city's strongest over the past year, and yet it is also the city's second lowest paid. Crain's quotes the president of Local 1-S, Ken Bordieri, as alleging that some of Macy' workers are on food stamps and living in homeless shelters. Demands for wage increases have not been well received by management, but if that is the case, it could go a long way toward explaining why service at Macy's can sometimes be, shall we say, underwhelming?

Macy's Employees Prepare To Protest By Daniel Massey and Adrianne Pasquarelli (Crain's)

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Macy's Launching Matthew Williamson Collaboration In April

Macy's is escalating its focus on its contmporary "Impulse" department with a collaboration with British designer Matthew Williamson. the collection will "capture the essence of the mainline brand, with a focus on effortless glamour; dynamic prints; loosely structured silhouettes, and pops of strong color,” according to the designer, so you should expect a bright and cheery, salable line. So far this season they have had a pop-up shop for Bar III, their new private label, and a collaboration line for the less well known London designer Kinder Aggugini.

The 225 select Macy's locations that currently have Impulse departments will debut the collection on April 13th and will rage in price from $50 for a blouse up to $300 for leather pieces —which is really more in the realm of fast-fashion prices than contemporary. In fact, you wouldn't be far off base in comparing Macy's efforts more to a store like H&M than Scoop or Intermix. Not only did Williamson do a similar type of collection for the Swedish retailer a couple of years ago, but the next designer on deck for this series of collaborations is widely credited with starting the whole designer capsule collection mania —none other than Karl Lagerfeld himself.

Williamson's line will be promoted with a ad campaign starring model Dree Hemingway that breaks next week, and its worth noting that the little known Aggugini was well publicized with an extensive outdoor poster campaign in New York. After Lagerfeld, there will be one more designer collaboration released for Summer that has yet to be announced, so if you have given up Macy's in favor of the many other options that have appeared, the department store giant is working hard to get you to take a new look.

Matthew Williamson to Do Macy's Line (WWD)

COLLABORATION ANTICIPATION: Macy's To Announce Collaborations With Unknown Designers Plus, Levi's, Pendleton, Lacoste & Earnest Sewn Team Up

There are several reasons to create a collaboration collection: to create a customer and media frenzy (LANVIN ♥ H&M, Liberty for Target), to attract the young, hip customers who follow up and coming designers (ADAM for Mango, UNIQLO's Designers Invitation lines with Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Tim Hamilton etc.), or to use one's own young, hip customers add excitement to classic brands (Opening Ceremony X Pendleton, Levi's, Timberland etc.) to name just a few.

Macy's is getting serious about the practice, and The New York Times tells us that it is about to announce a new line featuring London designer Kinder Aggugini (at left).

Yeah, we don't know who he is either.

Normally, we would be cheering the 800-pound gorilla retailer for using its might to promote emerging talent, execpt that its recent co-branded line with the designers of Ruffian didn't appear to cause much of a stir. Will Macy's make the effort and investment necessary to make the unknown Aggugini stand out among the store's cavalcade of national brands and proprietary labels? Hopefully the retailer has learned from experience. The young designer will stay within his own wheelhouse and create a line reminiscent of his women's collection found in exclusive stores like SoHo's IF and Chicago's Ikram. It will be sold in the trendy Impulse department and retail from $50 to $300 when it is launched in February. No other designers have been announced, but the capsule collections will reportedly be available for two months, after which point another designer's collection will take its place.

Aggugini was about as surprised as you probably are to discover that he would be working with Macy's, telling the Times, “I thought maybe they wanted me to go to the parade. I thought, ‘Oh, there’s going to be a Kinder balloon!’ ”

In other collaboration news, venerable American brands Levi Strauss and Pendleton are teaming up for a collection that will appear in their own stores and online this November. Is it a coincidence that both have recently worked with Opening Ceremony on capsule collections? Probably not, though both brands have been enthusiastically collaborating with all sorts of other labels lately.

Additionally, Lacoste and Earnest Sewn will also be joining forces for co-branded denim and polo shirt collections launching in March. The collections, designed to increase each company's credibility in the other's area of expertise, will be available exclusively in each brand's own stores, and has no expiration date.

Front Row: Macy’s Gets Fast Fashion By Eric Wilson (NYTimes)
Levi's Launches Pendleton Line, Lacoste, Earnest Sewn Partner on Denim and Polos (WWD)
Previously:
Collaboration Collapse: Ruffian's Macy's Label Hits The Clearance Rack

TODAY IN CELEBRITY: Madonna Returns To The Racks

As has been rumored, Madonna will be hitting Macy's later this year with a juniors line produced in partnership with fashion conglomerate Iconix Brand Group Inc. After testing the waters with a collection for H&M a few years ago, the singer has created a joint venture with Iconix to develop apparel and lifestyle collections under her name. The initial line will be called Material Girl and inspired by her own 13-year old daughter Lourdes.
Just a little on the nose, you think? Well, subtlety has never been one of the things Madonna has been celebrated for. Although the tidal wave of celebrity-driven fashion lines seems to have long since crested (even J.Lo has put her clothing lines "on hold") Madonna wouldn't be one to let something like mere trends stand in her way, and her business savvy is not to be underestimated.
We should probably be relieved that the singer has joined forces with a reasonably respectable firm like Iconix, since reports were flying around about a year ago that she had made a deal with the creepy Ed Hardy mastermind Christian Audigier to launch a clothing line. Thankfully, nothing has come of that, but prepare for a publicity blitz to hit us around back-to-school time when Material Girl is set to be launched.
Truly A Material Girl: Madonna, Iconix Form Fashion Joint Venture (WWD)

Liz Claiborne Follow Up: Macy's Is An 800 Pound Gorilla

Of course, this headline isn't really news to anybody, but reading WWD's more detailed report this morning on the shift of the Liz Claiborne label to a JCPenney exclusive brand, one thing is clear: The decision was all about Macy's.
The failure of the relaunched line to gain traction at the behemoth department store chain sealed its fate, regardless of how it may have been selling in other stores like Dillard's or BonTon.
The article suggest that Claiborne executives were having difficulty getting the label into Macy's most favorable locations despite a large presence in the Herald Square Flagship. “You make your money in 20 percent of the doors and we weren’t in them,” Liz Claiborne CEO William L. McComb tells the publication. Without Macy's support, there was no possible future for the brand as a stand-alone business, and so the decision to make a deal with JCPenney was the only option for keeping the label alive. Penney's agreement includes an option to buy the Liz Claiborne name outright after five years, and the retailer will now replace its existing Liz & Co. and Concepts by Claiborne menswear branded lines with the Liz Claiborne and Claiborne labels.
While Isaac Mizrahi's association with the name will continue via an exclusive arrangement with QVC, the Claiborne by John Bartlett menswear label will be folded, and we don't yet know if the Spring 2010 collection he showed last month will be produced at all. Macy's was particularly resistant to carrying this line despite strong reviews from the press and the few customers who could get their hands on it, and only carried a small selection online.
As for Macy's, they don't seem to sorry to see the line go, having signed an exclusive deal themselves this week to take the famous Ellen Tracy brand from the bridge down to the moderate department, and it is expected that the label will take up most of the lost Claiborne space and then some. Today's Macy's is actually comprised of the remnants of more than 60 local, regional and national department store chains (seriously, we counted them one day when we had too much time on our hands), and the Claiborne news proves in the most high profile way that without their support, there is no future for any major moderate-level brand.
New Life for Liz: Claiborne Goes Exclusive to Penney’s, QVC (WWD)
Breaking: Claiborne by John Bartlett to Close (RACKED)