
Anyone who remembers the 1980s knows how pervasive the Esprit brand was at the time. It was one of the iconic brands of the period; a department store mainstay that morphed into a catalog powerhouse and pioneered the "superstore" concept. Its imagery, mostly by photographer Oliviero Toscani, was pervasive, and its "real people" advertising campaign was innovative, but after the turn of the decade, its American business faded away after the collapse of its founders' marriage.
Now with overseas ownership, Esprit has returned to reclaim its place in the American market, and though the new store on Fifth Avenue between 48th and 49th streets is already its fourth in Manhattan, it is by far the most prominent, located on the city's busiest shopping stretch.
We would like to say that it is a triumphant return, and though the famous logo remains intact, the product has lost some of its vitality in the intervening years. To their credit, the company has kept prices in check at a level comparable to Banana Republic or J.Crew. Its not that the merchandise is a disaster - far from it. The brand's once powerful style signature, however has been diluted to a vaguely trendy genericism which may prove commercially viable, but may not capture the market as it had in the past.
What can we say? We were looking for something we hadn't seen before to set them apart and didn't find it. We did find some cute well priced clothes for men and women in the mix, and if they can find a stronger fashion image they may yet find themselves the center of attention again.
The '80s are coming back after all.
Esprit 600 Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Midtown