Everybody’s talking about | Women in the middle

| Uncategorized

NEW YORK, United States and LONDON, United Kingdom - Some say that during a downturn, there is a flight to the high-end: buy fewer of the more expensive pieces that will stand the test of time and do away with impulse fashion purchases. There is also a rush to discounters: buy the same quantity of goods, but at lower prices which enables consumers to keep the newness factor, albeit at inferior levels of quality. Therefore, it is said, the middle market suffers. Whatever is the conventional wisdom, if recent moves by some of the industry's most successful fashion executives are any indication, there is a significant opportunity to be captured in the middle market, which has lagged in recent years.…

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Tory Burch: Targeting soccer moms and yummy mummies

| Uncategorized

A few weeks ago, Neri Karra, a professor at the London College of Fashion wrote to me to say she had included The Business of Fashion as part of the curriculum and recommended reading for both her Masters and Undergraduate students of fashion business strategy. Not only this, she kindly invited me to give a short talk to her some of her Master's students, and yesterday, my 30 minute chat turned into a 1.5 hour debate with some very passionate students from around the world, all of whom are interested in the fashion business.  I'd like to thank Neri and her students very much for welcoming me into their classroom and inspiring many so many new ideas for posts here…

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Rodeo and Robertson: Build it, and they will come

| Los Angeles

After having checked out some of the more up-and-coming areas of L.A, it was time to visit the king and queen of luxury and fashion here: Rodeo Drive and Robertson Boulevard. The most remarkable thing about both these streets is that the stores really are an extension of the brands themselves. In Paris, London and even New York, most brands are constrained by existing building facades and building codes which they must work around as they design their stores. In Los Angeles, it appears that the brands have complete freedom in design, and therefore, if done well, every aspect from the sparkling exteriors, the natural lighting, the size of logos outside the building, and even the dramatic entrances off the…

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Goyard and Tory Burch: 5th Avenue Styletribe, New York

New York | Paris

It is cliche to say that New Yorkers dress in uniform, but as with most cliches, there is a kernel of truth to this one that can't be denied. There is also no denying that New Yorkers are stylish, they just tend to be stylish in easily identifiable groups often associated with the areas in which they live and work, ie. Williamsburg hipsters in skinny jeans and hoodies, Wall Street bankers in Brooks Brothers and 5th Avenue ladies who lunch in Chanel. Sure, you could say the same is true for Londoners as there are trends that seem to capture the imagination of Notting Hillbillies, Sloane Rangers and Hoxtonites alike, but somehow these are executed with individual panache that makes…

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