Fashion Notebook

Lessons in Branding: How Steve & Barry's Does a Lot With a Little

OK, so if you haven't read our news story (you know, that OTHER
job we have), about Steve & Barry's launching a new collection of
branded "Sex and the City" t-shirts and tank tops ahead of the year's least-anticipated and most-loathed premier (to us), check it out here. If you're link-a-phobic, here's the brief:

"Further cashing in on the stars of HBO's hit show Sex and the City, Steve and Barry's has launched a collection of branded T-shirts and tank tops designed by leading actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

The collection, with all items priced under $9, hit cheap n' chic retail stores last week, ahead of the May 30 premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie at theaters nationwide. The T-shirts and tank tops come with printed phrases including "I'm with Mr. Big" and "I (Heart) Sex and the City," as well as images of the characters from the TV series."

"Millions of women have flocked to our stores since the launch of Sarah Jessica Parker's Bitten brand last year, and Sex and the City: The Movie merchandise is a perfect complement to that collection," said Howard Schacter, chief partnership officer at Steve & Barry's, New York.

OK, so why does this matter, and why, as we contend in the headline to this post, do we see it as a brilliant example of doing "a lot with a little." Well, pretty much, it's because Steve & Barry's is likely to get a groundswell from this, selling not only these t-shirts, but also more items from the "Bitten" collection that the retailer trotted out from Sarah Jessica Parker (she of the Skeletor visage, pictured left, in that show that proffers female empowerment but really ends up, sing it with us Obama, "more of the same," in our humble opinion, and that of others) last year. And better yet, they'll do it—again—with barely a cent spent on advertising.

This isn't a groundbreaking marketing idea—big film coming up, you've already got a product tie-in to one of the characters, so plug her again and ride the film's publicity and boon in related Internet searches to see the sales needle get a lift—so why aren't more people doing it?

Well, the answer to that might be that they're just too damn rich. And that's not a slight.

Think about it. When we're flush, it's all dinners at BLT Prime and brunch at Essex, but when we're broke, it's poulet roti chez nous with rosemary and other fresh herbs, that serves two and, we dare say, tastes just as good as the same dish at either of those tony joints. Leftovers are broken down into chicken salad, the bones boiled into a chicken soup. And presto! We've got lunch for days. And for about half the cost of a porterhouse at BLT. Sure, we definitely got way more out of cooking the chicken at home and getting creative with stretching the meals, but that's because we had to. And once our coffers are full again, you'd better believe we'll redefine dinner—like retailers and apparel companies define a "launch"—as a strictly Tourondel affair. N'est ce-pas?

So what if the big agencies and brands just starved their budgets on a few projects and saw where it went? Listen, we're not saying that Nike should book Sharapova for a tennis commercial and then forego a TV spot, but maybe test out an anemic cash flow on a smaller project and see what the creatives come up with. You never know where the results might lead. Maybe even straight to sales.

Stay tuned to see how well the "Sex and the City" tops do. You know we are.

Liz Claiborne Steals Isaac Mizrahi from Target!

Talk about a shake-up.

It appears that after a successful, five year marriage to Target, designer Isaac Mizrahi is setting sail for Liz Claiborne.

As the newly-tapped creative director for the Claiborne brand, Mizrahi, one of fashion's more ebullient and popular personalities, will oversee design and marketing for the brand's women's apparel, accessories and licensing businesses. His first collection under the Liz Claiborne label is slated to debut in spring 2009.

"[We] believe that [Mizrahi's] innovative design sense and widespread appeal will breathe new life into the Liz Claiborne brand," said Liz CEO William McComb, in a statement. "It is certainly no secret that the brand has been lacking a clear and cohesive vision and has languished as a result. With this appointment, we are taking a major step towards our goal of creating irresistible product that will provide today's discerning woman with a compelling reason to buy."

While no financials of the deal were disclosed, Mizrahi's own statement seems to betray, if not a fairly lucrative deal, then at least boosted branding opportunities for the designer who pioneered the high/low design ethos when he signed on to produce a women's collection for Target in 2003, paving the way for many others who followed in succession, including Karl Lagerfeld (in 2004, with a capsule collection for H&M), and most recently, Vera Wang (in 2007, with her Very Vera collection for Kohl's). For more on those partnerships, and their impact in the industry, please see my previous article, "Split Personality," here.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to build on this fantastic legacy and excited to reestablish the label as a must have," Mizrahi said, in a statement. "And as excited as I am about developing Liz Claiborne, the collaboration also affords fantastic opportunities for growth in my own brand."

Aside from the forthcoming collection for Liz Claiborne, Mizrahi will also bow his new web-based series, "Watch Isaac," in February at WatchIsaac.com. His collections for Target will continue to be sold through the mass-retailer throughout 2008.

However, we have to say that the move seems a risky one, given several factors. First, Isaac had a pretty successful collection at Target, reportedly garnering annual sales of $300 million. Why shirk that to head over to Liz Claiborne, which posted 65% dip in third quarter net income on a 4% sales drop? And yet, it's not like things are all milk and honey over at Target, which posted a sales gain of only 0.1% (at $9.26 billion) for the month of December. Then again, it's important to remember that Mizrahi is no stranger to ups and downs himself, and that the deal he inked with Target back in 2003 can be credited, at least in large part, to revamping what was then an ailing name brand.

What the move means for Liz, and its impact on Target's business, remain to be seen.

"It can't hurt Liz Claiborne...but the issues there are more than one individual can conquer. Bringing the brand back to its heyday will require a lot more than just a new design concept or featuring a household name on the brand's marquee; it will have to be a major shift in management, merchandising, marketing and advertising and ," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y. "As for Target, they've shown that they understand the consumers' desire and the need to constantly revolve  their brands. Will they miss Isaac? Probably. But they'll find something to replace [him]."

Cohen also suggested that Mizrahi might have some growing pains to contend with in his new post.

"He was an island unto himself at Target; all of those other brands paled in comparison to his work, and he was treated as the prized jewel in that environment, " Cohen said. "In the mall environment [where Claiborne is], he'll be up against hundreds of other brands, where he's no longer the shining star by default."

 

The news of Mizrahi's switch comes following the appointment, earlier this week, of John Bartlett as Claiborne's new men's sportswear designer.

On a lighter note, if you're unfamiliar with Mizrahi or if you feel you need a refresher course on why this guy seems to be such a hot commodity for these mass merchants, check out "Unzipped," the 1995 documentary that took Isaac as its subject, with all his quirky humor and non sequitur dialog to go along the way.

One of our favorite lines: "All I want to do is fur pants, but I know, like if I do them, I will be stoned off of Seventh Avenue, like some wanton heretic or something. So there won't be any fur pants coming down my runway. It's about women not wanting to look like cows or something."

Move Over Vera, Kohl's Latest is Fila

Kohl's announced today that it will have exclusive U.S. retail distribution for Fila Sport, part of a multi-year licensing deal it has inked with the Seoul, Korea-based athletic brand. The collection—a full-arsenal mix of apparel and accessories for women, men and children—hits Kohls brick n' mortar and online in fall 2008.

According to the company, the move is geared toward cashing in on consumers’ increasing adoption of sports and activewear across a wider variety of wear occasions. Hmmm... Where have I heard that before?

“Industrywide, the active and sport business continues to grow [and] the addition of Fila Sport capitalizes on the market opportunity and expands our exclusive offerings with one of the most recognizable names in sportswear,” said Kohl's Prez Kevin Mansell, in a statement.

Per the agreement, Kohl’s will work with Fila on product design for the collection, in addition to heading up the manufacturing, production, distribution, sales and marketing of Fila Sport. Sounds like it's a Kohl's line that just has Fila's named slapped on the label. 

The Fila deal is the latest licensing agreement for the company, following a much-hyped launch of its collaboration with womens-wear designer Vera Wang, dubbed Very Simply Vera by Vera Wang, in September. For more on that collaboration, and others like it, check out my piece, Split Personality.