Yes, It’s True…I’m Joining Fashionista!

As of tomorrow, I’m joining Breaking Media’s Fashionista.com. But not to worry, The Fashion Beat isn’t going away. I’ll just be posting with less frequency for the first few months of my new gig. (So expect two to three posts per week instead of five to seven.) Thanks to everyone for supporting The Fashion Beat, and I hope to see you on Fashionista! Cheers, Lauren

Trendology: Tracing The Origin Of Lego Fashion

As a Lego lover, these Dee & Ricky x Roc Star brooches featured on The Chic Report caught my eye. They also got me thinking: From where did this Lego-as-jewelry trend emerge? It must go further back than the brand’s work for the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2008 collection, right?

In the first installment of Trendology–a fashionable spin on entomology, or the origin of words–I’ve attempted to pin the starting point of Lego fashion as we know it in 2010.

Like many trends, it’s been bubbling for quite some time. In fact, the first high-fashion interpretation of traditional Lego “culture,” if you will, occurred in 2004 when Brazilian designer Jum Nakao created Lego hair helmets for his Spring 2005 collection. Here’s a time line of key moments in Lego fashion, starting with Nakao.

2004

• Brazilian designer Jum Nakao creates crazy black Lego hair helmets for his Spring 2005 collection that resemble Anna Wintour’s bob.

2007

• Balenciaga debuts a Lego-inspired shoe for its Fall 2007 runway show.
• Dee & Ricky become fashion-household names when Marc Jacobs’ then-boyfriend Jason Preston meets the SoHo duo. Of course, he introduces them to the designer. Jacobs uses their Lego pins in his Marc by Marc Spring 2008 runway show.

2008

• Kanye West rocks D&R’s heart pin. Fashion girls squeal with delight.
• Several style Web sites offer D.I.Y. tutorials on Lego accessories.
• Neiman Marcus uses life-sized Lego models in its holiday catalog.
• East London designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac creates Lego accessories for his Spring 2009 collection.

2009

• Balenciaga sues knock-off king Steve Madden for copying its Lego-inspired heels.
• Lego attempts to cash-in on its trendiness by introducing a limited edition series of architectural micro-scale models of famous buildings like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water.

2010

• Design team Dee & Ricky create a series of bird pins with Japanese label Rock Star.

So Cheesy, Yet So Brilliant: Fashionista University

Fashion designer Kathlin Argiro, publicist Gwen Wunderlich-Smith and designer Courtney Zellmer have dreamed up a brilliant moneymaker that harks back to those John Casablancas modeling courses that were so popular when I was in middle school. At Fashionista University, teens who have watched way too many episodes of Project Runway and The City get a chance to take a course in fashion design or public relations and meet industry professionals ranging from designers to journalists to stylists.

While the program’s Web site design is more Bratz than Teen Vogue, the concept is actually pretty smart. Classes, which are $600 per person, take place at a working design studio in Manhattan’s Garment District. Students also get a chance to attend a show at New York Fashion Week.

And unlike Teen Vogue’s Fashion University, registration is first come, first served. However, each class is limited to just 25 people, so if you have a little sister or brother who you’d like to enroll, visit Fashionistauniversity.com asap. Classes start January 16.

Ask An Expert: How Do I Push My Brand Into Other Categories?

Chic pregnant women love British maternity label Isabella Oliver’s cozy knits, colorful wrap dresses and 1950s-style swing coats. Why? Because they’re pieces a modern woman would want to wear anytime, regardless of whether she’s six months-in or not. That’s why founders Vanessa Knox-Brien and Baukjen de Swaan Arons decided to expand the Isabella Oliver brand and create a contemporary collection, which launched in February 2009. In its first year, Isabella Oliver 365 garnered $3 million in sales. Not bad for a recession-era launch.

I recently chatted with de Swaan Arons about the challenges that come with moving into a vastly different category, and why she and Knox-Brien were confident enough to do it in a bad economy.

TFB: Isabella Oliver Maternity was founded in 2003. What did you do before then?
Baukjen de Swaan Arons: For a long time I worked in branding and marketing at Procter & Gamble, and Vanessa was a designer at Victoria Secret and Natori.

TFB: So you lead the marketing and Vanessa leads the design?
BdSA: Well, in the beginning we were doing everything. When you start a company with just three people, you suddenly become an expert in IT, human resources, everything. Now that we have 45 people working at Isabella Oliver, our roles have changed. We have a production team, a team of marketeers–now our job is to oversee everything, sign off on everything, rather than actually do everything.

TFB: This year marked the launch of your non-maternity collection. The two markets are so similar and yet so different. How did you approach contemporary?
BdSA: We’ve always designed clothes we like to wear ourselves, so we’re doing the same thing with 365. I think it’s nice to design for our loyal customers forever, rather than just during their pregnancies. The demand was definitely there.

TFB: It was a hard year to launch a new brand. How have you been able to combat the recession?
BdSA: You have to remember that the fashion timeline is so absurdly long that the clothes were already being made by the time the recession hit. [Specifically, the stock market crash in October 2008.] I’m actually glad in a way. If we had known this was coming three years ago when we started forming the concept, it might have held us back. Luckily it’s been a success–we had about $3 million in sales in just the first year. [Sales for Isabella Oliver Maternity reached about $17 million in 2009.]

TFB: You’ve been able to build a successful retail business without brick and mortar. Do you ever think about venturing down that path?
BdSA: Yes, of course. We get approached a couple times a day. But our hands are so full already. We want to increase our sales in the markets we’re already in, and also to expand 365. That’s what we’re focusing on right now.

Also In This Series:
Ask An Expert: Why Is It So Hard To Find A Pair Of Jeans That Fit?
Ask An Expert: Do Men Really Like To Shop?

Gilt: More Full Price Sales Will Likely Be A Part Of Our Future

A spokesperson from Gilt got back to me regarding the Vogue partnership. Here’s what she had to say:

• There will definitely be Vogue-sponsored “Shop The Issue” sales in February and March. Vogue hasn’t committed to anything beyond that.
• As Gilt grows, full price sales are something it wants to do, but no definite plans have been made.

Obviously, the big question is: Why bother? Gilt’s already grabbing market share from pretty much every type of retailer, including off-price brick-and-mortar (TJ Maxx), department stores, boutiques and outlet stores.

Well, I think what Gilt may be dealing with now is somewhat of a backlash from designers, as my Twitter follower @EmekaPatrick suggested yesterday. Many boutiques are frustrated with certain designers because they’re producing in-season merchandise for Gilt and allowing Gilt to sell it at a hefty discount while it’s still full price at traditional stores.

Consumers are picking up on this. One boutique owner told me that clients have actually said to him, “I saw this on Gilt the other day for 70% off, why is it full price here?” I’m sure designers are hearing from disgruntled store buyers and have relayed these concerns back to Gilt. I’m also sure it’s not a huge deal for the company as of yet, but as the economy improves and traditional store buyers have more money to spend, Gilt’s going to have to come up with new ways to convince designers to cut them a deal.

That’s not to say Gilt’s original form of revenue will go away. No matter what’s up with the economy, people love sales, even if the product is a couple of seasons old. But in-season merchandise is going to be more difficult to discount down the road. As a frequent Gilt customer, I look forward to observing how the executive team deals with this and other challenges.

What Macy’s (M) Store Closings Really Mean: More Dead Malls

Brian Sozzi, a crack equity analyst over at Wall Street Strategies, says that while closing five underperfoming stores in 2010 was an easy/smart financial decision for Macy’s, the end of those stores will wreak havoc on the malls that they anchor. See his client note below:

There is more to a retail store closure then a company press release.  In Macy’s (M) announcing five store closures today, it will be leaving malls already hurt by a wave of national chain closures since 2008.  As a result, the exit of Macy’s could cause other leftover anchor tenants to vacate and create a “dead mall” syndrome, where vacancy rates rises above 70%.

Looking at two specific closures in the Macy’s press release, the stores were likely operating at serious losses due to changing demographics of the city where the mall resides.

All in all, the store closures were in cities with unemployment and median income levels significantly worse than state and national averages.  People in these areas shifted what discretionary purchases they were making to better kept/promoted malls or big box stores able to drive low prices on a range of merchandise in a one-stop format.

Richemont/Prada Deal Rumor: Might Not Be True, But Let’s Hope It Is

Execs at Prada have vehemently denied the NY Post report that luxury goods conglomerate Richemont might scoop up a 30% stake in the company, which has amassed $1.7 billion in debt after failed acquisitions of Jil Sander (now owned by private equity firm Change Capital Partners) Helmut Lang (now owned by Link Theory Holdings) and others over the last two decades. I–and my sources–are not so sure that the report is true, but I’m also not going so far as to say that I think it’s “silly,” as an anonymous person did in WWD this morning. They’ve most certainly talked to Richemont over the past six months.

Why? Because they’ve had to. The fact is, Prada is in some deep sh*t and they need a trustworthy company with lots of money to help pull them out. While designer Miuccia Prada remained a critical favorite over the last decade, her husband–CEO Patrizio Bertelli–is seen by industry insiders as somewhat of a piranha. Along with the bad business decisions Bertelli’s made–numerous attempts at an IPO, poorly executed acquisitions and increasing the price point of the Mui Mui diffusion line, thus losing the entry-level luxury consumer as a customer–the label has also gotten flack for its diminished quality and questionable labor practices (best illustrated in Dana Thomas’ 2007 investigation Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster).

Do I think Richemont is the right conglomerate to pull Prada out of the red? Maybe. Like the Post says, it’s marquee brands are jewelry and watch makers, including Cartier, IWC and Van Cleef and Arpels.

However, Richemont also owns well-regarded and popular fashion labels Chloe and Alaia, which Prada would fit well with. However, as much as Prada could use the added infrastructure sure to be provided by Richemont, in the end it will be a private investor that saves the company. I just can’t see Bertelli giving up that much control, unless there’s some sort of hostile takeover.

Gilt Teams Up With Vogue For “Shop The Issue” Sales, Starting Tonight At 9pm

What may well be its most brilliant marketing move yet, Gilt Groupe has teamed up with American Vogue to hold special “Shop The Issue” sales. The first one happens tonight at 9pm and features See by Chloe, whose safari shirt was profiled by fashion writer Mark Holgate in the January issue of the magazine.

There is very little information available from Gilt–meaning no press release, no blog post–so I’m unsure as to whether or not other designers from the issue will also be featured or if the clothing will be discounted. (I have a feeling that if it is, it won’t be by much. Don’t expect 70% off in-season merchandise here.)

I’ve contacted Gilt and hopefully they can answer my questions. I’ll get back to you soonest.

Update:

The sale is filled with non-discounted items from several labels, including Dooney & Bourke, Giles & Brother and the aforementioned See By Chloe.

The model is doing a lot of Vogue spread-inspired poses.

Gilt is using Vogue’s new feature Steal of the Month as the centerpiece for each sale. That’s a good idea, as long as the designers involved are okay with selling his/her new goods on Gilt.

This biggest news here? Gilt has moved into full-price retail. Yes, it’s still a flash sale, but without the discount, what’s the point?  Gilt execs say that traditional retailers don’t understand the flash sale model. Will they be able to duplicate its success while charging full price?

Emersonmade Proves That It’s Never Too Early To Revive A Trend

When I first received a Facebook message from Emersonmade, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based brand specializing in fabric floral pins, I assumed it was another crappy, desperate label trying conjure a bit of press from an “up-and-coming” fashion blog. I might have been right about the push for press, but I was definitely wrong about the concept and quality of the product.

Emersonmade is doing something rebellious with its poppies, roses and dahlias. It’s attempting to revive a trend last taken seriously around 2000, when Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw made flowers as ubiquitous as Manolos on Sex and The City. This style was certainly not for everyone–some found the often-garish flowers to be vomit-inducing–but overall, it was seen as a sweet, playful accoutrement. Until it wasn’t.

But while Bradshaw’s flowers were wild, outlandish and above all, exaggerated, Emersonmade’s versions–in beautiful, muted colors like dusty pink and denim blue–are classic, preppy and definitely beautiful. It helps that the two founders, a married couple who recently moved to New Hampshire after spending ten years living in SoHo, are so fresh-faced that they could pass for a pair of J.Crew models. The floral pins of the early Naughts may have been worthy of Elle or Glamour magazine, but pieces from Emersonmade belong in Martha Stewart Weddings, on Design Sponge or maybe even in the Vogue Index.

By the way, Mickey Drexler, if you’re reading this: I would immediately approach Emersonmade regarding a collaboration with J.Crew. Glen Sank’s people over at Anthropologie are surely already on the case.

Full disclosure: Emersonmade sent me a box of floral pins before the holidays. While I haven’t worn one yet, it’s been useful because I was able to make sure the items were solidly constructed. (There is not a stitch out of place and the fabric is anything but flimsy.) Be the first to email me on lauren@tfbeat.com and I’ll send you this gorgeous Big Dandy clutch, which is going to be very difficult to part with!

For Me, Good Customer Service Makes All The Difference

I started working in retail when I was 15. This first experience was at Toys ‘R’ Us, where I stocked shelves over Christmas break to fund my summer trip to Europe. My last retail job was at age 22, when I was working weekends at the now-closed Bond underwear store off of Carnaby Street in London. (As a broke editorial assistant living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, the easy money made giving up my free time bearable.)

Between those two experiences, I’ve worked at Hallmark, the Gap, a now-shuttered store in Williamsburg called Landing (R.I.P., I still miss you!), and even Victoria’s Secret (although I quit that job one month in as I couldn’t take the pressure of selling people credit cards that they didn’t want). In general, I really loved working retail. I like selling products that I actually believe in. Although I always knew I wanted to be a fashion writer, owning my own shop is still a pipe dream. I think that’s why I was drawn to the business side of fashion in my journalistic endeavors.

Anyway, my point is: I think I have a pretty good handle on what excellent customer service means. And these days, most mass retailers–heck, retailers in general–aren’t cutting it. I’m not saying it’s not hard. Uniqlo, for example, has an excellent product. But the staff at its New York City SoHo store knows jack about what’s available, what’s not, and when certain items will arrive. (A lot of this has to do with the fact that they’re not paid much, which means it’s a transient position.) If you ask for a specific type of denim, they return your inquiry with a blank stare. Of course, I still shop at Uniqlo because I know quite a bit about the company and the product–I can overlook their ignorance. I don’t need them. However, I’m not a “typical” consumer. If my Aunt Barb, an accountant from Pittsburgh, walked into Uniqlo and they weren’t able to help her find jeans that were long enough to accommodate her sky-high legs, she’d simply leave and high-tail it to J.Crew, where the salespeople show real love and appreciation for their workplace and the products their shilling.

Spending the last week on the West Coast got me thinking about the importance of customer service. While I hate it when salespeople are “too friendly,” nothing makes me happier than coming across someone whose passionate about the brands and products he or she is paid to sell. For example, on Boxing Day, my significant other and I popped into a lovely store on Hayes Street in San Francisco called Nida. I immediately got excited because there were plenty of customers, plenty of my favorite brands–Steven Alan, Isabel Marant–and I heard one shop girl say that everything in the store was half off.

“Everything?!” I exclaimed. “Everything!” She responded.

I noticed a herringbone wool belted coat from Isabel Marant that I had spied at Bird back on Smith Street in Brooklyn. A salesperson named Atsushi came over and complemented my choice, asking if I’d like him to put it in a changing room for me. He also picked up a pair of Etoile trousers that he thought I might like. When I tried the jacket on, he helped me “style” it the way Marant did on the runway. Let me be clear: none of this was obtrusive or offensive. I actually enjoyed the subtle attention. And yes, I bought the coat.

I had similar experiences at Minimal on Hayes Street, Maison Reve in Mill Valley and of course, the Apple store on Chestnut. Apple proves customer service can work on the mass market level–you just need to hire employees that are passionate about the product.

Last night, while researching another story, I looked up Chicago boutique Hejfina, run by the lovely Heiji Choy Black. I’d interviewed Heiji for a piece I did at Forbes about two years ago, and I thought she’d be a good fit for this other story. However, I soon found that Hejfina had closed in September. Why? Heiji said that it was mainly because of the economy. But when I looked up Hejfina on Yelp, I found several angry reviews stating that while the clothes were great, the salespeople were cold and offensive. I thought Heiji was a wonderful person when I chatted with her, but I also understood what the Yelpers were saying. The few times I got a chance to enter the store, Heiji was not there and the salespeople were less-than-friendly. I didn’t buy anything. I do wonder if the poor customer service had something to do with Hejfina’s demise.