Unless you live under a rock (or work at Macy’s), you know by now that Isaac Mizrahi left his tremendously successful design post at Target last year for the more promising, and yes, more challenging pastures of Liz Claiborne. This move and all its unbridled speculation (Can he turn the diminished line around? What will his approach be? Will it pay off?) has been fodder in the trades for months, and now that the anticipation is at its peak with a February launch, the mainstream media (fashion mags, NY Times, etc.) is having a field day with nothing but praise, excitement and adoration.
And it’s exciting stuff. In such daunting economic times, the mere thought of affordable, stylish clothing designed with the average American woman in mind is more than compelling and worth a schlep to the mall. So many of our truly fabulous, independent women’s clothing boutiques have prices that have gone through the roof, are dripping in trend, and, unless you are a size 2, 4 or 6, you needn’t waste your time trying. You won’t find a size 10 to save your life.
So with plenty of eager anticipation under my belt, off I went to the Maine Mall, to Macy’s. Land of Style & Co., Inc., RALPH by Ralph Lauren, Jones New York and Charter Club. There was no sign of the new Liz, but I persevered and kept walking. By the time I passed Jones New York and Charter Club and had the Juniors Department in sight, I thought for sure Portland, Maine was passed over in the distribution chain. I found a Macy’s sales person and asked her if they were carrying the new line.
“Oh no. Isaac Mizrahi? For Liz Claiborne?” she asked, with a puzzled look on her face… “Isaac Mizrahi is exclusively at Target. He is not here. And the only Liz Clairborne we have is over there.”
Oh dear. This was not a good sign. Before I go on, here is some of what I expected to see, courtesy of Oprah Magazine:
And here is what I saw, tucked away in a far back corner of the store:
Do the words “front and forward” mean nothing to the folks at Macy’s? I was shocked.
Here is a well known line with, for the first time since Liz herself, serious designer cache behind it (not to mention incredible PR and broad media coverage), crammed onto t-stands, positioned BEHIND clearance racks overflowing beyond capacity, in the back dregs of the store.
Crusty old dinosaur. Can’t it shake itself out of its aged slumber long enough to realize the promise of such a relaunch? Talk about a disconnect.
It was terrible. Beyond a let down. Where was the color? The style? The options? Where were those cute little Belgian loafers in fabulous colors? Where were the trumpets???
As I was leaving Macy’s, I happened upon this unfinished display.
Perhaps I was too early to the party? Fashion faux pas. Still, the line was officially launched, and the product was indeed “on the floor.” In the world of retail, knowledge is power, preparedness is critical and setting the benchmark is everything. Customers are savvy, demanding and critical, and thanks to the Internet, very much in the know.
Better luck next time, Macy’s.
