Tag Archives: retail

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BROTHER MOTO | A WARM WELCOME FOR ATLANTA’S SOUL OF A MOTORCYCLE CLUB

brother moto the selvedge yard godspeedco 4

“It’s one of those places that you immediately make a note about, reminding yourself that a visit is in order. Among the dizzying amount of photos, rants and new’s updates that come across my phone’s screen daily, Atlanta’s Brother Moto continued to appear more and more. Several weeks back, a petition was circulating the web aimed at helping Brother Moto retain their space in East Atlanta. Apparently the city zoning committee decided to retract their permit claiming this particular moto-establishment was a shop providing ‘repair’, and because East Atlanta only allows 2 ‘repair shops’ under their NC-2 zoning Brother Moto would be forced to shut their doors. A shame really. While there were a few bikes neatly parked away, the atmosphere I encountered the moment I walked into their space couldn’t have been further from the definition of a repair shop.”

–Chris Logsdon

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Lilly Pulitzer | Pink & Green Palooza in PGA

Lilly Pulitzer visual and print teamLilly Pulitzer PGA Jose Cuadra

My good buddy Jose Cuadra was hard at work with Lilly’s very talented team of Print & Pattern designers– Jeff Mattia, Victoria Davis and Paige Smith, creating a stunning visual masterpiece for Lilly Pulitzer’s latest store opening in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  Jose and I worked together when I headed-up visual for Lilly, and let me tell you– Jose is not only one of the most talented visual merchants in the business, he’s also one of the all-around greatest guys going (BFF).  At Lilly, the print department houses some of the best designers in the business– they are all truly artists that paint, sketch and create through heart & hand. They are not just click and drag CAD jockeys.  What this inspiring team of artistic talent created is truly incredible.  As Brad Bradbeer would say– “Go team!”  

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Fashion’s Shifting Paradigm | A Farewell to Lazy Merchants, Irrelevant Offerings & Bloated Markups

live beyond your means

Sorry Antonio— this image is too good, I had to borrow it.  The irony is incredible– “Live Beyond Your Means” on the window of a store that went under.  Says a lot about the retail climate we’re experiencing.

There’s a lot of reactionary “strategy” in motion right now by apparel retailers & wholesalers who are desperately trying to stop the bleeding.  Slash prices, cut inventory levels, homogenize the product, reduce the workforce, cut expenses, close stores– but what’s the long term answer?  The industry is facing unprecedented times– but this didn’t happen overnight, and we only have ourselves to blame.  The industry is finally paying the price for years of over-saturating the retail landscape with too many stores, an excess of irrelevant “me too” brands & products, and in many cases– undeservedly fat markups.  

“The consumer is so well-informed today, they don’t want to be told how to buy and they feel conned and manipulated by big flagship stores, and by the disproportionate margins the brands are making,” Inacio Ribeiro said. “However, the consumer will welcome suggestions, and that is the way forward.”

Fashion’s reliance on ever-lower prices failed last fall, as sale signs shouting 60, 70 and 80 percent off attested. Value is making a comeback across the price spectrum.  –WWD

In short– we got fat, lazy & greedy, as the consumer became more sophisticated and savvy.  Now they are deciding with lethal force who will survive and who will die– and quite honestly, a lot of us deserve to die.

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Fashion Retail Pricing Correction | Soon a Reality

 

Clerks at Filene's Department Store's Bargain Basement preparing to admit customers for a sale on men's suits and topcoats. --Boston, MA 1949

Clerks at Filene's Department Store's Bargain Basement preparing to admit customers for a sale on men's suits and topcoats. --Boston, MA 1949

 

Retailers and vendors are responding quickly in anticipation of the consumers tighter spending habits and are dropping initial retail prices by up to 30%.  We should start to see the adjustment for next Fall.  Spring/Summer selling remains to be seen– will people spend a little to pull themselves out of the slump and brighten up their wardrobes?  Or will it continue to be about holding out for markdowns, and last year’s closet rehash?

 

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Men’s Luxury Clothing Correction Needed

 

In a candid conversation with an executive at arguably one of the nation’s best specialty retailers, the current state of apparel sales was reported as such–  

Womenswear = tough.

Menswear = worse.

Men’s tailored clothing (suits in particular) = abysmal.

Answer = a wide-sweeping retail price correction is much needed in order to start the process of regaining consumer confidence. 

 

menswear suits

 

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Imprisoned Economy

 

There are a lot of us caught in the grips of the ever-worsening recession global depression– those of us in apparel and retail are definitely feeling it hard.  I’m holding out hope that come April the economy will start to “Spring” back with new optimism.  But now I’m hearing of more imminent lay-offs and cutbacks coming down the pipeline.  It might have you feeling imprisoned in a way you’ve never felt before.  

A good friend shared a story with me yesterday–  his brother was giving a talk and the economy came up (2.8 trillion dollar deficit, btw).  In the audience was a guy formerly of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  When asked where he would put his money, his answer was “Gold and a shotgun.”  Nice.  

But there is something you can do if you find yourself laid-off and seemingly without prospects.  In a market where luxury is currently a dirty word, we do have the luxury of time, energy, experience and relationships.  Us little guys can turn on a dime, and create new models and paradigms faster than the large corporations that are currently focusing on how to stop the bleeding.  New thinking, energy, excitement and products will go a long way towards dragging us out of this, and then hopefully the banks will start to follow in time.  The economic turnaround will only start by us pulling ourselves out of our mental rut first.  

Because my mind works in  strange ways, this all got me thinking about economic life in an actual prison.  It’s important that we keep our circumstances in perspective– it can always be worse…

san quentin

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Brooks Brothers’ Continental Bent (is more like it)

I’m still not getting what I want from Brooks Brothers, and I’m starting to wonder if I ever will.  Bring back the pure, unapologetic, timeless icons of American sportswear & clothing– make it fresh, get the fit right, and roll it out.  It still feels too much like a European (Italian) interpreting classic American style.  It has a very continental feel in these photos from WWD.

brooks-brothers01about-us

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Classic Roots

Poloclothing

Menswear designers new and old are tracing fashion roots and embracing brand heritage– whether it’s their own or borrowed.  Ralph is the true master of classic American sportswear, and no one is more in their element at this time than him.

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