Nine West getting designer boost?
- Thread starter Lena
- Start date
I love Nine West. I didn't think Puma or Adida sold the same types of shoes, so don't know why we're comparing Nine West to them. I don't think you can get an athletic shoe in Nine West.
What are the "cooler" chains of similar cost? What would be a better chain to do this kind of thing (using a well-known designer for a limited collection)?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to this. I've gotten tons of compliments for my half boots (from strangers on the street no less), the shape is beautiful. That 200 - 450 Price range is just regular price, sale price of 100 - 200 doesn't sound unreasonable (depending what the outcome of these designers are). THe Karl Lagerfield for H&M was terrible (in my opinion, I know some people liked it, but it didn't do well here), so it all may come to nothing.
What are the "cooler" chains of similar cost? What would be a better chain to do this kind of thing (using a well-known designer for a limited collection)?
Anyway, I'm looking forward to this. I've gotten tons of compliments for my half boots (from strangers on the street no less), the shape is beautiful. That 200 - 450 Price range is just regular price, sale price of 100 - 200 doesn't sound unreasonable (depending what the outcome of these designers are). THe Karl Lagerfield for H&M was terrible (in my opinion, I know some people liked it, but it didn't do well here), so it all may come to nothing.
there was a big story in todays wall street journal about the collaborations
here are some things i remembered
there will only be 2,000 made of each shoe
and 500 made of each handbag
nine west is in final talks with 3 other designers for spring 07.
the story also discussed about how consumers want to see items made by actual people not a faceless conglomerate. (ie nine west). luella bartley's collection for target was very sucessful. other brands want to ape this sucess.
here are some things i remembered
there will only be 2,000 made of each shoe
and 500 made of each handbag
nine west is in final talks with 3 other designers for spring 07.
the story also discussed about how consumers want to see items made by actual people not a faceless conglomerate. (ie nine west). luella bartley's collection for target was very sucessful. other brands want to ape this sucess.
stylegurrl
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I have always liked Nine West so I am very excited to see the results of these colaborations. 
Slumping Nine West tries on designer shoes
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
By Rachel Dodes, The Wall Street Journal
Nine West, the slumping affordable-footwear brand, is trying to spice up its image by hitching itself to the glamorous world of fashion design.
At a splashy New York fashion show tonight, Nine West, owned by Jones Apparel Group Inc., plans to unveil three limited-edition designer collections that will be available in stores for just a month each. Models will strut down the catwalk wearing footwear and accessories designed by British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, along with items by emerging talents Sophia Kokosalaki and Thakoon Panichgul.
The show marks the launch of "Project Front Row," Nine West's plan to lure customers with a small number of expensive designer products -- a strategy that is part of a broader trend by midtier and mass retailers. The three Nine West collections, which are set to hit stores over three months beginning Sept. 1, will range in price from $160 to $350 a pair, at least double the cost of typical Nine West shoes.
"Part of the allure is having a very narrow distribution," says Stacy Lastrina, Jones Apparel's executive vice president for marketing and creative services. The shoes will be sold in Nine West's top 20 retail stores based on sales and on a special section of the NineWest.com Web site. The footwear also will be available at 40 of Federated Department Stores Inc.'s Macy's stores.
Nine West's plan is to keep current customers loyal to the brand while attracting new shoppers with a name designer. "It is a way to give a personality to companies that are thought of as corporate nonentities as far as fashion is concerned," says David Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a fashion consulting firm based in New York.
Last week, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it would collaborate on a new line with designer Mark Eisen, whose high-end Karoo knitwear brand sells at Neiman Marcus Group Inc.'s department stores. Payless ShoeSource Inc., which produces shoes that cost $15 on average, is also launching a designer collaboration this fall called "Abaete for Payless," by designer Laura Poretzky, whose dresses sell for about $500 in trendy boutiques like Intermix. Abaete (pronounced ah-bye-ah-tay) is Ms. Poretzky's family name and translates roughly to "person of virtue" in Portuguese. The Abaete shoes will cost between $25 and $45 and will be Ms. Poretzky's first footwear collection.
Retailers are jumping on the limited-edition bandwagon after Hennes & Mauritz's H&M, the Swedish cheap-fashion chain, created a sensation recently by producing separate, one-time collections by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney. The moderately priced lines generated a buying frenzy and sold out in a matter of hours. H&M has hired Dutch design team Viktor & Rolf to design a collection this fall.
Target Corp. found success with the limited-edition strategy by collaborating with guest designers like Luella Bartley and Tara Jarmon for its "Go International" campaign that began this past winter. The collections, which included items like a $150 suede jacket and $40 jeans, were priced significantly higher than Target's apparel under the Isaac Mizrahi and Mossimo labels, and performed well, analysts say.
By focusing on the new collections, though, Nine West may be ignoring its main problem: Its regular styles are not resonating with consumers. The company became too trendy in the past few years, fashion observers say, and lost touch with its core audience of women looking for inexpensive but sensible footwear.
The new strategy comes at a tumultuous time for Jones Apparel, which is exploring a possible sale of the company. The designer collections are part of Jones Apparel's efforts to bolster the Nine West division, which has annual sales of about $1.9 billion and produces and sells footwear and accessories for more than a dozen brands, including Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, and Bandolino.
While overall women's footwear sales grew 10.4 percent last year, according to the research firm NPD Group, sales for Jones Apparel's wholesale foote trendy footwear label Steve Madden, which appeals to a younger consumer. Ms. Brown was replaced by two senior executives, Heather Pech, who became chief executive of retail, and Andrew Cohen, who was promoted to chief executive of wholesale footwear and accessories.
While other retailers have relied on celebrity designers to add sizzle to their product lines, Nine West is banking on names that aren't well known outside fashion circles. Nine West's use of emerging designers was intentional, to create a "sense of discovery" around the brand, says Jones Apparel's Ms. Lastrina.
Greek-born Ms. Kokosalaki is a London-based designer best known for designing singer Bjork's elaborate "ocean dress" for the opening ceremonies at the 2004 Olympics. Mr. Panichgul, based in New York, is a Thai-born designer who was nominated for an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America this year. His collection sells at Barneys New York, which is also owned by Jones Apparel. The Nine West limited editions will be these two designers' first footwear collections to bear their names. Ms. Westwood has designed shoes for years.
Fashion observers say it doesn't matter whether consumers recognize the designer's name. Retailers are trying to send the message that an actual person creates the collection rather than a group of faceless designers. "I am convinced that Luella Bartley's success at Target has little to do with who she was," says Doneger's Mr. Wolfe.
The limited-edition strategy is relatively easy for retailers to execute. In Nine West's case, production runs will be limited to about 2,000 pairs of shoes for each style, and 500 bags. If a collection doesn't go over well with consumers, the company won't get stuck with excess inventory. But Nine West doesn't think the collections will flop. For its ad campaign, it has hired avant-garde photographer Steven Klein, who shot a 58-page fashion spread with Madonna as a dominatrix jockey in the June edition of W magazine. The company is devoting about 30 percent of its annual marketing budget to the collections, including in-store events with the designers. Plus, the company is in the process of finalizing contracts with three more designers for spring 2007 and says the collaborations will continue each season for the foreseeable future. Jones Apparel CEO Peter Boneparth says limited-edition footwear and accessories are aimed at creating a "halo effect," around the entire Nine West brand. By pairing the label with high-end designers, he says, consumers will feel the retailer is on the cutting edge of fashion. "Our customers will come in and say they feel better about Nine West," he says.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
By Rachel Dodes, The Wall Street Journal
Nine West, the slumping affordable-footwear brand, is trying to spice up its image by hitching itself to the glamorous world of fashion design.
At a splashy New York fashion show tonight, Nine West, owned by Jones Apparel Group Inc., plans to unveil three limited-edition designer collections that will be available in stores for just a month each. Models will strut down the catwalk wearing footwear and accessories designed by British fashion icon Vivienne Westwood, along with items by emerging talents Sophia Kokosalaki and Thakoon Panichgul.
The show marks the launch of "Project Front Row," Nine West's plan to lure customers with a small number of expensive designer products -- a strategy that is part of a broader trend by midtier and mass retailers. The three Nine West collections, which are set to hit stores over three months beginning Sept. 1, will range in price from $160 to $350 a pair, at least double the cost of typical Nine West shoes.
"Part of the allure is having a very narrow distribution," says Stacy Lastrina, Jones Apparel's executive vice president for marketing and creative services. The shoes will be sold in Nine West's top 20 retail stores based on sales and on a special section of the NineWest.com Web site. The footwear also will be available at 40 of Federated Department Stores Inc.'s Macy's stores.
Nine West's plan is to keep current customers loyal to the brand while attracting new shoppers with a name designer. "It is a way to give a personality to companies that are thought of as corporate nonentities as far as fashion is concerned," says David Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a fashion consulting firm based in New York.
Last week, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it would collaborate on a new line with designer Mark Eisen, whose high-end Karoo knitwear brand sells at Neiman Marcus Group Inc.'s department stores. Payless ShoeSource Inc., which produces shoes that cost $15 on average, is also launching a designer collaboration this fall called "Abaete for Payless," by designer Laura Poretzky, whose dresses sell for about $500 in trendy boutiques like Intermix. Abaete (pronounced ah-bye-ah-tay) is Ms. Poretzky's family name and translates roughly to "person of virtue" in Portuguese. The Abaete shoes will cost between $25 and $45 and will be Ms. Poretzky's first footwear collection.
Retailers are jumping on the limited-edition bandwagon after Hennes & Mauritz's H&M, the Swedish cheap-fashion chain, created a sensation recently by producing separate, one-time collections by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney. The moderately priced lines generated a buying frenzy and sold out in a matter of hours. H&M has hired Dutch design team Viktor & Rolf to design a collection this fall.
Target Corp. found success with the limited-edition strategy by collaborating with guest designers like Luella Bartley and Tara Jarmon for its "Go International" campaign that began this past winter. The collections, which included items like a $150 suede jacket and $40 jeans, were priced significantly higher than Target's apparel under the Isaac Mizrahi and Mossimo labels, and performed well, analysts say.
By focusing on the new collections, though, Nine West may be ignoring its main problem: Its regular styles are not resonating with consumers. The company became too trendy in the past few years, fashion observers say, and lost touch with its core audience of women looking for inexpensive but sensible footwear.
The new strategy comes at a tumultuous time for Jones Apparel, which is exploring a possible sale of the company. The designer collections are part of Jones Apparel's efforts to bolster the Nine West division, which has annual sales of about $1.9 billion and produces and sells footwear and accessories for more than a dozen brands, including Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, and Bandolino.
While overall women's footwear sales grew 10.4 percent last year, according to the research firm NPD Group, sales for Jones Apparel's wholesale foote trendy footwear label Steve Madden, which appeals to a younger consumer. Ms. Brown was replaced by two senior executives, Heather Pech, who became chief executive of retail, and Andrew Cohen, who was promoted to chief executive of wholesale footwear and accessories.
While other retailers have relied on celebrity designers to add sizzle to their product lines, Nine West is banking on names that aren't well known outside fashion circles. Nine West's use of emerging designers was intentional, to create a "sense of discovery" around the brand, says Jones Apparel's Ms. Lastrina.
Greek-born Ms. Kokosalaki is a London-based designer best known for designing singer Bjork's elaborate "ocean dress" for the opening ceremonies at the 2004 Olympics. Mr. Panichgul, based in New York, is a Thai-born designer who was nominated for an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America this year. His collection sells at Barneys New York, which is also owned by Jones Apparel. The Nine West limited editions will be these two designers' first footwear collections to bear their names. Ms. Westwood has designed shoes for years.
Fashion observers say it doesn't matter whether consumers recognize the designer's name. Retailers are trying to send the message that an actual person creates the collection rather than a group of faceless designers. "I am convinced that Luella Bartley's success at Target has little to do with who she was," says Doneger's Mr. Wolfe.
The limited-edition strategy is relatively easy for retailers to execute. In Nine West's case, production runs will be limited to about 2,000 pairs of shoes for each style, and 500 bags. If a collection doesn't go over well with consumers, the company won't get stuck with excess inventory. But Nine West doesn't think the collections will flop. For its ad campaign, it has hired avant-garde photographer Steven Klein, who shot a 58-page fashion spread with Madonna as a dominatrix jockey in the June edition of W magazine. The company is devoting about 30 percent of its annual marketing budget to the collections, including in-store events with the designers. Plus, the company is in the process of finalizing contracts with three more designers for spring 2007 and says the collaborations will continue each season for the foreseeable future. Jones Apparel CEO Peter Boneparth says limited-edition footwear and accessories are aimed at creating a "halo effect," around the entire Nine West brand. By pairing the label with high-end designers, he says, consumers will feel the retailer is on the cutting edge of fashion. "Our customers will come in and say they feel better about Nine West," he says.
you can see a pic here also
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01ROW.html
Shoe Chain Scouts Talent
By ERIC WILSON
Published: June 1, 2006
THERE are two ways to look at the escalating trend of high-price fashion designers teaming up with low-cost retail outlets. One is the noble view that democratizing design will take style to the masses, and the other is the pragmatic view that fashion's elitism is like oil or gas, a limited resource at risk of depletion.
In the wake of fast fashion collections from Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Isaac Mizrahi, and another planned from Viktor & Rolf at H&M in November, it would seem that the world's supply of hot untapped designers has already dwindled to possibly dangerous levels, as evidenced by new budget collections from designers whose name recognition is akin to "Huh?"
At Target the latest guest is the French designer Tara Jarmon; Wal-Mart has a line coming from the South African designer Mark Eisen; and Topshop is banking on prints from Celia Birtwell (a forgotten star whose textiles once bordered on legendary and the wife of the late Ossie Clark, don't you know).
This week Nine West, the shoe division of Jones Apparel Group, stepped into the fray with limited offerings from Vivienne Westwood, who is arguably famous, and Thakoon Panichgul and Sophia Kokosalaki, whose talents exceed their fame. Beginning Sept. 1, their designs will be sold at Nine West and Macy's, from about $180 to $500, which is not exactly inexpensive, either.
"This was an opportunity to get my name out there across the nation, which is really helpful at this point for a young designer," said Mr. Panichgul, who worked as an assistant at Harper's Bazaar until founding his Thakoon line four seasons back. For Nine West he designed handbags and shoes that take their cues from past inspirations, and if you have to ask, that would be a mix of baroque and futuristic. One bag is tough-looking clear plastic lined with black lace and trimmed in patent leather.
Ms. Kokosalaki's matte black pumps fronted with a lattice cage bespeak fashion fetishes previously unknown to the racks of Nine West, where shoes bear names like "Schooldays" and "Poof."
Mr. Panichgul said he is not worried that people who don't read Vogue and Harper's Bazaar will learn of his existence only in a down-market shoe store.
"Maybe five years ago it would have been a deterrent," he said. "But today it's different in terms of looking at lower-end products. Everything you pick up today is design-driven, so there's less of a stigma for designers to do them."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/fashion/sundaystyles/21AGE.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/fashion/thursdaystyles/01ROW.html
Shoe Chain Scouts Talent
By ERIC WILSON
Published: June 1, 2006
THERE are two ways to look at the escalating trend of high-price fashion designers teaming up with low-cost retail outlets. One is the noble view that democratizing design will take style to the masses, and the other is the pragmatic view that fashion's elitism is like oil or gas, a limited resource at risk of depletion.
In the wake of fast fashion collections from Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Isaac Mizrahi, and another planned from Viktor & Rolf at H&M in November, it would seem that the world's supply of hot untapped designers has already dwindled to possibly dangerous levels, as evidenced by new budget collections from designers whose name recognition is akin to "Huh?"
At Target the latest guest is the French designer Tara Jarmon; Wal-Mart has a line coming from the South African designer Mark Eisen; and Topshop is banking on prints from Celia Birtwell (a forgotten star whose textiles once bordered on legendary and the wife of the late Ossie Clark, don't you know).
This week Nine West, the shoe division of Jones Apparel Group, stepped into the fray with limited offerings from Vivienne Westwood, who is arguably famous, and Thakoon Panichgul and Sophia Kokosalaki, whose talents exceed their fame. Beginning Sept. 1, their designs will be sold at Nine West and Macy's, from about $180 to $500, which is not exactly inexpensive, either.
"This was an opportunity to get my name out there across the nation, which is really helpful at this point for a young designer," said Mr. Panichgul, who worked as an assistant at Harper's Bazaar until founding his Thakoon line four seasons back. For Nine West he designed handbags and shoes that take their cues from past inspirations, and if you have to ask, that would be a mix of baroque and futuristic. One bag is tough-looking clear plastic lined with black lace and trimmed in patent leather.
Ms. Kokosalaki's matte black pumps fronted with a lattice cage bespeak fashion fetishes previously unknown to the racks of Nine West, where shoes bear names like "Schooldays" and "Poof."
Mr. Panichgul said he is not worried that people who don't read Vogue and Harper's Bazaar will learn of his existence only in a down-market shoe store.
"Maybe five years ago it would have been a deterrent," he said. "But today it's different in terms of looking at lower-end products. Everything you pick up today is design-driven, so there's less of a stigma for designers to do them."
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/fashion/sundaystyles/21AGE.html
text from style.com
At Skylight Studios, meanwhile, dozens of editors, Lost's Maggie Grace, and—for some reason—a posse of drag queens experienced fashion week déjà vu, as Thakoon Panichgul, Sophia Kokosalaki, and Dame Vivienne Westwood reprised their fall collections, this time paired with accessories they've designed in collaboration with Nine West. "There's such a demand for our pieces in America," explained Westwood, after she brought the house down with ball gowns and ballerina flats, not to mention kilts and patent brogues for the boys, one of whom flashed the crowd as he exited the runway. Noted Westwood, "this is a really good start."
For Kokosalaki's part, adjusting her ancient-Greece-with-an-edge sensibility to what she called the "straightforward and practical American market" wasn't necessarily easy, but Nine West's production values and quick turnaround times helped. So did New York's Museum of Modern Art. "I've been three times this week," said the Athens-born London transplant. "I love the restaurant there." Panichgul, the only New Yorker in the bunch, was the most in touch with the industry's current hi-lo obsession. "Consumers are so clued in to fashion now," said the CFDA Award nominee, who reworked the lace and PVC theme from his second collection into inexpensive—by comparison—totes and rain boots. "This is about reaching every one of them."
by Nicole Phelps
At Skylight Studios, meanwhile, dozens of editors, Lost's Maggie Grace, and—for some reason—a posse of drag queens experienced fashion week déjà vu, as Thakoon Panichgul, Sophia Kokosalaki, and Dame Vivienne Westwood reprised their fall collections, this time paired with accessories they've designed in collaboration with Nine West. "There's such a demand for our pieces in America," explained Westwood, after she brought the house down with ball gowns and ballerina flats, not to mention kilts and patent brogues for the boys, one of whom flashed the crowd as he exited the runway. Noted Westwood, "this is a really good start."
For Kokosalaki's part, adjusting her ancient-Greece-with-an-edge sensibility to what she called the "straightforward and practical American market" wasn't necessarily easy, but Nine West's production values and quick turnaround times helped. So did New York's Museum of Modern Art. "I've been three times this week," said the Athens-born London transplant. "I love the restaurant there." Panichgul, the only New Yorker in the bunch, was the most in touch with the industry's current hi-lo obsession. "Consumers are so clued in to fashion now," said the CFDA Award nominee, who reworked the lace and PVC theme from his second collection into inexpensive—by comparison—totes and rain boots. "This is about reaching every one of them."
by Nicole Phelps
Nine West Unveils Designer Collections At New York Runway Show Lauren David PedenFri Jun 2, 7:20 PM ET
Fashion Wire Daily - New York - Designers Vivienne Westwood, Sophia Kokosalaki and Thakoon could not be more different, aesthetically. Which is, perhaps, why the mass market footwear goliath Nine West chose them to create limited-edition accessories collections for Fall 2006 - the first collaboration of its type in the company's history.
And on Wednesday, May 31st at Skylight Studios in New York City's Tribeca, several hundred curious fashionistas got their first glimpse of the trio's upcoming Nine West lines via an evening runway show in which each designer's accessories were paired with clothing from their Fall ‘06 collections, making for a thoroughly modern high street-meets-high fashion mix. (The crowd, which included Maggie Grace, Lauren Ezersky, Padma Lakshmi Rushdie, Susanne Bartsch, Kenny Kenny, Mickey Boardman, Amanda Lepore, Courtney Hansen, Genevieve Jones, Fern Mallis, the MisShapes and Jay McCarroll, was equally eclectic.)
"They wanted to do a mixture of different sorts of designers, from somebody as classic as Vivienne to somebody emerging, like me," Thakoon said of the historic Nine West collaboration, which will run from $75 for his lace-patterned rain boots to $195 for Kokosalaki's mesh-trimmed suede ballet flats to $495 for a pair of leather-strapped tartan boots from Westwood, with most shoes retailing for $225-$295 and handbags going for $195-$495.
Before the show, Thakoon headed over to a corner of the main room, where each designers' collection was displayed in its own artfully lit glass case, and proudly showed off his Nine West lace-and-PVC vinyl shoes and tote bag, lace-trimmed fingerless leather gloves, and lace-edged satin d'orsay pumps (the latter priced at $250, versus the $585 it cost for a pair of Thakoon by Manolo Blahnik signature label pumps).
The modern romance of Thakoon's accessories were countered by the sterner, hard-edged glamour Kokosalaki employed in her all-black collection, which featured a trio of large leather satchels with brushed aluminum hardware, calf-high military boots, multi-strapped leather gloves, ankle laced wedges and S and M-tinged strappy pumps.
Westwood, meanwhile, offered a mass market take on her trademark punky tartan by way of a plaid wrestler belt, mini kilt, lace-up pumps and a leather hobo bag with tartan side panels, along with several sexy patent leather sandals, rubber-toed ballet sneakers and the aforementioned leather-strapped plaid boots, which nodded to her infamous Pirate collection.
After posing for photos with Kokosalaki - who was clearly annoyed by a reporter's inquiry as to why she did not employ her signature Grecian draping in her Nine West collection ("I'm beyond the draping now," she said with droll hauteur. "That is not the only thing I do.") - Thakoon headed backstage while guests congregated in front of the glass cases, sipping bubbly and discussing which of the accessories they planned to buy.
"I'm here for Vivienne," said model-actress Irina Pantaeva, who was wearing a Westwood dress from several seasons back. "I have a whole collection of Vivienne. I like her sense of humor in the clothing, and it's so intelligent. And I love the accessories. They're great. They're so cheeky and provocative and smart and sexy."
The same could be said of all of the designers' accessories, judging from the runway show, which opened with fifteen uptown-goes-downtown looks from Thakoon followed by 23 Kokosalaki designs, many of which had a sexy dominatrix-secretary vibe.
Westwood closed - and stole - the show, sending out 40 looks (20 from her upcoming Fall collection, 20 created especially for the Nine West event) that ran the gamut from her signature corset-bodice blouses, one-legged bloomers and ingeniously draped gowns to flapper-fringed "Superhero" get-ups, crystal-encrusted track suits and gold lace skirts - the latter of which were all worn by male models who were clearly having the time of their lives as they strutted and mugged while the audience roared its approval.
The Westwood lovefest continued when the diminutive designer took her bow, waving to front-row friends and fans, all of whom appeared thrilled to have had the chance to see a Westwood show outside of Paris, which is where the British-born designer usually presents her collections.
"We're thinking of opening a store here again," Westwood said post-show, having escaped the backstage melee to sneak a smoke in front of the venue while reporters and well-wishers queued up for their chance to greet the Godmother of punk rock fashion. "This is a very, very good way to have a foot in the door, to have this small accessory line which is distributed in lots of places. It's a very good way for us to get money and also for us to have some impact, whereby we can then start to build with the whole thing."
Westwood was asked why her Nine West collection did not include any of the sky-high platform shoes for which she is known, such as the ankle-laced number that famously caused Naomi Campbell to fall, flat on her bum, during a runway show back in the ‘90s.
"I don't know why we didn't incloood them," Westwood replied in her drawling Derbyshire accent. "But we have so many hoondreds of things and, I mean, they're very good things, aren't they?"
Indeed, they are.
Fashion Wire Daily - New York - Designers Vivienne Westwood, Sophia Kokosalaki and Thakoon could not be more different, aesthetically. Which is, perhaps, why the mass market footwear goliath Nine West chose them to create limited-edition accessories collections for Fall 2006 - the first collaboration of its type in the company's history.
And on Wednesday, May 31st at Skylight Studios in New York City's Tribeca, several hundred curious fashionistas got their first glimpse of the trio's upcoming Nine West lines via an evening runway show in which each designer's accessories were paired with clothing from their Fall ‘06 collections, making for a thoroughly modern high street-meets-high fashion mix. (The crowd, which included Maggie Grace, Lauren Ezersky, Padma Lakshmi Rushdie, Susanne Bartsch, Kenny Kenny, Mickey Boardman, Amanda Lepore, Courtney Hansen, Genevieve Jones, Fern Mallis, the MisShapes and Jay McCarroll, was equally eclectic.)
"They wanted to do a mixture of different sorts of designers, from somebody as classic as Vivienne to somebody emerging, like me," Thakoon said of the historic Nine West collaboration, which will run from $75 for his lace-patterned rain boots to $195 for Kokosalaki's mesh-trimmed suede ballet flats to $495 for a pair of leather-strapped tartan boots from Westwood, with most shoes retailing for $225-$295 and handbags going for $195-$495.
Before the show, Thakoon headed over to a corner of the main room, where each designers' collection was displayed in its own artfully lit glass case, and proudly showed off his Nine West lace-and-PVC vinyl shoes and tote bag, lace-trimmed fingerless leather gloves, and lace-edged satin d'orsay pumps (the latter priced at $250, versus the $585 it cost for a pair of Thakoon by Manolo Blahnik signature label pumps).
The modern romance of Thakoon's accessories were countered by the sterner, hard-edged glamour Kokosalaki employed in her all-black collection, which featured a trio of large leather satchels with brushed aluminum hardware, calf-high military boots, multi-strapped leather gloves, ankle laced wedges and S and M-tinged strappy pumps.
Westwood, meanwhile, offered a mass market take on her trademark punky tartan by way of a plaid wrestler belt, mini kilt, lace-up pumps and a leather hobo bag with tartan side panels, along with several sexy patent leather sandals, rubber-toed ballet sneakers and the aforementioned leather-strapped plaid boots, which nodded to her infamous Pirate collection.
After posing for photos with Kokosalaki - who was clearly annoyed by a reporter's inquiry as to why she did not employ her signature Grecian draping in her Nine West collection ("I'm beyond the draping now," she said with droll hauteur. "That is not the only thing I do.") - Thakoon headed backstage while guests congregated in front of the glass cases, sipping bubbly and discussing which of the accessories they planned to buy.
"I'm here for Vivienne," said model-actress Irina Pantaeva, who was wearing a Westwood dress from several seasons back. "I have a whole collection of Vivienne. I like her sense of humor in the clothing, and it's so intelligent. And I love the accessories. They're great. They're so cheeky and provocative and smart and sexy."
The same could be said of all of the designers' accessories, judging from the runway show, which opened with fifteen uptown-goes-downtown looks from Thakoon followed by 23 Kokosalaki designs, many of which had a sexy dominatrix-secretary vibe.
Westwood closed - and stole - the show, sending out 40 looks (20 from her upcoming Fall collection, 20 created especially for the Nine West event) that ran the gamut from her signature corset-bodice blouses, one-legged bloomers and ingeniously draped gowns to flapper-fringed "Superhero" get-ups, crystal-encrusted track suits and gold lace skirts - the latter of which were all worn by male models who were clearly having the time of their lives as they strutted and mugged while the audience roared its approval.
The Westwood lovefest continued when the diminutive designer took her bow, waving to front-row friends and fans, all of whom appeared thrilled to have had the chance to see a Westwood show outside of Paris, which is where the British-born designer usually presents her collections.
"We're thinking of opening a store here again," Westwood said post-show, having escaped the backstage melee to sneak a smoke in front of the venue while reporters and well-wishers queued up for their chance to greet the Godmother of punk rock fashion. "This is a very, very good way to have a foot in the door, to have this small accessory line which is distributed in lots of places. It's a very good way for us to get money and also for us to have some impact, whereby we can then start to build with the whole thing."
Westwood was asked why her Nine West collection did not include any of the sky-high platform shoes for which she is known, such as the ankle-laced number that famously caused Naomi Campbell to fall, flat on her bum, during a runway show back in the ‘90s.
"I don't know why we didn't incloood them," Westwood replied in her drawling Derbyshire accent. "But we have so many hoondreds of things and, I mean, they're very good things, aren't they?"
Indeed, they are.
stilettogirl84
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I don't like it- I think it needs a higher heel
elschic111
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stilettogirl84 said:
I absolutely agree.
This is often the case for shoes...esp cheaper ones...you think "if they only had a higher heel" ... you know?
That boot wouldn't do it for me though with a higher heel. Better but still a no go.
Nicole wen
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i dont dislike Nine West that much
。。。
maybe bacause Fernanda did the ads for them
。。。
maybe bacause Fernanda did the ads for them
this is great!
getting vivienne westwood stuff for sure
the thing with the low heel is that..these are for the masses..and most people wouldnt want to wear 5 inch high heel all day
the low heel is a safer route to go if they want more people to buy
it would be fab if they do the vivienne rocking horse shoe
getting vivienne westwood stuff for sure
the thing with the low heel is that..these are for the masses..and most people wouldnt want to wear 5 inch high heel all day
the low heel is a safer route to go if they want more people to buy
it would be fab if they do the vivienne rocking horse shoe
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