Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti to show in NYC for F/W 07

[kimair]

from wwd...

Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti will show in New York come February, adding another name to the list of brands departing Milan Fashion Week.

The Philosophy show is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 6, but that date is subject to change as the New York calendar evolves. A location has not yet been determined. Alberta Ferretti said she has been mulling a move to New York for more than a year.

Ferretti admitted Philosophy's positioning on the crowded Milan calendar has been a problem, but that wasn't the deciding factor for the move to New York. Instead, the designer wants to boost the international visibility and identity of Philosophy, which she doesn't consider a secondary line.

"This is a strategic decision in terms of the market, communication and being present in other countries," Ferretti said. "I think it's only right for a designer to be present in a variety of international markets ... This is about my desire to be present in a city like New York."

Philosophy's shift Stateside makes it the latest label to leave Milan, following the likes of Miu Miu, Antonio Berardi, Neil Barrett and Malo, which have all opted for Paris or New York over the Italian city. In September, Emporio Armani showed in London, coinciding with a store opening and the launch of the Emporio Armani (Product) Red collection for charity. But that was a one-off event. The brand will return to Milan's roster for the fall shows.

Elsewhere, men's wear giant Ermenegildo Zegna just chose New York for the runway debut of its younger Z Zegna collection.

Ferretti said she will continue to show her top label Alberta Ferretti collection in Milan. Aeffe SpA owns both the Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy brands.

Ferretti said Philosophy is enjoying strong momentum in the United States. Sales of the brand worldwide are seen climbing 8 percent to $50 million this year and growing at an even faster rate in 2007, Ferretti said.

The designer added she doesn't want to do a "traditional fashion show" for her New York debut and plans to involve young artists in the process. "I want to present something different," she said.

 

[JJohnson]

OMG!!!!!! ugh now i MUST come to NYC!

 

[JJohnson]

I think Milan should all show in NYC!

 

[Lena]

unbelivable.. Milano fashion week is getting weaker season by season and i cant blame the designers, it's all Camera's fault

 

[style_expert]

I agree..Miu Miu, Emporio Armani and now Philosophy. Good for NYC fashion week though.

 

[JJohnson]

I agree..Miu Miu, Emporio Armani and now Philosophy. Good for NYC fashion week though.

Indeed. I think NYC needs a designer boost. They should have a section for Indie designers

 

[ChrissyM]

Interesting... Milan is definitely losing not doing so well in terms of retaining designers...

At least it is a bit of a boon for NY

 

[JJohnson]

Interesting... Milan is definitely losing not doing so well in terms of retaining designers...

At least it is a bit of a boon for NY

Most of the editorial control is here in NYC anyways (4 Times square) so maybe it's not to inconvience the editors? They need to totally move all of Milan to NYC

 

[style_expert]

Maybe from a creative point of view, Milan is losing importance, but from a commercial point of view it's still the most important of the three actually. Milan is where most of the money is made.

 

[liberty33r1b]

definitely good for nyc, and good for me as i'll see the show sooner each season....

 

[ChrissyM]

Maybe from a creative point of view, Milan is losing importance, but from a commercial point of view it's still the most important of the three actually. Milan is where most of the money is made.

sorry to be a bit of a dummy but could you explain why Milan is the most commercially important/successful?

Is it a case of more stuff from there being sold? or greater quantities produced or something like that?

 

[style_expert]

sorry to be a bit of a dummy but could you explain why Milan is the most commercially important/successful?

Is it a case of more stuff from there being sold? or greater quantities produced or something like that?

First of all you have the houses like Gucci and Prada in Milan. Especially Prada makes a lot money in wholesale. Of course you have such houses in Paris too (Chanel, Vuitton, Dior) but they usually cater to their own stores only.
Secondly, some brands like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney are showing in Paris, but most of their collections are actually sold in Milan. So generally there is more stuff sold in Milan. Milan brands usually work with higher budgets too and stores are willing to buy a lot because it's more commercial than Paris.

 

[ChrissyM]

First of all you have the houses like Gucci and Prada in Milan. Especially Prada makes a lot money in wholesale. Of course you have such houses in Paris too (Chanel, Vuitton, Dior) but they usually cater to their own stores only.
Secondly, some brands like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney are showing in Paris, but most of their collections are actually sold in Milan. So generally there is more stuff sold in Milan. Milan brands usually work with higher budgets too and stores are willing to buy a lot because it's more commercial than Paris.

Thanks for taking the time to answer... makes sense

So in terms of profit would NY come in third? Or would this be London (I'm thinking London is a smaller affair but I don't know if the strength of the currency there adds anything to the mix)

I'm guessing that NY would have less profit because the people who show there are considerably smaller in terms of the big fashion houses...

I guess to keep this more on topic here I would ask do you think it is a smart strategic move on Alberta Ferretti's part to increase her visibilty/profits?

Could showing in NY boost not only the profile and profits of her Philosophy line but her main Alberta Ferretti line (which will still be showing in Milan)?

 

[style_expert]

Thanks for taking the time to answer... makes sense

So in terms of profit would NY come in third? Or would this be London (I'm thinking London is a smaller affair but I don't know if the strength of the currency there adds anything to the mix)

I'm guessing that NY would have less profit because the people who show there are considerably smaller in terms of the big fashion houses...

I guess to keep this more on topic here I would ask do you think it is a smart strategic move on Alberta Ferretti's part to increase her visibilty/profits?

Could showing in NY boost not only the profile and profits of her Philosophy line but her main Alberta Ferretti line (which will still be showing in Milan)?

no problem, you're welcome

NY comes third as London is more about young and independent designers (well except for a few). Commercially, there's not much happening in London compared to the other three cities.

Showing the Philosophy line in NY has a lot to do with image. It's very clear Alberta (or I'd say the owner of her both brands Aeffe) is trying to market Philosophy as a full main line, while we know it's a diffusion line. It's actually a great 'trick' to gain more customers. It's precisely the same thing Prada did with Miu Miu and Miu Miu's move to Paris has been very succesfull so far because people do not see Miu Miu as a diffusion line anymore (or at least less). I think that's the main reason why labels are moving and remarkably always the diffusion lines are moving. Last but not least, it's also meant to appeal extra to US customers as the US is still a huge market. You see the big houses showing their cruise collections in NYC now too, especially targeted at US customers.

As for her main line, I don't think there will be significant changes because the main line is attracting different buyers anyway than Philosophy in most cases. It's still a different level

 

[JJohnson]

I also think Milan makes a lot of money becaues of the production of the items there. I cant wait to see Philosophy though!

 

[ilovepositano]

interesting move, esp. since AEFFE has always been practically disinterested in selling runway across brands, including narciso, philosophy, and moschino.