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ponystep.com
Ponystep talks business with Sarah Rutson, Fashion Director of Lane Crawford; THE shopping destination in the increasingly important market that is Hong Kong.
The tall girl in the skyscraper Louboutins is a writer (and fashion enthusiasts’) dream, responsible in the past for such pearls of wisdom as: "I am not into ‘lady versions' [of extreme heels]. Either do it or don't." One blogger has since swooned that when she opens her mouth, ‘spun gold comes out’, comparing her soundbites to being ‘right up there with reading Diana Vreeland's autobiography.’ Here she puts the bon mots back on their velvet hanger, and gives us the 411 (or 5’11”) on fashion from a retail and market perspective...
Dean Mayo Davies: How do you view Lane Crawford’s position in the international marketplace? Do you think you are in an enviable position, being a premium domestic brand in one of the world’s fastest growing economies? What kind of freedom does this give you?
Sarah Rutson: Firstly, Lane Crawford’s President, Jennifer Woo, gives a great deal of autonomy to her people. This has been a unique opportunity for me and others I work with to create a really unique brand mix, with exciting buys that cannot be seen anywhere else. We are lucky that Hong Kong has always had a very fashion forward customer that is far more nuanced and open-minded than many European or American customers - this has enabled us to always push the envelope and not play things typically safe.
DMD: Would you say there is a typical Lane Crawford customer?
SR: A typical customer is very knowledgeable about fashion, but is now wanting to make statements in their clothing and lifestyle, with a very individual take and a personal approach. They don’t want to be a cookie cutter in terms of looks and the way they style their chosen brands as if just off the catwalk. As such, we’ve seen a significant growth in our new generation designers; brands such as RM by Roland Mouret, Sacai, Haider Ackermann and Sharon Wauchob... DMD: What are labels are your bestsellers?
SR: ...Marni, Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Givenchy. Miu Miu, Stella McCartney, The Row, Sacai and Toga. You can see the cross section of brands – designer to new generation to contemporary – they are.
DMD: What are you looking for in a collection? What would be the ‘ideal’?
SR: When looking for a new collection, it must have individuality and a signature look that can differentiate from other designers. There is no such thing as an ‘ideal’ as each brand should have something special to say that makes it stand apart and be unique. That is the beauty of being a multi-brand store; we have the ability to have different genres of designers for different tastes as well as multi-price points.
DMD: Which designers do you always wear personally?
SR: I wear Givenchy, Rick Owens, Azzedine Alaïa and Lanvin the most. They form the backbone of my wardrobe.
DMD: Do you think a piece of clothing change the way a person sees the world?
SR: I wear clothes that reflect how I feel on that particular day or to sometimes to help me feel a particular way. It’s how I feel personally, not how I want to feel about the world.
DMD: How would you describe your role (and what you do) to an outsider? And what would you say are the effects of your work?
SR: I consider myself a champion and communicator. I champion designers and customers and then communicate our fashion vision for the season to the buyers and others within the company, the customer and the press to make sure there is a consistent message of what we stand behind. I give creative presentations of what we should see, where fashion is going before we see it come down the runways, styles or trends I feel we should get behind and be ready to push forward - and also sometimes the trends I want to start for our customer. It’s all about preparing the teams with an open mind to see something new and also have a fresh perspective, it’s NOT about ‘let’s see what comes down the runway and then we try and make sense of it’. Being prepared, especially when you have large buying teams that are in different parts of the world, ensures that everyone is not working randomly on their own. It’s about giving a very strong focus and a clear directive of authority down to both the stores and our customers.
DMD: How do you feel about your (and the companies’) position on the international fashion stage?
SR: I know that we, as a company, are known for our forward and exciting vision, from other retailers and many well-respected fashion magazines. I know that our customer who shops overseas always comes back and says that our selection is far more exciting and our store environment is more invigorating! Earlier this year, we also won the International Retailer of the Year Award from the National Retail Federation, so we are certainly recognised as a respected authority within our industry.
DMD: Today, the boundary between art and fashion has blurred to its’ most extreme. Does this philosophy effect the ‘business’ of fashion, do you think, with repercussions in the retail of it too?
SR: As long as it is handled sensitively, we have found it works really well in the right proportion. There is sometimes a danger of trying too hard and forgetting it is always about the clothes and the customer – it’s about getting the balance right.
DMD: A friend recently said to me that in our current society, ‘shopping is the new art’. Do you think there’s an acute truth in this? And how will the current unstable economic climate we’re experiencing at the moment effect stores such as yourselves? Will this cause a shift in your operation of any sort?
SR: I think that statement might have been made because of the global democracy that seems to have happened to high designer fashion over the last six years especially. It had become the new art form to the masses. There will always be different levels for customers and where some get hit by the economic crisis, others are not. We’re lucky that we have the best selection of designer and contemporary lines and prices that will reflect both the needs of the consumer who is struggling and those that are not as badly hit.
DMD: Do you think buyers have more power than curators these days?
SR: You see the more-immediate effects of your work in the streets after all as well as you can communication your thoughts and ideas to more people. It will always be the customer that is the curator, the buyer only hopes they can display a vision and specific taste for them.
DMD: You’ve been responsible for some captivating projects such as the Collective: Synergy in Fashion project exhibition which coincided with the Beijing Olympics - designers such as Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, Maison Martin Margiela, and Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent created looks inspired by competitions such as archery, badminton and track-and-field. How important are projects such as these today? And how forthcoming are designers to get involved? In terms of the exposure generated, projects such as these seem as valuable as any catwalk show...
SR: The company is constantly looking at interesting and innovative projects that will not only excite but also inspire our customers. With 2008 as the year of Beijing Olympics, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to show how fashion can be part of it, inviting a mix of top designers to create a unique sports-themed outfit to celebrate this momentous event in China. They were all eager to collaborate with us as well as be a part of the charity element of the program (all of the outfits are being auctioned until November 15th, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting “Special Relief Funds for Children affected by the Sichuan Earthquake,” a cause established by UNICEF under its ‘Driving Dreams’ project).
DMD: Finally, can we talk about Lane Crawford’s autumn/winter ad campaign? Even that is an event; it was shot by Inez and Vinoodh, and styled by Joe McKenna...
SR: The campaign is called ‘the iNNOVATORs’, and it was captured by renowned photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, with Joe McKenna styling. It’s an assemblage of progressive thinkers that are leaving their distinctive marks in the world of fashion, art, film and music. We were inspired by their individuality, and wanting to help our customers learn to express their own creativity and style too. The gifted and talented cast includes: actress China Chow, who has inherited flawless style and paves her way as today’s fashion icon; Terence Koh, the provocative and controversial artist hailing from New York; actor Song Ning, with an unfailing energy to express himself in different art-forms; Emma Pei, a successful model in Europe who interprets fashion using her exquisite chameleon-like ability; photographer Victoria Tang, an ultimate blend of the East and West; actress Zhang Jing Chu whose acting skills have inspired the masses; and, award-winning music producer Zhang Yadong, who has touched and exhilarated through his musical talents.
DMD
www.lanecrawford.com
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