Sies Marjan Closing Their Company

[Fulton St Critique]

The BoF just announced New York-based Sies Marjan will shut its doors due to the financial impact from COVID-19. This is not only bad for New York, but for the industry as a whole.

 

[Yohji]

One of the few NYFW highlights. That's really sad.

What's even sadder is knowing that this will be the first (it is, right?) of many.

 

[bc collector]

Karma is a b*tch

 

[Fulton St Critique]

One of the few NYFW highlights. That's really sad.

What's even sadder is knowing that this will be the first (it is, right?) of many.

Yes, that I know of. What saddens me, even more, is knowing they recently expanded into menswear which they immediately excelled at.

 

[depordetioz]

not unexpected, the brand was already suffering even before the pandemic. and also, the level of design got so much worse after fw18

 

[Yohji]

Karma is a b*tch

What happened?

 

[Benn98]

Yikes, had a love/hate approach to most of his collections but for the most part he designed the type of clothes I would (like to) wear on a daily basis. Mostly. And even though they've been spamming my emails with 'FLASH SALE!!!! in the subject line, which at the time I considered to be in poor taste, guess it all makes sense now. I wasn't expecting this.

Sander will survive though. He comes from money if I understand correctly, probably already plotting his next venture as we speak.

Ugh, e-comm is already shut down!?! And yes, I rushed over to see what I can still buy, even if it has the odour of grave-robbing attached to it.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Nooo!!! Their silk shirts were my guilty pleasure.

Sander and Joey will survive. I feel bad for everyone else.

Their showroom here is beautiful - I met someone on their production team during a sample sale last summer. Really nice staff overall.

 

[bc collector]

What happened?

Apart from personal considerations on the value of Mr Lak's work (never mind his WW, though it sort of fizzled out after the first two promising collections, but his MW, oh dear, camp does not even start to describe it), the whole business was founded on a blatant act of treachery from the side of the financial backers, who basically kicked Ralph Rucci out of his business - literally, the SM offices were formerly Rucci's atelier - to make space for this designer, who really seemed to have come out of nowhere.

 

[Benn98]

Nooo!!! Their silk shirts were my guilty pleasure.

Same here! Such a pity that I'll never get the retail experience now.
And yes, I've posted his showroom in the Designer Retail Store thread, it was stunning!

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Yes I noticed the deletion of all SM and e-comm too lol.

Shame there's no closing sale.

 

[depordetioz]

Must be true then, that the troubles started way before the pandemic.....
Part of me thinks that he started too strong, and maybe too brashy. I recall he commissioned Weber to shoot one of his first campaigns, then there was the retail space, and the move to Paris which now seemed like the last shot at making the brand a success.

In a way this is a sad day for stylish, confident American menswear with zero inclination to court the hypebeast market.

I remember someone here saying that booking Weber was too early. Just because you have money to book someone as huge as him it doesn’t mean you should do it. I feel like they wanted so much so fast and when it didn’t work out like they wished it would, the suits got mad fast

 

[YohjiAddict]

We hardly knew you...well me at least.

 

[Marc10]

Sad to hear this, absolutely loved his stuff. One of the very few remaining lights in NY. Hopefully Sander will land a gig somewhere soon.

 

[Fulton St Critique]

Apart from personal considerations on the value of Mr Lak's work (never mind his WW, though it sort of fizzled out after the first two promising collections, but his MW, oh dear, camp does not even start to describe it), the whole business was founded on a blatant act of treachery from the side of the financial backers, who basically kicked Ralph Rucci out of his business - literally, the SM offices were formerly Rucci's atelier - to make space for this designer, who really seemed to have come out of nowhere.

That's incredible. I had no idea...

 

[Benn98]

So does it mean Fall/Winter never even went into production, because there were some lush colours!
Now I'm worried for Eckhaus Latta and Monse.

 

[dodencebt]

I feel bad that a young business is closing, but I can't feel bad for this particular one as it was based on questionable ethics. I was a fan of Sander's designs in the beginning until people started talking. Then the aura just kind of faded for me, declining quality and pumped up prices aside.

 

[helmutnotdead]

So does it mean Fall/Winter never even went into production, because there were some lush colours!
Now I'm worried for Eckhaus Latta and Monse.

eckhaus latta is doing good. they’re far more interesting designers and their business is pretty clever.

 

[Benn98]

eckhaus latta is doing good. they’re far more interesting designers and their business is pretty clever.

They're doing good because they were part of the first few brands to receive COVID funding from the CFDA last month. Sies Marjan wasn't on that list, and they're not on the current one which will be released this month.
I wonder if a grant may have given them somewhat of a reprieve.

Sander should've explained to the CFDA that he was in the red, and needed emergency funding.

 

[Salvatore]

I am so curious what their operating costs were and how much this label was started with. I know billionaires backed it and they used Rucci's atelier, but how mcuh does all of this cost I am wondering.