Womenswear Articles       10/1/2009

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AllWomenMenHome  Eco-fashion Print This Page “Since half the people out there are inspired by celebrity, I think that if consumers see a star wearing a trend or new style, they’re more open to it.” - Jerry Talamantes, Dillard’s Midwest

STAR POWER

Ben Bernanke may have announced the recession is “very likely over,” but designers and retailers realize it will take more than a wave of the Fed Chairman’s wand to create magic in retail sales. The industry is more likely to turn the klieg lights on itself by bringing a taste of the red carpet to Middle America.

Megan Fox covers Cosmo. Charlize Theron graces Vogue. Entertainment shows tell viewers which celeb is wearing what from award ceremonies to the grocery store. Anna Sui designed “Gossip Girl”-inspired clothes for Target. And lines bearing celebrity names keep cropping up like dandelions on an untamed lawn.

Dillard’s Midwest’s Jerry Talamantes, director of special events and PR, says the celebrity influence can still be very relevant to fashion sales. “Since half the people out there are inspired by celebrity, I think that if consumers see a star wearing a trend or new style, they’re more open to it,” says Talamantes. “It plants a seed and allows consumers to review and ascertain if it’s right for them.”

Among all women, 26% cite fashion magazines, 18% cite TV shows and 12% say celebrities are their top sources for clothing ideas, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey. Women 13-24 are significantly more likely than older women to get their clothing ideas from these sources.

Anna Sui’s “Gossip Girl” collection for Target is an interesting twist on high/low collaborations. Younger viewers closely follow the show’s fashions, but their high price tags put them out of reach for most fans. Sui’s own designs are expensive, too – which is what makes this collaboration so embraceable.

Most Monitor respondents (42%) say they plan to spend less on apparel for themselves this year compared to last , probably because 55% say they have less to spend.

Still , American women shop for clothes three times a month on average — be it in stores, online, or through catalogs or TV. Impulse shoppers are significantly more likely than female planners to get their clothing ideas from fashion magazines (31% versus 21%), celebrities (16% versus 8%) and TV shows (21% versus 15%).

Banana Republic danced with the stars over the summer when it co-sponsored a sweepstakes with AMC’s “Mad Men” to win a walk-on role for an upcoming episode plus a $1,000 store gift card.

Catherine Sadler, chief merchandising officer, said Banana Republic showcased its modern take on quintessential work classics, “by featuring key items like the pencil skirt, sheath, suit, white shirt – styles that both Banana Republic and ‘Mad Men’ are famous for. The partnership was a natural fit because style and fashion are at the core of Mad Men and at the core of our brand.”

Tom Julian, trend expert and president of Tom Julian Group, a brand consultancy in New York, says the “Mad Men” and “Gossip Girl” promotions are “a solid illustration of integrated marketing with a cultural and style tie-in. If the time and merchandise is right and an organization can surround the consumer with product, messages and lifestyle cues, fashion trends resonate in a bigger and more effective way.”

Last week, Oprah Winfrey staged a “Mad Men” inspired ‘60s-themed show replete with the era’s fashion and the series’ stars. “

The show continues to build momentum and to have an impact in the fashion world,” Sadler says. “Banana Republic was able to leverage this and the marketing support AMC was putting behind their Season Three premiere to tell a strong product story and create buzz. The contest was a hugely successful program which resonated with our customers, and drove traffic and excitement for our brand.”

Alice Dermirjian, assistant professor and director, fashion marketing at Parsons The New School for Design, says she expects to see more TV tie-ins. “It makes it very easy for the consumer to make that link and connection. But it can’t feel too forced or seem too much like advertising. I think it has be more of an interesting link, or feel more like, ‘We’re informing you of what’s happening in fashion,’ to be successful.”

And Julian says the apparel industry has to be mindful that “as a show declines in popularity (think “Friends” and “thirtysomething”), the label can then become a dated look and story.”

Of course, celebrities continue to unveil their own apparel lines. Some, like Kristin Davis’ line, will end its brief run with Belk come spring ‘10. Others, like Jaclyn Smith’s for Kmart, thrive long after the star is no longer a fixture.

“Some celebrities work hard to make their collections a fashion brand and not just a celebrity name attached to a line,” Dermirjian says.

Two star-driven names sold at Dillard’s Midwest are Apple Bottom by St. Louis native and rap artist Nelly, and Sheryl Crow’s Bootheel Trading Co., denim collection.

As Julian says, “Celeb lines are definitely more effective when targeted toward the teen or tween consumer, or a global city where the celebrity has a different emotional connection.”

But, Talamantes says, “With any of these lines, the clothing has to have the design, textile and fit integrity to carry on.”

This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. Each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to the American women’s wear consumer and her attitudes and behavior regarding clothing, appearance, fashion, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.