Runway Gifts
Bessie Nestoras -- Gifts and Dec, 11/1/2011 2:00:00 AM
AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO SAY THE ECONOMY IS TURNING AROUND, IT'S NOT DOING IT FAST ENOUGH. PEOPLE ARE STILL CAUTIOUS AND CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY ON. BUYING NEW FURNISHINGS HAS BEEN RELEGATED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST. BUT ONE THING PEOPLE - ESPECIALLY WOMEN - ARE WILLING TO STILL SPEND THEIR MONEY ON IS THEMSELVES. WHETHER IT BE CLOTHING, SHOES OR FASHION JEWELRY, THEY WON'T HESITATE TO DROP $100 ON SOMETHING FASHIONABLY CHIC THAT ENHANCES THEIR WARDROBE.
Vendors have realized that they can cash in on this category and have been expanding into fashion accessories and now apparel. With the changing face of the gift vendor, comes that of the gift store; it is becoming more of a lifestyle store, reflecting more the overall style sense of its customer base.
We've been seeing this transition for some time now, but with the addition of apparel surfacing in the gift mix, they are truly offering a complete lifestyle in one place. One store that has mastered this brilliantly is Anthropologie (Check out editorial director Warren Shoulberg's blog post "Studying Anthropologie" at giftsanddec.com, where he talks about how the store has successfully merged clothing and furnishings.)
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Ruffle scarf is 100% acrylic. 72"x24". $24. Alexa's Angels. 877.264.3576. www.alexas-angels.com
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Scarves, dresses, tank tops and pants, as well as tote bags, are all part of Blissliving Home's loungewear collection. $30-$100. Blissliving Home. 866.95.BLISS. www.blisslivinghome.com |
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Black embroidered paisley cover up is made of a lightweight cotton. $50. Mud Pie. 800.998.1633. www.mud-pie.com | |
Fashion & Home, Together Forever
"To me it's about creating a lifestyle... The boutiques that I used to sell a handful of lamps, footbaths, tables, etc. have changed their perspectives, too, and are adding items that a client can wear and feel good in," said Susan Carson owner/designer of Carson & Co., who up until recently was best known for her selection of lamps, furniture and accessories.
If you're not incorporating fashion into your merchandise mix you are missing out on a lucrative category. Your shop may be a gift store or a decorative accessories store, or a combination of the two, so maybe you think fashion has no place in your shop. It does.
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Tunics come in orange, turquoise and navy in S, M and L. $68. Toss Designs. 415.721.1037. www.tossdesigns.com |
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Cotton voile Narcisse bell sleeves loose dress. $95. Murval. 305.715.9066. www.murval.com |
Vintage long v-neck dress in shell pink and sea blue. 100% silk charmeuse. Made in the USA. $1,075. Carson & Co. 704.332.5955. www.carsonandco.com |
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Foo dog extra long wool scarf. 20"x110". $140. Thomas Paul. 718.797.8758. www.thomaspaul.com |
"One only needs to look at any department store and it becomes clear. You have a store that is, say, eight floors of apparel and accessories, and one floor or half of one floor is devoted to gifts and home," said designer Thomas Paul. Paul, who actually got his start in fashion and then got into home accessories, has come full circle with a collection of scarves that was first introduced in 2009 with only six styles It has grown so rapidly, the designer now has about 50 SKUs.
"I think a lot of it has to do with the rate of sales in home versus fashion. For my line, we have a lot of hesitation from small retailers to carry decorative pillows because they take up a lot of space in the shop. In the space that 10 throw pillows would occupy, a retailer can probably have a fixture or a table with 30 or more scarves or other small but high value accessories," he said.
To be successful, a store owner needs to keep things interesting. You don't want to be a one-note store, but a one-stop shop. Bring in all of the various categories. "It just seems to be the smart thing to do, not be totally a home store or whatever, but be able to keep the customer in your shop as long as possible by creating as many interesting layers to purchase from," said Carson.
Fashion Pays
"Women still want to look good, therefore they will buy something for themselves and spend a little money to achieve a look. They might not always need a lamp, but they can certainly indulge in a beautiful scarf," said Susan Carson. "Another thing is that most people are more obsessed with what they wear than with what they have in their homes and will not think twice about spending $100 on an apparel or accessory item, but the same customer really hesitates at dropping $100 on a throw pillow," added Thomas Paul.
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Floral triangle scarf is 100 percent silk. $60. Fraas. 212.575.0191. www.fraas.com |
Empire waist cotton dress in brown paisley. 49" long. $50. burton + BURTON. 800.241.2094. www.burtonandburton.com |
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Winter Park square scarf in teal features a paisley print. $29. Lindsay Phillips. 973.285.0041. www.lindsay-phillips.com | |
Carson, who uses her patterns from her decorative furnishings to create scarves and dresses, told Gifts & Decorative Accessories that the scarves have had a very positive impact on her shows. "The dresses so far are more of an eye candy, an enticement to the booth. But I think these sales will increase as we keep developing more styles and keep creating looks that are attractive," said the designer.
For Mei Xu, CEO of Blissliving Home, maker of bedding and other home textiles, adding a loungewear line just seemed like a natural extension of the brand. The company launched a loungewear collection for Fall/Winter 2011 and found it to be a big success. "We were almost surprised how well it did at the shows. It was our second strongest selling category after bedding. I think it was about 20 percent of our overall business during the summer market. We have taken that as a wonderful stamp of approval," she said.
"Apparel gives retailers an option to draw in customers who may not have otherwise come in. And the simple fact is people love fashion," said Steve Rose, communications manager at burton +BURTON. This gift vendor may cater mainly to the floral industry, but it recognized the importance early on and introduced a collection of beach bags and hats last year, and for 2012 decided to add more items to complement that line with sarongs and beach dresses.
With apparel comes the issue of sizing and Xu advises to stay away from anything that may have them. "Pieces like scarves, super-soft cardigans and luxury loungewear make wonderful gifts that wow the recipient," she said.
"Women love fashion and we all want to gift our sisters, girlfriends and mothers with items that they will love... I do think it is a great category to spice up your assortment and to attract new audiences and a ton of repeat business," Xu summed up.
We would love your feedback!
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