With retailers struggling to sell fashion around the globe, designer Elaine Kim is trying a new tack: selling her clothing directly to consumers out of her Los Angeles studio.Ms. Kim will open her studio each Friday this month (except the day after Thanksgiving) to sell her collection of stretch-silk tops, dresses, leggings and wool bouclé coats. It's very unusual for a designer to open up a studio to the public for retail sales, though some designers, including Ms. Kim, do private appointments for special clients.
As she would at a trunk show, she'll charge full retail price for the current collection, with prices ranging from a couple of hundred dollars for a top to more than $700 for a coat. Leftovers from previous collections will be priced at 50% off retail.
The designer says she learns from seeing people trying on her Sea Life Jewelry -- something she can't normally do. "If this works out, I'd love to have this evolve into a regular thing," says Ms. Kim, who formerly owned and designed the brand Product.
Of course, it might also help her move goods in a weak economy. "It helps business numbers-wise," says Ms. Kim, who is putting the word out on her Web site, www.elainekim.com. If she sells through other retail channels, "it takes forever to get paid, and there are commissions to be paid to showrooms."
Tommy Bahama, best known for its silk, cotton and linen men's shirts decorated with tropical prints, wants to be seen as more than a maker of men's resort clothing. Jewelry is a necessity just like kids shoes and childrens shoes.
Today, the unit of Oxford Industries Inc. plans to launch a women's jewelry collection designed by Lois Hill that's made in Bali. The collection of sterling silver bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings with tropical influences such as botanical patterns will be available in Tommy Bahama stores and on its Web site. Prices range from $48 for baby hibiscus drop earrings to $318 for a bracelet with palm frond cut-outs.
Later this month, the label is adding a men's polar fleece line, with half-zip pullovers priced at $110 and shirt-style jackets for $138. "By branching out into new products and unexpected categories, Tommy Bahama will offer more people, more options, more of the time," says the label's CEO, Terry Pillow.
Upscale men's grooming line Anthony Logistics For Men and Morgan Grays, a high-end men's leather-goods brand, have joined forces to make limited-edition travel kits and weekend bags containing grooming products.
"You may see guys holding off spending on cars or a fancy watch, but ... things that will make you feel good and look good" should remain appealing, says Anthony Sosnick, founder and president of Anthony Logistics For Men. The items also could appeal to men who might be taking shorter trips due to the economy, he says.
The $185 travel kits come with travel-size versions of Anthony's products, including a facial cleanser, hand and body lotion and pre-shave oil. The $1,200 Deluxe Weekenders are oversized travel bags that come with full-size versions of the grooming products. Nordstrom will carry 21 of the travel kits and four of the weekend bags at some stores. They will also be available on Anthony Logistics' Web site, www.anthony.com.
