Fashion Shows, Fashion Week, Resort 2011 New York
Jason Wu: Made for Resort
By Lauren Sherman
The proliferation of full-on resort season runway shows makes me a little uneasy, mostly because it feels like most brands don’t need to put on such an elaborate production to sell clothes. (Which by the way, is the main reason for pre-fall and resort collections. They make up a majority of most labels’ apparel sales.)
Yet there are always a few who lend themselves so well to Resort that it makes sense to do it up. Jason Wu is one of those designers.
To me, Wu is this generation’s Oscar de la Renta, which means that no matter what season he’s in, the pieces are both wearable and in one way or another, extravagant. So each collection deserves similar treatment.
Showing at the St. Regis Hotel for a mix of editors, buyers, and all-around amazing people–including Jenna Lyons and Lizzie Tisch (in a tweed Wu dress and matching pink Hermès Birkin)–Wu’s long mermaid dresses, cute khakis, sparkly shift dresses and little straw hats lit up the runway. (As did his new eye wear collection for Ilori, with which I’m obsessed. I’m this close to buying a pair of the glasses, sans-prescription. Don’t worry, I’m not going to do it.)
But back to the clothes: What I love about Wu is that he makes subtle tweaks to his look every season, each building on the last. While the tulip skirt may appear stale on other runways, it’s still fresh–and my personal favorite–on his. There’s no doubting the socials in the audience made plenty of personal orders today–I even heard a couple of big editors talking about pulling looks for future covers.
Our super-duper photog Ashley Jahncke took a TON of photos–both backstage and on the runway–so enjoy clicking through!
Tags: Ilori, Jason Wu, Jenna Lyons, Lizzie Tisch, Resort 2011
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Jason Wu is making his way into my top 5 designers. I think his clothes are amazing. I agree, Jason Wu is this generation's Oscare de la Renta
Re: Lauren's comment: “(Which by the way, is the main reason for pre-fall and resort collections. They make up a majority of most label’s sales.)”
That's not true – where did you get that statistic? Pre-Fall and Resort certainly help keep retail floors full year round (July and December), but they don't make up the majority of most label's sales. Please share if this is indeed true.
totally spot on with the de la renta comparison– with a dash more youthful whimsy! love the dress in the second pic and the shorts suit. can't wait to see it in stores!
theworkinggirlesq.blogspot.com
Read any trade publication. WWD mentions the statistic often enough and it's taken as common knowledge. Resort + pre-fall make up the majority of sales for the major luxe brands both at retailers and their own shops. Runway in Sept + Feb sets look, tone, aesthetic; the majority of what is sold outside of a few key dramatic runway pieces is neutered down to what the customer has been buying for the majority of the year. Do your research before you attack editors; this is really taken as industry common knowledge — see Bridget Foley's blog post from a few years ago.
http://www.wwd.com/fashion-blogs/tis_the_season…
It was not an attack on the editor, but a legitimate question.
The article you cite never states that Pre-Seasons make up the 'majority' of most label's sales. Read the wording: “oft-cited cliche that the pre-seasons sell best because they're on the floor longest had some validity” – meaning pre-seasons have the best sell-through %. They sell out because they begin the trend and are on the floor longer.
This does not mean that sales from these 2 deliveries account for most of the annual revenues, which is what Lauren stated.
Pre-Fall and Pre-Spring generally represent only 1 month's delivery, while major seasons often come in multiple shipments, July through October, and thus, a larger chunk of annual sales.
There are no attacks, Nick, only love and an open form for discussion.
Okay, guys! This is what I meant by the statement.
In general–now, I'm not saying every label, I'm saying most labels–pre-fall and spring are where the majority (majority means more than 50%) of the apparel sales come from. (I'll add the word apparel in there, because most annual revenue from huge brands come from accessories and perfume.)
How do I know this?
Well, first off, Pre-season collections have a much better sell-through because they're on the floor a lot longer. (Yes, they get marked down, but they're there from the beginning of summer through the end of fall, so there's lots of time to buy.) Also they are, in general, just more wearable, so buyers are spending more on the “pre-”seasons than ever before.
I've also had a lot of CEOs tell me this, so I didn't just pull it out of a hat. It's difficult to find empirical evidence, because brands simply don't have to release that kind of information. Even public brands–like Ralph Lauren–don't have to say much about this particular topic. What investor cares which ready-to-wear line is selling well when all the “real” money is coming from jeans and home goods?
can;t wait to see those worn :x
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