The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the clothing company ceded control of its brand to J.C. Penny, which is launching this fall a new Liz clothing, home, and accessories line in all 1,100 of its stores.
The move keeps Liz Claiborne alive, but at what cost?
The article goes on to discuss the strange, if disturbing, antics of the company’s CEO William L. McComb, and the disastrous hiring of fashion personality and designer Isaac Mizrahi as head designer.
Worse yet, it’s a shame to see such an iconic brand that celebrated American working women go down the tubes because the men who shape the company’s engine have lost touch with women.
The crux of the problem seemed to be the men at Liz didn’t know who they were designing for – Baby Boomers playing with their grandchildren or their Gen X daughters who were balancing work and family life.
This confusion resulted in pink gingham dresses and clovers plastered on everything from sweaters to wallets. Women weren’t responding, hence the fall of its credit ratings from investment grade to junk, because all they found in the clothes was McComb and Mizrahi’s megalomania.
But all is not lost.
It’s that DNA the company should tap into to save itself. Even with Ann Taylor, Talbots and Jones New York, there’s still room to design well-made clothes and sportswear for the American woman. Ann Taylor and Talbots haven’t perfected the formula, though Talbots fall collection is pretty darned close.
When or if Liz Claiborne taps into its internal compass, it will never be lost or at the mercy of Penny’s again.
While the cut on most Liz Claiborne clothing was never right for me, I used to LOVE their blazers and I still have a soft spot for their handbags.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, I definitely agree that their designs have taken a major turn for the old and frumpy.
With Isaac Mizrahi at the design helm, they were just plain frumpy and weird. It's my dream to take over an old label and revamp it with affordable clothes that I and my friends would love.
ReplyDelete