Department store Macy's is taking a fashion cue from its upscale sister Bloomingdale's. Next month, the famous department store will host its first Open Call event, where fashion houses not currently selling at Macy's can showcase their wares for a possible slot on the selling floor.
Macy's is searching for established brands that may already be selling at rival stores such as Lord & Taylor. That's a different approach than Bloomingdale's takes. Last spring, it held an event called B-Seen, which was designed to attract new and emerging designers.
The Macy's casting call includes a two-week application process that starts Friday. If brands are selected, they will be asked to showcase their wares at Herald Square on Feb. 25 and 26.
“Macy's is continuing to invest in new endeavors that focus on inspiring our customer,” said Nicole Fischelis, Macy's fashion director, in a statement. This is the first time Macy's will sponsor an event of this kind, although in the early 1990s, the department store held a vendor fair where sought new and underexposed designers.
The switch to an already-established label makes sense, experts say. During this financial uncertainty, many stores are looking for tried and tested designers who already have their merchandising, marketing and production strategies in place.
Last week, Macy's announced it will close five underperforming stores, affecting over 300 employees. It has struggled with sales during the recession, though did end 2009 with sales at stores open more than a year rising by 1%.
In related news Thursday, online retailer Bluefly Inc. announced that it will be the exclusive online retail sponsor for season seven of fashion reality-TV series Project Runway. Macy's sponsored the show during season six, when Project Runway moved to the Lifetime network. Bluefly also sponsored seasons four and five, and earned high marks for TV brand integration, according to IAG Research rankings
Source:
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/ words by Adrianne Pasquarelli
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