Liz Claiborne bets on Juicy and Kate

Posted Jul 15th 2007 at 1:32PM by Deidre Woollard (Subscribe to Deidre Woollard's posts)

Filed under: News

Yet another fashion retailer is going through a shakeup and looking to sell or shut down some of their brands. Liz Claiborne is currently mulling over a major overhaul. The company is hitching their wagon to four label stars, Kate Spade, Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand Jeans and Mexx. These brands are expected to grow from about $2.2 billion this year to $3 billion by 2010 as the increased focus on the brands will lead to more marketing spending and store expansions.

The bad news is that if you are a fan of C&C California, Dana Buchman, Ellen Tracy, Emma James, Enyce, First Issue, Intuitions, J.H. Collectibles, Kenzie, Laundry by Design, Mac & Jac, prAna, Sigrid Olsen, Stamp 10, Tapemeasure or Tint, be on notice that these brands may be gone soon or going through a major change. It seems the company is set on skewing younger (yawn!) and ditching the older more staid brands. My question is whether or not this is just fashion's normal brand molting in which labels are often shed in favor of the newest and hottest or whether the older women, who should be (if based on population alone) the biggest market, are getting shafted yet again. Or perhaps there is a third option, women are getting older but we are dressing younger.

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Tags: dana buchman, juicy couture, kate spade, liz claiborne, LizClaiborne, sigrid oldsen

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

karla taylor 7-19-2007 @ 10:35PM

I have always loved the Liz Claiborne line of clothes. They are very classy and conservative. Everybody makes clothes for the younger generation and they are awful looking clothes. Why is the older woman left out. Designers certainly can make nice looking clothes that aren't staid looking. Talbots can do it and that is where I shop.

Katie 7-18-2007 @ 8:45PM

bull to going for younger styles! We who are above 40 have the $ to buy the classic or conservative clothes we like...we will desert Liz Clairborn et al who caters to the young.

Dianne 7-18-2007 @ 9:03PM

The problem is that they think we are all tiny and cute. We don't want Short Sleeves; cute short jackets that show our aging middles; pants that are for stringbeans; we need stretch slacks and jeans, longer shirts, longer jackets without the shoulders of the last two dropping to our elbows. We can afford it. Why do manufacturers not want our business? They will learn. Hourglasses do not flow UP!!!

Mary 7-18-2007 @ 9:13PM

I have to agree! I want a store that understands the needs of a mature women who doesn't need to look like the skinny girl next door or her daughter. We will look else where if Liz abandones us, and we will find the next smart designer who understands who really has the power to buy the clothes we want!

Brenda 7-18-2007 @ 9:44PM

Poor Liz...not even cold in her grave and look at what they are doing...

Angie 7-18-2007 @ 9:56PM

What we need is fewer labels. It's hard to keep up. No more celebs. launching fashion labels, please!

cyaml 7-18-2007 @ 10:01PM

Come on!!! I cannot find anything to wear anymore. And I am not a size 10, not even 14. But I KNOW they can make nice, stylish clothing in my size. Not only that, but they have Juicy in my size and I don't like their styles!! Wake up people!!!

cyaml 7-18-2007 @ 10:02PM

Cont'd....I don't want to look like a hoochie-mama which I find Juicy styles to be.

nadine 7-18-2007 @ 10:07PM

I loved the Elisabeth store; they had beautiful clothes in bigger sizes. All these stores have closed now, why do they cater only to the tiny and the young?

Vita 7-18-2007 @ 10:23PM

I have dressed in Claiborne for years. It's a classic style. Adding Buchman is a good choice. It follows the Claiborne style. Juicy.. NO Who wants to wear clothes with that printed across the ass?? I also choose Jones of New York. Kate Spade pocket books are mortgagable. Why put such a high price designer in? Now that she's gone.. You'll do as you wish. You'll also suffer the consequences of loosing the baby boomers in favor of dressing the babies.

Barb 7-18-2007 @ 10:31PM

Oh my gosh! I love Liz Claiborne and wear lots of her clothes! I am 63. I hope they don't go for the young or teen market. There are already too few places I can shop! And I don't agree with Dianne. I don't want to dress like a teen, but not an old lady either - no elastic waists, no stretch, no out-of-style long jackets. Liz has always been stylish without looking old-lady.

Chria 7-18-2007 @ 11:06PM

Don't sell out the baby boomers. We are a big market. We like classic styles, longer jackets and tunic tops to cover up out maturing bodies. Keep cutsie & those maternity-looking tops for the young & skinny.

Eileen 7-18-2007 @ 11:25PM

This is ridiculous. We "older" women like to dress stylish and appropriately. It seems our options are now diminishing yet again. The labels mentioned as possibly being discontinued have always been among my favorites for their style and versitility. I am slim, fit, 58, and although I could wear "younger" styles, I have no desire to appear as if I'm trying to be young. Legs may be the last to go, but how often have I approached a women from behind thinking she's 25 to find she's at least 50. I have no desire to be percieved in this way.

Diane B.G. 7-18-2007 @ 11:26PM

I discovered the Tapemeasure brand at Dillard's and I love it...It is young, but still classic, mature and casual.....priced very well, under Dana Buchman which is sometimes more work-oriented. Macy's choices for the 50 or 60-ish woman are non-existent and their store brands are cheap looking and the colors and muddy and horrible. The dilemma for someone our age looking for attractive and reasonably priced, not exorbitant, clothes continues...I do not want to shop at Saks and Neiman Marcus.

Frances 7-18-2007 @ 11:29PM

I love Liz clothes, too. Too bad if they start focusing on the younger crowd. I have discovered Christopher Banks stores...they have cute things for us baby boomers!

Joan 7-18-2007 @ 11:35PM

What a bad move! Macy's no longer has Liz and very little Jones NY, so I've stopped shopping there. I'm over 60, wear a size 10 and like to look good, but I'm not trying to dress like a teenager. I know I'm not alone. I guess Talbot's, Chico's and Coldwater Creek will be growing business.

Diane B.G. 7-18-2007 @ 11:37PM

Well ladies, there are hardly any tv shows starring women our age....we need more Susan Sarandons, Goldie Hawns, etc. etc....Guess Glenn Close does have a show on cable soon...Hoorah for her.....How about another Kate and Allie type show with 60 year olds.....After all, Maude and Golden Girls were popular.....How about it TV people??? We can be fun AND cute too.....Liz herself was over 60.....didn't she design clothes with herself somewhat in mind???? See: Leah Feldon, Does This Make Me Look Fat, book....she was going to start a clothes line, wonder what happened to it.....Any ideas??

sheena 7-18-2007 @ 11:45PM

Liz Claiborne isn't even cold in here grave and look what they are doing. This is so disrespectful. I dont think Liz would just dash away the middle aged women who made her what she is. It is appauling. She had much more sense than that. She might have made up the new designs before she died, but I KNOW that didn't mean she wanted to stop catering to woman in their 40's. So, whoever is running the company now and plans on just ditching the middle aged consumer, can go to hell. I have spent thousands of dollars on Liz Claiborne fashions and if this is their new agenda they will not see another penny from me. This is the thanks we get for making her who she is? Some people really dont have any sense if this is what they are going to do. What is the purpose of throwing away the people who made you? Why couldnt you just ad some new styles for the younger generation but still keep doing what you have been doing for the older generation? I dont get it. This is really stuoid and I'm pissed. To many other classic designers out there that I can give my money to if this is the case....

Kathy 7-18-2007 @ 11:57PM

Great , yet another label that designed for WOMEN wants to change. There are barely any styles for us now. All I wanted for this summer was a few pairs of new shorts and did I get any???NO!!!!!! I don't want culottes,God forbid, and I don't want booty shorts and there is no in between. Designers get off of the runway and out into the stores and see what people are really looking for.....we have money and we want to spend it!

Sondra 7-18-2007 @ 11:59PM

I am a size 8 but,I have worn Liz And Jones for years. I am a professional women and their are many out there like me who like to look like a professional. You can't dress for success in the kind of clothes they are selling to the teen agers. I agree with Vita you will lose the babyboomers to dress the babies ans believe me, the baby boomers are a big market.

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