Critiquing the Pros

Fendi

Fendi is a traditional Italian house founded in 1925 by Edoardo & Adele Fendi, who then collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld in 1965 (creating the iconic double F logo). nowadays Fendi is one of the absolute major Italian luxury fashion houses, offering not only leather goods, but also ready-to-wear for women and men, shoes, accessories, eyewear, fragrances, and timepieces. You can shop their ready to wear here

Who is the Fendi customer ?

Mostly woman

Ages 28-50 (currently working to target a younger audience with recent fila collaboration and celebrity endorsements)

Income of 100,000+ a year

Individuals + trendsetters

Booming market in Japan

Spring 2019 fashion show

On a random Thursday whim in the city around 5 I expected Saks to be slow, but to my suprise business was pretty steady with customers (but the mention of free alcohol was on the table, as part of a Saks promotion) Within the shop there were three workers dedicated to Fendi solely. The associates kept everything well merchandised, as well as clean and orderly. The mood of the shop was what you’d would expect a higher end shop to be. It was relaxed without being unkempt and everything was placed in a way were it brought its own emphasis to the products. I would say that Fendi is very on trend as mentioned before. They are working on newer celebrity endorsements such as Nicki Minaj. As well as collaborating with less expensive, super trendy brand Fila to reach a younger demographic. While also taking advantage of the recent hype of athleisure in  luxury brands.

When entering the Fendi boutique at Saks Fifth Avenue my eyes were instantly drawn to the shades of purple descending into a deep navy, showcased using mini fendi peekaboos. This deep navy seemed to work as a complimentary color for both the spring hues of purple and pink and the bright pops of orange and subtle neutrals of fall. With the resurgence of monogramming of course the classic FℲ print was featured throughout the collection in a multitude of ways. Snakeskin was also a featured print for the brand as it was for many.

Structure, and craftsmanship are staples of Fendi’s utilitarian style and that is not lost when it comes too their hand bags. The stiff structural take on the classic bucket bag was a reminiscent and innovative design for the new season, along with Fendi’s ever so popular peekaboo which was originally released in spring of 2008.

A common trend I found in Saks was a push toward athleisure and an overall sense of a more comfortable and relaxed style. With what seemed like an overlapping theme of  “futuristic” fashion was showcased with the use bright neons, 3M, and metallics.

Rag and Bone - Miranda

Rag and Bone started in New York City in 2002 and quickly gained momentum. They combined their british heritage with today's modern design to create something for the everyday, working girl. They wanted to create a line that would encompass a wide variety of different women with different styles, a line that could go from a 9-5 work day to a night on the town with your friends. Priding themselves in their craftsmanship, superior skills and having the oldest factories they work to create beautiful clothing with attention to detail always kept in mind. Rag and Bone continues today to be one of the top places for urban style.

- Who is the “Rag and Bone” customer?

- Men and Women aged 28-45

- Disposable income

- Women who want classic pieces

- Working women who have a full life

- Men who want a more urban feel

- Simple, classic pieces that can be styled different ways

Rag and Bone has its own set up at Saks Fifth Avenue, like most top designers sold in the store. It’s clean, meticulous, and stocked with the latest pieces from the Rag and Bone line. They have a more classic and timeless look. Saks Fifth avenue has a way of making you feel like you are just walking around money. They have a brighter look in the store that moves you through the different lines of clothing they have hanging around the walls. The store itself does a good job of leading you without pushing you, through the store to look at different pieces. As you would expect with an upscale store, it was clean, bright and easily accessible. The employees all seemed to know important details about the clothing lines and worked hard to maintain the upkeep of the store.

Top styles that were on trend for Rag and Bone were more muted, pastel and neutral tones. You can definitely see the brand has an eye for maintaining the softer look of an ensemble. The brand has classic staples such as blazers, straight leg pants and a graphic tee done in an elegant way. I saw a lot of different ways denim was incorporated such as jean skirts (which were very popular in the 90’s), denim jeans, coats and knotted shirts.

Some trends i noticed at Saks were neon colored shoes and handbags to add a little pop of color to your outfit this spring, a lot of leather incorporated whether it be in a skirt, pant of jacket, and a lot of different ways to wear denim. I believe that everything that was once popular, such as neon colors and a lot of denim back in the 90’s that were deemed unflattering are being brought back by trendsetters who found different ways to make it work with our everyday wear.

Alice and Olivia - Lindsey

The designer brand Alice and Olivia is a New York City-based contemporary clothing company. Stacey Bendet is the designer of the global company which first launched at Barneys in 2002. Alice and Olivia is now sold in over 50 countries and continues to bring the latest fashion forward trends to women across the world. Their collection in Saks Fifth Avenue showcased spring fashions and had a variety of dresses, pants, and tops. I noticed right away the bright colors of the merchandise as well as more common pastel colors that embody the season of spring. The brand is playful and quirky and is for women who are not afraid to be seen.

Who is the Alice and Olivia customer?

- Women in their 20s and 30s

- Lives a glamorous lifestyle

- Trend-setter, quirky, unique

- Large discretionary income

- Wants to stay up to date with latest colors, patterns, and styles

- Wealthy women, upper class

I went to their shop on a Saturday afternoon around 2 o’clock and there were about five or six people looking through the clothing and merchandise of the shop. The customers seemed to be young women probably in their mid to late 20s. They looked trendy and wore outfits that would be considered trendy in the fashion world. I came to the conclusion that the women shopping were wealthy and either had high paying careers, or had come from a family of money. There were two employees walking around the shop that helped the customers pick out what pieces to try on and helped to show where the new arrivals for the collection were and the inspiration behind the pieces. The employees were very helpful and asked if I needed any help finding anything in particular when I was browsing the shop.

The shop had collections from their spring and summer collections for 2019 on display. Right away I saw the bright colors and the unique and intricate patterns of some of the pieces. There were dresses and tops that were floral pastels while others were neon and bright with geometric patterns on them. There was definitely something for everyone here. Whether you like more of light, pastel colored clothing for spring with a more feminine style, or if you are bold and daring enough to try out more detailed vivid pieces for a fearless and eccentric style. There were many silhouettes that were form fitting to the body while others were more flowy and soft. There were two styles that I noticed the most within the collection. The bold, resort wear style and the feminine pastel style. Common colors were bright red, blue, yellow, and green with shades of pastel purple, pink, and white.

This line is unique but definitely on trend for this time of year. I can totally see social media influencers and celebrities wearing these looks on their fancy vacations or to an elite party. Alice and Olivia’s line is unlike anything I have seen before and I really like how the designer incorporates so many silhouettes, styles, and patterns together to create pieces that are unlike any other. The tops trends that I saw were floral and geometric patterns and fabrics, bright colors for the spring and summer season, as well as maxi and midi skirts and various styles of jumpsuits. Overall I think that Alice and Olivia captured their Spring/Summer 2019 line perfectly and it is great for women seeking looks for their next tropical getaway or for a night out to the hottest party in the city.