Royal And Celebrity-Loved Fashion Brand, Goat Launch Their Spring/Summer ‘20 Collection

Royal And Celebrity-Loved Fashion Brand, Goat Launch Their Spring/Summer ‘20 Collection - Forbes

Royal And Celebrity-Loved Fashion Brand, Goat Launch Their Spring/Summer ‘20 Collection - Forbes
We love... Fashion fixes for the week ahead - in pictures - The Guardian
Platinum List 2020: Fashion - Ladue News
The freshest European fashion brands – in pictures - The Guardian
Why luxury fashion houses still open restaurants - Vogue Business

Royal And Celebrity-Loved Fashion Brand, Goat Launch Their Spring/Summer ‘20 Collection - Forbes

Posted: 14 Mar 2020 10:41 AM PDT

Golly gosh, we love Goat. This thoroughly British brand was established by designer Jane Lewis in the early noughties and was launched with a capsule collection of cashmere essentials.

Since then, the label has grown to serve the ready-to-wear needs of the stylish, including Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and then there's royalty as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is a regular wearer and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex wore Goat to her first official engagement as a royal. Impressive credentials indeed.

BRITAIN-ROYALS-CHARLES — Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Prince of Wales's 70th Birthday Garden Party at ... [+] Buckingham Palace in London on May 22, 2018. - The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall hosted a Garden Party to celebrate the work of The Prince's Charities in the year of Prince Charles's 70th Birthday. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images

And their Spring/Summer 2020 collection (which is online now, and which you should buy now) as expected, is just beautiful. If you have a penchant for the '60s then this collection is for you.

Think delectable dresses and two pieces that channel Jackie O, gorgeous gowns for summer soirees and everything in between, just check out their dress coats that tick all the boxes: elegant, contemporary classics that are, undoubtedly, meticulously crafted.

The woman behind the brand, Jane Lewis discusses her career and the luxury market.

Felicity Carter: What was your first memory of fashion?

Jane Lewis: Making a top and trousers out of newspaper and paperclips as a young child one afternoon. I always adored clothes as long as I can remember.

FC: How, when, why did you get into the industry?

JL: After an initial period as an assistant to designer Elspeth Gibson. I felt there was a space in the market for understated yet elegant basics, which sounds elemental, however edited, paired down essentials are elusive and often taken for granted . I created a very small capsule collection which embodied these principles.

FC: How would you sum up the aesthetic?

JL: Refined, discreet understated luxury. Sharp, clean lines and a paired down aesthetic.

FC: What is luxury to you?

JL: Comfort and confidence which wonderful quality clothing can bestow. To feel one's very best – it's not a monetary equation. Luxury is a feeling not a price tag.

FC: Who is your customer?

JL: I'm proud to have built an incredibly loyal following across a broad demographic. Stylish and discerning - It's my greatest hope to be able to appeal to all sorts of women.

FC: What are the cornerstones of your company?

JL: My profound belief in style over fashion. We have developed a very strong and consistent handwriting and seek to always maintain my creative identity.

FC: Which was the first-ever piece that you designed and how did it come about?

JL: Hipster trousers in Loro Piana cashmere. I designed them primarily for myself and I have them still! I loved the idea of using men's formal yet luxury suiting fabric for women's separates.

FC: What was on your current mood board?

JL: Lots of retro black and white photos, portraiture, jewellery, vintage textiles and embroidery - a collage of beautiful silhouettes and curiosities which I find interesting.

FC: Currently, which is your favorite piece and how do you wear it?

JL: The Jasper Tweed belted tunic top and the Joey cropped flare trouser which I wear with round toe Chanel boots and big sunglasses. I love the retro feel of the whole look.

FC: What's the best piece of advice that you've been given when it comes to handling the industry?

JL: Do not confuse business and fashion. They are two very different disciplines – in that vein you should be able to distinguish between your head and your heart when inevitable hard decisions present themselves.

See more from the brand on their website.

We love... Fashion fixes for the week ahead - in pictures - The Guardian

Posted: 14 Mar 2020 04:45 PM PDT

Armani goes back to the 80s

The new Emporio Armani Icon collection is based on archive imagery from the 1980s. The monochrome capsule, for both men and women, offers a selection of iconic Armani pieces, such as blazers and darted trousers, leather jackets and logo T-shirts, all given a sharpened silhouette for a 2020 spin. From £140, armani.com
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Platinum List 2020: Fashion - Ladue News

Posted: 13 Mar 2020 08:14 AM PDT

FASHION | MEN'S ACCESSORIES

Mister Guy Men's

The discerning gentleman knows that the outfit doesn't stop at the clothing, and that gentleman also knows the best place to find accessories for men in the metro area is Mister Guy Men's. Whether it's offering shoppers needlepoint belts from Smathers & Branson that show off sports loyalties or luxurious Alan Paine knitwear, or even hosting a trunk show at which Pig & Hen creates custom wristwear, the Mister Guy Men's team stocks the best "finishing touch" flourishes to take your look to the next level. A little nervous in the accessorizing department? Don't be; the style consultants here can help you pick pieces that will work with your wardrobe.

Mister Guy Men's, 9831 Clayton Road, St. Louis, 314-692-2003, misterguymens.com

Runner-Up: Neiman Marcus

Runner-Up: The Normal Brand

FASHION | MEN'S CLOTHING – CASUAL

The Normal Brand

By Garrett King

St. Louis native Jimmy Sansone's nearly 5-year-old company was practically made to win this award. As self-proclaimed "regular guys who had a problem" – finding stylish casualwear that wasn't fussy – Sansone, aided by his brothers, decided to create his own line. And although he's quick to dodge the title of "designer," the proudly Midwestern brand provides men with durable yet stylish pieces, from pullovers to polos to hoodies for day, night, city, country and every situation in between. There's no pretension that comes with sporting The Normal Brand logo; rather, it signals that you favor enjoying quality, embracing comfort – and supporting a locally based brand that's going places.

The Normal Brand, 8809 Ladue Road, St. Louis, 314-899-0800, thenormalbrand.com

Runner-Up: Mister Guy Men's

Runner-Up: Nordstrom

FASHION | MEN'S CLOTHING – FORMAL

Gentry's Limited

Formalwear for men is pretty straightforward, right? A nice suit, a classic tux – easy. Very wrong. Although the ladies might receive more attention for gowns at galas, the men behind Gentry's Limited are making sure metro area gentlemen have just as much fun and put just as much thought into their apparel for formal occasions. Favoring style over trends, while minding every detail of each garment that's custom-created, Gentry's Limited encourages its clients to eschew any ingrained fashion rules men might have in regard to pattern play, color pops and the expression of personal style through apparel – especially for big events. Because if not then, when?

Gentry's Limited, 4818 Washington Blvd., Suite 305, St. Louis, 314-527-1785, gentryslimited.com

Runner-Up: Mister Guy Men's

Runner-Up: Neiman Marcus

FASHION | MEN'S CLOTHING – WORK

Gentry's Limited

For the second year in a row, the men of the metro area are making a statement in selecting Dakota G. Grady's haberdashery as their favorite place to curate their work wardrobe. Known for its bold colors, rich fabrics, impeccable tailoring and standout style, Gentry's Limited welcomes men who want to communicate confidence from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and beyond. But just because you're looking for workwear doesn't mean the way you obtain garments needs to feel tedious. The shop in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood arranges custom service by appointment only, so your visit is relaxed, tailored to your needs – it can even include coffee or a cocktail! – and definitely doesn't feel like work.

Gentry's Limited, 4818 Washington Blvd., Suite 305, St. Louis, 314-527-1785, gentryslimited.com

Runner-Up: Mister Guy Men's

Runner-Up: Nordstrom

FASHION | MEN'S SHOES

Cole Haan

This global footwear brand is keeping the men of the metro area walking tall. Cole Haan is loved not only for its high-quality, yet comfortable dress shoes – the last thing you want during a long day at work or even a special event is for your dogs to be barking – but also, now that the designer has a line of stylish sneakers, for allowing men to grab a pair of shoes for any occasion and know they won't be sacrificing style for quality or comfort. Whether you're in the market for a new pair of Oxfords, loafers or slip-on sneakers sleek enough to pass for a night out, trust that this specialty shop has what you're looking for.

Cole Haan, Plaza Frontenac, 1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 253, St. Louis, 314-997-3460, colehaan.com

Runner-Up: Cobblestone Quality Shoe Repair

Runner-Up: Laurie's Shoes

FASHION | WOMEN'S ACCESSORIES

Paperdolls

We all have that one friend who's always the first to debut trends. You see her wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and then suddenly, your feed's filled with similar looks – and you wonder how she always knows what's coming next. Paperdolls is that friend to all ladies who constantly covet eye-catching accessories. The boutique's curated selection of pieces, from warm weather to cold and back again, always offers a stylish way to test trends and show off your personal style. Whether that's through bold, stackable Erimish bracelets, bohemian Gypset Honey layering necklaces or another type of accessorizing brilliance, Paperdolls is the place to find the perfect finishing touch.

Paperdolls, multiple locations, 314-394-3303, paperdollsboutiquestl.com

Runner-Up: Laurie Solet

Runner-Up: Shine Boutique

FASHION | WOMEN'S CLOTHING – CASUAL

Paperdolls

Casual doesn't have to mean sloppy; that's something the staff members of Paperdolls understand completely. Since 2005, they've been fashionably outfitting ladies who are constantly on the go. Whether you're looking for a comfy but trendy sweater to wear to an afternoon at a brewery, trying to look festive for a celebration of some kind or even just searching for a convenient outfit for a Saturday of shopping (say, to Paperdolls, perhaps?), this boutique has you covered. What's more, visiting one of its four locations is fun in itself, thanks to the "PD Shopgirls," who will help you pull together the best pieces and will make you feel as if you're hanging out with select girlfriends in your home's walk-in closet.

Paperdolls, multiple locations, 314-394-3303, paperdollsboutiquestl.com

Runner-Up: MG Women

Runner-Up: MOD

FASHION | WOMEN'S CLOTHING – FORMAL

Saks Fifth Avenue

All dressed up and no place to go is rarely an issue for area women; social calendars quickly fill with functions and events. We're fortunate, then, that we have Saks Fifth Avenue to help us always look our best. Not only does Saks offer a selection of the most covetable designers, such as Alaïa, Marchesa and Galvan London, but also LN readers praise the luxe Plaza Frontenac location for its expert stylists and warm customer service – because if you're investing in formalwear, you want the experience to be as lovely as the garment you're purchasing. On that front, Saks categorically delivers.

Saks Fifth Avenue, 1 Plaza Frontenac St., St. Louis, 314-567-9200, saksfifthavenue.com

Runner-Up: Neiman Marcus

Runner-Up: The Vault Luxury Resale

FASHION | WOMEN'S CLOTHING – WORK

MG Women

When it comes to a work wardrobe, MG Women (formerly Mister Guy Women's) is a perennial winner on the Platinum List – for good reason. Its selection of timeless and trendy clothing and accessories (think brands like PINKO, Veronica Beard and Trina Turk, among others) means your Monday-to-Friday look doesn't have to be stuffy or boring. This fall, MG Women moved into a modern and chic renovated retail space connected to the brand's sibling, Mister Guy Men's. Beyond the revamp, the shop and the MG Women team still provide services like wardrobe styling and complimentary tailoring that keep them top-of-mind for the working women throughout the metro area.

MG Women, 9811 Clayton Road, St. Louis, 314-991-5262, misterguywomens.com

Runner-Up: Saks Fifth Avenue

Runner-Up: Vie

FASHION | WOMEN'S SHOES

Laurie's Shoes

For nearly 70 years, Laurie's Shoes has been serving the metro area with what its clients tout as unparalleled customer service and an impressive selection of footwear. The store currently offers more than 60,000 pairs of both kids and adult shoes in the brands you know and love, such as Nike, Birkenstock, Chaco and Brooks. A multigenerational family business, the Manchester Road store has some clients that have been visiting as long as the store's been open, always trusting Laurie's employees when it comes to the latest footwear technology, trends and pedorthic expertise.

Laurie's Shoes, 9916 Manchester Road, St. Louis, 314-961-1642, lauriesshoes.com

Runner-Up: Paperdolls

Runner-Up: Sole Comfort

The freshest European fashion brands – in pictures - The Guardian

Posted: 06 Mar 2020 12:00 AM PST

Paloma Wool, Spain

Its Tana Latorre-illustrated Leandra shirt (painted nudes on a crisp white shirt) sold out fast in 2018, and set the tone for the Barcelona-based brand: tasteful, artistic, dream-like. Jacket, £130, cords, £115, earrings, £50, funnel neck, £115, and belt, £65, all by Paloma Wool, from libertylondon.com

Why luxury fashion houses still open restaurants - Vogue Business

Posted: 12 Mar 2020 11:00 PM PDT

Key takeaways:

Luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman and Browns have opened or will open new restaurants this year in cities globally.
It's a continuation of fashion's interlinking with food, but the strategy has changed: restaurants bring new customers in and help secure top-client loyalty.
Two businesses are difficult to run simultaneously, and restaurants can take up to two years to break even.

The operations of luxury houses and restaurants have little in common. That hasn't stopped fashion brands from opening eateries through which they can find new ways to woo customers.

In February, Louis Vuitton ventured into the culinary world for the first time, opening a café and restaurant, Le Café V and Sugalabo V, atop its new Maison Osaka Midosuji in Japan. Bergdorf Goodman opened Goodman's Bar, a Parisian-inspired bar and restaurant inside its Fifth Avenue men's store, at the beginning of the year. While its New York location temporarily closed, Tiffany & Co. opened The Blue Box Café on the ground floor of Harrods in February. Details are scarce, but Browns' new location in London's Mayfair will include a restaurant when it opens this summer.

With upscale menu items, like Goodman's $40 roast duck or Sugalabo V's $59 glass of Krug Grand Cuvée champagne, the restaurants all serve to appeal to — and make more money from — the brands' target, affluent clientele.

These new eateries join long-standing fashion restaurant plays, including Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar and 24-year-old Freds, the restaurant inside Barneys' Madison Avenue flagship that is living on even after the store closed its doors. What's new is the role these restaurants and cafés play in luxury retailers' strategies. Faced with online competition, brands need to give customers more of a draw to make a visit. For top customers, they can also host exclusive experiences.

L'Avenue at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York.

"In the past, the restaurants were developed to keep customers in the store longer and spend more. Now restaurants are a way to attract people in store," says Marc Metrick, president of Saks Fifth Avenue, whose portfolio of restaurants includes 51fifteen in Houston and L'Avenue at Saks in New York. But luxury retailers — especially those squeezed by the pressure of falling foot traffic — are not restaurateurs, and running two businesses simultaneously is no easy feat.

Multi-restaurant plays

Sometimes in the same building, retailers are opening restaurants for different purposes. Forty Five Ten has two eateries in its Dallas store. The lower-priced ground-floor café, No Aloha, is for "people walking in off the street" and first-time shoppers, says president and chief creative officer Kristen Cole, while the top-floor fine-dining restaurant, Mirador, attracts existing customers, local socialites, the business crowd and guests from the boutique's swanky sister hotel, The Joule.

Visual links between the restaurants and store drive sales in different ways. The cheaper No Aloha café is situated next to the entry-level products like art books and small ceramics to drive impulse purchases and to make the boutique appear "much more approachable", says Cole. At the Mirador, where personal shoppers bring in clients for lunch, mannequins are prominently displayed wearing pieces from the latest delivered collections or current trunk show and are changed every two weeks. Cole says the store receives regular inquiries from Mirador customers about the mannequins' rotating looks.

Chanel's Beige Alain Ducasse restaurant, Tokyo.

Peter Baldaszti, co-owner and chief executive of Hungarian fashion label Nanushka, has opened cafés in the brand's Budapest and New York stores, with one to come in London, with a long-term view. His hope is to attract younger customers to buy from the store who "five years from now might be our core customer base". He has also established a space for people to shop the cafés' ceramic cups and other homewares that are sold in store and online.

Different locations drive different results, says Baldaszti. From the company's observations, the window café in Budapest draws passersby, while in New York, the café — situated in the middle of the store — influences customers to spend more time and money.

As high-touch customer service becomes a point of differentiation for luxury brands, restaurants serve a new purpose. Chanel's Beige restaurant helmed by chef Alain Ducasse on top of the brand's 10-storey Ginza building in Tokyo was originally designed to encourage clients to spend more time in the building when it opened in 2004. Since its 2018 renovation, the restaurant more primarily is used to foster goodwill with important clients.

"What do you do with good customers? They buy a lot of products, so what can you give them that is different from their experience?" says Chanel Japan's president Guillermo Gutierrez. "We invite them to lunch or give them a voucher and when we want to do something for the brand, we close the restaurant for a special dinner, for example, which is something that you cannot pay for."

The restaurant also provides Chanel with extra opportunities for branding. The lounge's tweed club chairs, the chocolate praline biscuit topped with chocolate mousse shaped into the brand's signature camélia for dessert and the beige decor, one of Coco Chanel's favourite colors, all act as an extension of the brand's aesthetic.

Running two businesses at once

With razor-thin margins, running a restaurant is a difficult business even in the best economic times. The ways fashion houses operate their restaurants help protect their bottom lines from the finicky nature of the industry. Chanel's restaurant is a joint venture with Ducasse run as a separate business, C&D KK, with a separate set of accounts, while Forty Five Ten's eateries are run by parent company, Headington Companies, taking pressure off the retailer itself. Joe Coffee runs Todd Snyder's café.

Jonathan Rubinstein, founder and chief executive of Joe Coffee, says being in a fashion store for the first time has eliminated risks usually associated with restaurants as "they build the space. The big risk is in the capital," he says.

Maison Kitsuné founders Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki's are developing its Café Kitsuné business as a stand-alone unit after casually launching the concept seven years ago. "[It started as a place] to hang out, have meetings, meet friends," says Loaëc. The category now contributes 10 per cent of overall revenue through seven stand-alone eateries, including a restaurant and wine bar, and two in-store cafes with 10 more planned in cities like Doha and Manila.

Forty Five Ten in downtown Dallas.

Fine-dining experiences also make for good social media moments, which helps make these spaces popular as "it's more interesting for people to tell a story with a nice cake and coffee to show on Instagram," says Loaëc. There is a reluctance to use the café to drive sales in stores. "We don't over market things." he says. "It's a less cool thing to do. People can do their own research."

Not all fashion restaurants survive. The neon Marc by Marc Jacobs café in its 3,100 square-foot Milan store, with its well-stocked bar, has shuttered, along with the diffusion line and plans for a location in New York as the brand has cut back. (The company declined to comment for this story.) Restaurants that are fully owned and operated by the brand bring to light just how hard of an industry it is to make money in. Carla Sozzani, founder of fashion and art concept store 10 Corso Como, has been running restaurants in her stores in Milan, Seoul and New York for nearly 30 years. The café is the most difficult part, she says, even though the eateries turn over 25 per cent of revenue in Milan and Seoul and 20 per cent of revenue in the 18-month-old New York store. Hiring, consistency and the nature of dealing with food pose challenges apparel stores don't face.

The Nanushka café in Budapest.

According to Nanushka's Baldaszti, cafés in stores take around two years to break even; the brand's café in its Budapest store lost money in its first 18 months, he says, but they can work. Snyder opened a café in his Madison Square Park store "to pay the rent", and says it now drives 10 per cent of the store's revenue with traffic counter data showing that 30 per cent of the café customers also visit the store.

London-based women's shoe designer Sigrid Gelati-Meinert runs a weekend coffee takeaway through a side window of her shop, Peponita. She says the sideline adds £15,000 to £20,000 to her business over a year, covering the coffee cups, barista wages, business rates as well as 10 per cent of turnover. "It brings in a different kind of person who wouldn't necessarily be drawn to the shop," she says, as even men can spend a hundred pound's worth on socks, badges and other knick-knacks as they wander in to drink their coffee.

"If the café pays for itself, it's not expensive," says Chanel's Gutierrez.

Correction: An earlier version of this piece stated Café Kistuné opened five years ago, in 2015. It opened seven years ago, in 2013.

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