Call it a first world problem, or make social commentary about being part of the 99%, but like many women, I can’t afford to buy designer labels. I’m guessing you can’t either. Providing designer-for-less, or designer knock-off, has become a billion dollar industry, and many in providing fast-fashion to the masses have made their fortunes on our need to have high-concept looks at affordable prices. Even Target through their Go International line, has invested in collaborating with designers to produce a variety of lines including clothing, bedding and kitchenware. Most recently they teamed up with Missoni to produce a line of brightly colored chevron detailed clothing, accessories and even plastic plates to use while BBQing on the patio. It was so popular it sold out within 24 hours! People lined up 100 deep while shelves were restocked and the company’s website crashed repeatedly.
H&M has teamed up with Versace to launch not one, but two, collaborations inspired by classic Versace themes – print, leather and embellishments. A sneak peek of the line to be released in November (with a second in January), was recently unveiled to the public. And it’s awesome. Who wouldn’t want that jacket? Or, for that matter, the dress? The details are exquisite.
Forever 21, H&M’s poor little cousin, has also ventured into collaboration. Perhaps due to the bad press they consistently get for outright copying patterns, silhouettes and designs, the fast fashion chain has decided to put aside the gold lame mini dresses and market to the masses who demand designer looks. For the holiday season of 2010, they experimented with the concept by working with Brian Lichtenberg to create a line of graphic tees. What was produced wasn’t terrible, but also wasn’t much more than a logo tee line with the words “Foverever” and “21” very close to a real designer’s name in a situation outside the court of law.Their next outing was less successful. Partnering with Petro Zillia, Forever 21 unleashed a line of faux terry activewear that looked less like something a woman could wear to the mall, to work, or even the gym and more like something you’d wear walking the streets for cash. The bright colored stripes looked good – on the models. The fabric looked fun for spring – in the photos. What you got in the stores was a line of boob holsters and panties in a fabric that felt like chemicals. Their partnership with Rory Beca was slightly more successful; the sizing was more accurate, and the fabrics felt more normal. Some pieces were wearable, although the jumper added to the world’s camel toe problem.
The embroidered pockets will make my 12 year old boobs look more mature, right?
The ultimate question is why, time after time, does H&M and even Target succeed in producing a high quality, high fashion designer line while Forever 21 consistently fails? The answer here is price point. The old adage of a customer gets what she pays for 100% accurate. By charging slightly more, the value of the item increases as the designers can choose better textiles and spend more time ensuring quality control. H&M routinely designs for women taller than 5ft 5; their dresses are longer and the rises of any shorts, jumpers or skirts are truer. What this means for the consumer is that a dress will fall past their hip and a skirt will fall to the midpoint of the thigh.
Forever 21, and the Chang family that runs the business, is so focused on growth for the sake of growth, that they have yet to stop and analyze the business. Just because everyone else is working with designers, doesn’t mean that they too must collaborate. Consumers will spend more if the product line looks expensive and has a luxurious feel. Yes, they’ve made their mark with two dollar camis and a fun line of inexpensive jewelry, but don’t they have more faith in their customer? If Forever 21 wants to open a store in Times Square and set themselves up as a label just as fashion forward and just as influential as any in NY’s fashion district, they have got to give more credit to their customer base. Sure, they’ll always have girls trying to out skank each other in the club. (That’s why they’ve come out with a youthful maternity line, duh.) And yet, in this economy, fast fashion tends to do well. Those in the comfortable middle class unabashedly shop at the once sole provider of tween clubwear. And Forever 21 has taken advantage of this with their expanded brands such as Love 21 and Heritage 1981 which offer a more mature look and better sizing.
It’s all about growing pains really. H&M has already grown up, and while their prices reflect this, so too does the quality. Forever 21 must make the choice to commit to their new big box mentality. They can no longer market to a niche group, and must create and support lines that reflect the culture. They’ve inherited a market of fashion savvy consumers who want designer labels and high fashion concepts but who are unwilling or unable to spend thousands of dollars to have those looks. Now is the time to invest in quality before jobs begin to pay better. In fashion, one day you’re in and the next you are out. By building a loyal customer base, Forever 21 can survive the booms times as well as its survived the recession. But putting out crappy designer collaborations while H&M is partnering with Versace is not how to do it.
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