Apparel and accessories maker Liz Claiborne Inc. has hired Isaac Mizrahi as its creative director for its namesake brand in a bid to rejuvenate its foundering and aging label.
By signing on with Liz Claiborne, the award-winning designer is also ending his contract with Target Corp. He had created the powerful Isaac Mizrahi for Target collection, which has been a magnet in driving customer traffic to its stores and helped solidify Target’s niche in cheap chic designs since its inception five years ago.
Mizrahi’s first women’s collection for Claiborne, to arrive in stores for spring 2009, will appeal to the same customer but will be updated with bold colours and have a better fit, attributes for which the label had once been known, Claiborne officials said. In a separate statement, Target said the Mizrahi collection will be available exclusively in select Target stores and at Target.com through the end of 2008.
The news was seen as a big blow to Target, which in the last few months has stumbled amid disappointing sales.
Mizrahi’s marketing prowess has made him a household name. He is the host of his own show on Oxygen Network and the Style Network, and in February he will launch his new web-based series watchisaac.com.
“It is certainly no secret that the brand has been lacking a clear and cohesive vision and has languished as a result,” said Claiborne chief executive William McComb.
Liz Claiborne announced in July that it was undergoing a major fashion makeover, pegging its future to fewer but more powerful brands with names like Juicy Couture and Lucky Brand Jeans.
Isaac Mizrahi is an “incredibly cultural relevant designer, and this is a brand that needed a cultural relevance,” he added. As the creative director, Mizrahi will oversee the design and marketing for women’s apparel, accessories and licensing.
McComb said the brand will refer to Mizrahi in its hang tags but wouldn’t comment on its marketing plans or sales potential.
