A collection of retail-related stories from the past week:
Jacob offers Hepburn-inspired glam with L’Atelier line
Jacob is channelling Audrey Hepburn with its new L’Atelier collection of evening dresses. The Montreal-based retailer has unveiled a capsule collection of 10 styles inspired by the late screen star.
“My inspiration for this collection was Audrey Hepburn, an icon of sophistication whose personal style stimulated my minimalist vision for classically elegant gowns with subtle details that let the flattering cuts and lavish fabrics take centre stage,” said Jacob’s artistic director, Normand Brouillette, in a statement.
Brouillette is no stranger to creating red carpet-worthy wear, designing handmade gowns for the likes of Kim Cattrall and Angelina Jolie.
The L’Atelier collection features Canadian-made knee-length and floor-length styles, including cocktail numbers and gowns fashioned from such fabrics as satin, chiffon, crepe and mesh.
“We created L’Atelier in response to growing demand from our customers for more sophisticated dresses to wear to weddings, galas and graduations, or for their bridesmaids,” said Jacob style expert Cristelle Basmaji in a release.
The limited-edition line ranges from $149 to $229 and is slated to hit stores on March 1. – Canadian Press
J. Crew reveals Canadian expansion plans
J. Crew is heading west as the company continues to expand within Canada. The U.S.-based retailer of classic American fashions will open three new stores on this side of the border this year, including its first two in western Canada.
The two-floor Vancouver store will be located at 1088 Robson St., while the second store will be at West Edmonton Mall. A third location is slated to open this fall at the Eaton Centre in Toronto.
All three locations will have women’s and men’s collections. The debut location opened at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre last summer only featured womenswear. The Yorkdale location represented the retailer‘s first outlet outside the U.S. – Canadian Press
Target teases Toronto with pop-up store
The fashion hungry lined the streets outside Target‘s Toronto pop-up store early last Thursday morning to get their hands on items from The Jason Wu for Target line–the first of many marketing moves from the American retailer as it prepares for its Canadian launch in 2013.
While the store didn’t open to the public until noon, one woman waiting in line had been braving the chilly temperatures since 7 a.m. Thankfully, Target ambassadors were on hand serving hot chocolate.
The press caught a first glimpse of the retail space, which fit perfectly with the cheap and cheerful Target brand and Wu’s ultra-feminine designs. One section of the store was a sea of navy and red, and popped nicely against the crisp white shabby chic facades holding the designer duds.
An area for broadcast media was appropriately done up in Target red with framed branded posters on the wall. On a couch sat a well-behaved bull terrier known as Bulls Eye, patiently letting photographers snap away at the Target logo ringing one of his eyes.
While a Wu-designed cocktail dress can sell for as much as $5,000 at the Bay, Target’s six-hour event allowed Wu’s Canadian fans to purchase more affordable designs.
Prices for the collection, which included T-shirts, dresses, skirts, raincoats and blouses, ranged from $10 to $45, with all proceeds benefiting the United Way of Toronto.
Target had recently announced it was opening the temporary location to give shoppers an idea of what to expect when the retailer opens in Canada a year from now.
John Morioka, senior vice-president of merchandising for Target Canada, told Marketing that bringing Wu’s collection to Canada brings to life Target’s “Expect more. Pay less” tagline by making well-designed products “affordable to all and accessible to all.”
Target has hosted more than 20 pop-up stores across the U.S. (and one in France) since 2002. – Kristin Laird
