KEMPER’S CACHET
Byline: GEORGIA LEE
ATLANTA — “I don’t need tea; I’m nervous enough as it is,” said Randy Kemper at the 10th annual Tea at the Ritz fashion show held Nov. 21, tapping his feet and singing along to the music. He didn’t have to be. The show — which showcased Kemper’s clothing, along with Parisian’s women’s, children’s and men’s collections — went off without a hitch. The elaborate production included theatrical vignettes, with over 100 outfits featured. Kemper’s collection was showcased at the end.
The next day at the Parisian Phipps Plaza store, Kemper sold $45,000 worth of merchandise at a trunk show, bringing in one-third more than usual, said Mark Attix, senior vice president at Randy Kemper. Bestsellers were cashmere blend jackets in iced pastel colors, which retail for $418; silk and satin blend blouses, which sell for $230, and pants in the same fabric, at $240 retail. Thirty outfits sold in a two-day period, Attix said. He attributed the increased sales to the elaborate production and a mailing of 1,000 invitations to select customers.
The appearance was Kemper’s first at Parisian, which has carried the line for a year. Parisian and the specialty store Potpourri carry the line exclusively in Atlanta. “We purposefully don’t sell a lot of stores,” said Attix. “But we may expand into a few other stores, including another major department store in the near future.” Kemper, 35, has been in business for eight years.