NEW YORK — Now impulse shoppers can truly buy on a whim.
Cullen USA, a knitwear firm based here, is launching a contemporary line dubbed Whim. Aimed at the affluent 25-to-50 year-old woman, the collection is set to take up residence in 175 to 200 doors starting in July.
While many of those stores will be smaller specialty operations, Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman will also carry the line.
The initial collection’s 40 styles feature 18 colors and wholesale for $49 to $225. Cashmere will be the focus for fall, though some of Whim’s looks are made of Donegal tweed and merino wool.
Tamela Greene, vice president of sales and merchandising for the line, described Whim as a broad collection ranging from sporty pieces, such as hoodies, to ponchos and sexy looks, “showing skin in the right places.”
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“A lot of women want to look sexy, but it’s still important in their lifestyle that they always look sophisticated,” said Greene. “A lot of the knitwear lines had gone a little young.”
This has created a need for more grown-up looks in the market, she said.
Looks from Whim are also intended to work in multiple situations and can be dressed up or down, depending on need.
“I have an absolutely crazy life and I’m not going home and changing [between events],” said Greene, noting many of her target customers feel the same.
Whim’s target customers, though, have some options when it comes to knits, such as looks from Juicy Couture and Vince.
“There’s a lot of people out there who are doing cashmere and knitwear, and it’s sometimes hard to differentiate yourself,” said Greene. “We’ve tried to create some things ourselves that nobody else is going to have.”
Included in that category are a pucker stitch, which Greene said is best described as taking on the appearance of clouds, and a weave that looks like a basket weave.
During its first year out, Greene is looking for Whim to pull in sales of about $3 million.