With all the news that companies are making moves to target the end consumer during New York Fashion Week, Banana Republic is jumping into the fray.
This season, Banana Republic will introduce a direct-to-consumer program that will allow customers to immediately shop a selection of limited-edition styles from the fall 2016 collection that will be shown in a presentation Feb. 13 during NYFW.
Banana Republic began showing during NYFW in February when it presented its fall collection. For years it had shown the following season’s collection to the media, but this was the first time it participated in NYFW.
Lexi Tawes, senior vice president of global merchandising at Banana Republic, said that shoppers’ appetite for immediacy has never been greater. “There’s been a lot of conversation of selling directly to customers and getting it into customers’ hands,” she said. “We’re going to give them a select group of looks at the show [that are available for immediate purchase].”
The company is narrowing down the selection and will make about 6 styles available immediately in a limited run. In addition to being spotlighted at the presentation, the items will be marketed online and through the company’s digital channel for immediate purchase. The limited-edition items will retail from about $100 to $300.
While Banana Republic designers designed the items to be incorporated into the fall collection, they are versatile and season-less enough to wear right away. “With the evolution of Banana Republic, most of our products are versatile and can be worn anytime. Really for us, having our product be ‘season agnostic,’ and able to be incorporated immediately [into a woman’s wardrobe] would be important for us no matter what season we’re showing,” said Tawes.
The limited-edition products are for women only right now, in misses’ sizing.