Just as a number of brands ranging from Ermenegildo Zegna, Bottega Veneta and Calvin Klein Collection to Costume National, Corneliani and No. 21 will, for different reasons, forgo the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week in June, Damir Doma has decided to show both his men’s and women’s collections on the runway.
“It took almost a year to make this decision but we think this will enable us to improve our deliveries and performances,” said Doma, who unified his women’s pre-fall and main collections into a single lineup in June. The Croatian designer said he will show the same number of men’s and women’s outfits. “The sales campaign will close in July and we will have the right amount of time to produce the collections and have them delivered in stores earlier than in the past.”
Doma also said that by showing together the two collections buyers might make more coherent purchases. “Men’s buyers used to focus on sportswear, while women’s buyers tend to look for special pieces,” he explained. “The image of the brand was not cohesive in the stores and it also turned out that women’s wear had a higher retail price point. I hope that, from now on, things will be more balanced.”
Doma, who sells his collections in 120 stores, added that his goal is not to dramatically enlarge the number of doors where his brand is available but to enhance the quality of purchases in those stores which better fit the label’s standards.
In order to increase the visibility of the women’s collection, which might be penalized by the fact that it will be shown during men’s fashion week, Doma said re-sees and appointments will be organized at his Milanese showroom in September.