Lord & Taylor is freshening up its men’s assortment.
Last year the retailer launched Design Lab, an in-house contemporary label for women, and now it’s following a similar blueprint for men’s wear with Laboratory, a private men’s label that caters to the Millennial customer.
According to Nelson Mui, men’s fashion director of Hudson’s Bay Co. and Lord & Taylor, the department store will still produce Black Brown 1826, its private label line that focuses on classic styles, but Laboratory speaks to a different customer.
“We needed something that was more trend-driven and item-driven,” said Mui. “Today’s guys are influenced by street style and a lot of the progressive looks they see on Instagram. The entire market is moving a little bit faster and this label is set up so we can capture those trends that are relevant now.”
The collection, which retails under $100, includes key pieces of the season including souvenir bomber jackets, printed button-up resort shirts and drop-crotch pants. There will be eight deliveries a year.
This launch coincides with Lord & Taylor’s renewed focus on its men’s contemporary offering and the Laboratory section, which is at the brand’s New York City flagship and 19 stores across the country.
The Laboratory is stocked with the new private label along with brands including Eleven Paris, American Stitch, Strand and WeSC, which recently pivoted to skew more contemporary. This section sits adjacent to advanced contemporary brands including Lucio Castro, Carlos Campos and Paul & Joe. According to Mui, the retailer will also add Markus Lupfer to the men’s offering this fall. Over the last year Lord & Taylor has picked up brands including Vince and Eleven Paris.