MELBOURNE: Department store Myer will continue to push exclusive designer collaborations as a key point of difference from its rivals.
The Melbourne-headquartered company has already expanded product offerings from brands such as Wayne By Wayne Cooper, with more collections planned across more stores over the spring/summer 2009/10 season.
Cooper currently produces an exclusive womenswear, childrenswear, footwear and handbag range for Myer, with a gift boxed jewellery set now scheduled to land in December.
Wayne By Wayne Cooper was initially trialled across just 20 sites three years ago and is now available at stores nationwide. It offers signature designer looks at mid-market price points.
NF by Nicola Finetti retails at around 40 Myer stores in Australia, while Maticevski and Hi There by Karen Walker are available at selected sites only. Myer fashion and accessories director Judy Coomber said another diffusion range was scheduled for release next season but declined to reveal further details.
“We will continue to look at gaps in our offer and respond to consumer demand. Each of these brands will [also] only be extended into further stores depending on the demands of the customer.”
Designer Toni Maticevski, who produces a diffusion womenswear collection for the company along with his full-priced eponymous label, last month released a range for bridesmaids and flower girls.
Dubbed Maticevski Sweethearts, the line is priced from $150 to $450 and includes cocktail, formal and full-length dresses.
“Toni’s reputation has been built on the back of his beautiful couture wedding gowns and we realised that there were few places the bride could then shop for her bridesmaids’ dresses,” Coomber said. “As a result Sweethearts was born.”
In addition to fresh mid-range fashion brands, Myer has also secured exclusive department store distribution for Balmain, Temperley London and Calvin Klein Collection. It also plans to extend its luxury offering from Emporio Armani to include footwear and handbags.
“There is a good cross-section of styles to show the important looks for each label,” Coomber said. “This is particularly important for the new Melbourne flagship store, which will have a world class offer of international designers.”
While Myer recorded a 1.8 per cent decline in sales to $3.26 billion for the 2009 financial year, womenswear and accessories were among the strongest- performing categories.