Banana Republic Is Bringing the Consumer to Fashion Week

The Melton Wool Tie Coat in Blush, $298.00, will be available to buy on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy

It’s funny: Burberry, Proenza Schouler, Tom Ford, and Vetements are all being hailed as Fashion Week disruptors for adopting a more consumer-friendly schedule, but these brands would be remiss to admit that a mass company revealed their plans to do so first.

In December, Banana Republic announced their innovative plan to let shoppers buy some items appearing in their New York Fashion Week show straight off the runway. And on Saturday, February 13, the direct-to-consumer program launches, with a curated collection of limited-edition Fall 2016 styles available to purchase as they’re introduced at the presentation and on the company’s Instagram account.

The six womenswear styles will include a wool coat manufactured in Italy (pictured above); a boyfriend cardigan; a silk printed dress and matching top; and metallic fold-over pouch. The items will only be sold in a limited edition immediately following their initial release (100 of each will be available with a special hangtag), but will make a come back when the collection hits stores in September. The offerings will range in price from $100 to $300.

This will be Banana’s third fashion show, their first having debuted to favorable reviews a year ago under Marissa Webb’s direction as the creative director. The former J.Crew designer was brought on to make the offerings at Banana more fashion-forward, but after just a few seasons with the company, she moved into a new role as creative advisor, stripped of her day-to-day duties in October.

The new feature is just one of many that the fledgling retailer, which is owned by Gap Inc., has employed in recent months to help turn it around. According to the most recent earnings report, sales declined 17 percent year-over-year in January (versus a 2 percent increase at the same time last year). Banana Republic’s same-store sales for the quarter were also down 14 percent in the fourth quarter, continuing its poor numbers streak. Banana has also increased markdowns, applied kitschy promotions, and hired influencers in order to change the public’s perception, to little (or no) avail.

Banana Republic isn’t the first company to try something new in order to encourage sales. Instead of showing her Fall 2016 collection, Rebecca Minkoff will release her Spring 2016 collection for the second time to a less-exclusive crew than would typically attend a fashion show (think consumers off the street over fashion editors and bloggers). Jeremy Scott also sold accessories, including kitschy phone cases, online after his car was-themed collection premiered in Milan. The aforementioned Burberry, Proenza Schouler, Tom Ford, and Vetements will all abandon traditional runway rules to institute some new laws more conducive with the consumer’s shopping schedule.

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