Macy’s Shoppable Fashion Show Is Savvy Post-NYFW Move

Heidi Klum And her dancer models at Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row 2015. Photo: Getty

Department stores have been having a hard go of it lately. With modern day humans more likely to browse for goods on Amazon than go rifling through the crowded racks of a cavernous retail chain, stores like Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears are suffering immensely.

So Macy’s decided to do something about it, by hosting a “spectacular” called Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row, which will be televised on E! on Wednesday, September 23rd. The concept behind the event, which was filmed live at Madison Square Garden on the last night of New York Fashion Week, is fairly straightforward: Present the new collections of several brands sold at Macy’s in an over-sized fashion show format in order to showcase the products the store is currently selling—and inspire viewers to shop. In addition, all proceeds from ticket sales of the live taping are going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a charity that provides medication, counseling, food, healthcare, and financial help to people with HIV and AIDS.

Hosted by Fashion Police Giuliana Rancic and Brad Goreski, the evening included energetic performances by fun. singer Nate Ruess, Jason Derulo, and… The Village People (really). Brands sold at Macy’s, many of them celebrity-owned, showcased their fall offerings on a raised runway backlit by jumbotrons, with a few gimmicks thrown in: Tommy Hilfiger’s wares were presented in a preppy football field scene, complete with a marching band; Heidi Klum’s lingerie line was worn by female dancers; a men’s underwear segment played up the Magic Mike angle; Macy’s in-house line, Impulse, had a 70s vibe and walked to Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”; and one model went rogue during the Sean John segment with a bit of breakdancing.

I was reminded, throughout, of that famous prank, where posh food critics were given samples from McDonalds—and loved it. Change the packaging, and suddenly, mass market clothes from the mall becoming desirable—and in a way, high fashion.

Tommy Hilfiger, Macy’s chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren, Thalia Soti, and Tommy Mottola pose for a pic at Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row. Photo: Getty

By far, the highlight of the night was the Hello Kitty portion, which features little girls wearing Hello Kitty-branded gear while doing some incredible dancing and gymnastics. The whole audience lost it when they popped out from beneath the dress of a creepy giant Hello Kitty, Nutcracker style. There were also highly applauded, brief appearances by some of the designers, like Hilfiger, Klum, Thalía Sodi, and Diane von Furstenberg, plus a fashion tech segment featuring Samsung smartwatches. Famous guests in the audience included Martha Stewart, Jamie Chung, Jill Zarin, Charlotte Ronson, and Bella Thorne (who I was lucky/unfortunate enough to witness vertical humping her actor boyfriend Gregg Sulkin for an uncomfortable amount of time in the lobby of Madison Square Garden prior to the show’s kick off).

Before the show began, I spoke with Hilfiger, who’s been in business with Macy’s for 25 years, and counts his namesake brand as being one of the store’s bestsellers. As far as he’s concerned, giant-scale fashion shows like this one, which brings the runway to the masses, are the future of the industry. “The public needs to have whatever anyone else has,” he explained. “Why should we just hold it to the fashion editors and buyers?”

Of course, those who are watching Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row actually have an advantage over seeing a typical fashion show: The clothes seen on the runway can be purchased immediately on Macys.com. Towards the end of the taping, I asked two young women sitting behind me what they thought of the whole thing—and their reactions were overwhelmingly positive (and not just because of Jason Derulo’s performance—though I’m sure that didn’t hurt).

Heidi Klum and Jason Derulo before the taping. Photo: Getty

“I actually like the fashion, especially the Impulse line,” one told me. “I think it shined light on different designers that I didn’t even know were out there in Macy’s store.”

Added her friend, “Yeah, Impulse—I’ll definitely be buying some stuff from there. I feel like, now, I’m more apt to think about Macy’s for fall fashion and stuff.”

If viewers at home share that same sentiment and level of enthusiasm—and actually follow through by logging onto Macy’s website or heading to an actual store—Macy’s may have found the marketing strategy it needs to turn its luck around.

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