Source: The Record, northjersey.com
By Joan Verdon
BCBGeneration -- the lower-priced, more youthful version of designer Max Azria's BCBG label -- opened its first retail store in New Jersey on Thursday afternoon at Garden State Plaza in Paramus as part of a multi-state rollout of the concept.
The line, which has a sophisticated urban-girl look, with lots of miniskirts and minidresses, leggings and skinny jeans, launched at wholesale two years ago. It took off during the economic downturn as clothing companies began seeing a new type of customer they dubbed "recessionistas" -- fashion-conscious young women who wanted more affordable alternatives to designer lines.
Tahari created T Tahari, Donna Karan has DKNYC, Alexander Wang has got T by Alexander Wang. Now BCBG has branched out into BCBGeneration as a way of reaching that consumer.
David Wolfe, creative director of fashion consulting firm The Doneger Group, said it is a trend likely to continue. "We're going to be seeing even more of this kind of marketing," Wolfe said. "So many of the companies are looking at what some of the so-called fast-fashion companies like H&M and Zara have achieved by offering designer-taste level and advanced trend design at a price people can afford."
Cary Holbig, fashion editor of The Tobe Report, a fashion and retail consulting service, said "diffusion lines" - designer lines priced down for the masses - are a huge trend that began with Target's collaborations with various designers. "It makes high-end fashion accessible to the masses," she said. "It's something that every single retailer is trying to tap into. They realize that money is an issue and people are being much more conservative. They want the look, but they want it at a price they can afford," Holbig said.
Max Azria's 28-year-old daughter Joyce is the creative director of BCBGeneration. She describes the new chain as "the younger sister of BCBG - she's a little more price savvy. All the apparel is under $200 and it's a complete lifestyle approach. We do footwear, handbags, fun accessories as well as clothing and jewelry," Joyce Azria said in a telephone interview from her California office.
She said the Generation line, launched as the economy entered a downturn, benefited from changing shopping patterns. "People who used to spend $200 or $300 on a dress now want to spend half of what they used to spend," she said. "It's the same brand she trusts, BCBG, but the prices are a little more affordable, it's a little more playful. It's a great happy brand for the time."
The Paramus store is the fifth BCBGeneration store that has opened within the past month. The chain also has one store in California and three in Florida and plans to open between 25 and 40 stores by the end of this year.
The target age range for the BCBGeneration stores is 18 to 35, Joyce Azria said. "She's a little more experimental - trying on different looks" than the older BCBG customer, Azria said.
"We launched the brand two years ago because we found there was a need in the market for that kind of a concept," Azria said. "We experimented through wholesale and after a year and a half we had great success and great growth and we felt it would be a great store concept," she said. The line's wholesale sales are $200 million a year, according to a company spokeswoman. The line is sold at Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Lord & Taylor and other department stores.
The Plaza store is located in the former Kate Spade storefront, a 1,600-square-foot space.