Matthew Williamson — the London-based womenswear designer who recently launched a bridal collection and promptly found himself rotated down a short list for royal wedding design prospects—is the latest name to make Macy’s increasingly high-profile capsule design roster.
Last night, The Feast N.Y. previewed the '70s-inspired, prints-driven collection, slated for an April 13 release at Macy’s 225 nationwide storefronts. According to Macy’s vice president and fashion director Nicole Fischelis, "authenticity" and "integrity" were the keys to releasing the likes of a $50-$300 capsule line from a designer like Williamson, whose cocktail gowns often fetch as much as $9,000:
"It’s the spirit of a designer translated into our product with the right quality. It’s not about bringing down runway pieces and copying them. It’s really about creating with a focus for this customer and it works, with the right authenticity and integrity."
We inquired about the success of February’s Kinder Aggugini collection debut, and the projected best sellers for this and September’s slated Karl Lagerfeld line. According Fischelis, “anything sexy — prints, color, and femininity” have done well within this series, and with Macy's Impulse customers. (On that note, we’re partial to a tone-on-texture sleeveless blouse — pictured in slide one, but not photographed for the lookbook.)
"First of all there is a buzz because either they know of a designer or — in the case of our first Kinder experience, they’ve never heard of them," Fischelis told us. "But create a fabulous campaign, beautiful windows done with consideration to designers’ work and storytelling — and you’re bound to draw an interest."
[THE FEAST NEW YORK]
Update: The Williamson collection will be carried at the Cherry Hill, Willow Grove, and Center City Macy's locations.
Related Stories on The Feast:
Wedding Belles: Designer Matthew Williamson Takes the Bridal Path
A Brief History of High/Low Fashion Collaborations
Collaboration Nation: Kinder Aggugini to Design for Macy's
