Ralph Lauren Closing Manhattan FlagshipWhat exactly is going on in Fashion retail

[zamb]

Fashion retail seems very shitty at the moment. Everyone is crying, very little clothes is selling, companies are going bankrupt, closing and laying off staff.

The latest greatest news is regarding Ralph Lauren. possibly The richest and most successful American designer around.
What does this say for the state of retail and its future?
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170405/midtown/ralph-lauren-polo-store-closing

[haydn]

I don't think anyone should be surprised by this. Ralph Lauren hasn't changed it's business model, marketing, product or image for as long as I can remember. In the 90's you just had to show up and throw a logo on something and it would sell. Fast fashion has killed the mid-range department store assortment (atleast at full price - it's thriving at off-price). Why anyone would spend $90 on a cotton polo with a horse embroidered on it blows my mind, especially while just a few doors down stores are selling better quality unbranded pieces for less.

Aside from that, Ralph Lauren as a company is perhaps the biggest criminal of oversaturation with the diffusion lines. You have Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Black Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Chaps, RLX, Ralph Lauren Denim and Supply - and those are just the ones off the top of my head that are currently in production. But with the exception of the runway collections he does twice a year, IT ALL LOOKS THE SAME! And it has for years. Aside from how confusing the assortment and huge variety of price points must be to the average department store shopper - I'm sure it was also a mess behind the scenes.

Ralph Lauren is an icon and represents an ideal image of America from a certain period. However it's out of date with how most Americans dress (I can only assume - I'm Canadian). And this has been going on for years - sadly I don't think anyone would miss this brand if they ceased tomorrow. Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Diane Von Furstenburg, Marc Jacobs - they have all (or are currently) gone through the same situation but rebounded with udpated creative direction and a streamlined and aggresive business model to stay alive. If Donna Karan slowly going under wasn't enough of a wakeup call for the US designers I don't know what is.

[C student]

^

Strongly agree. I can see them slowly decaying simply because of the stagnancy, the way in which the Ralph Lauren Brand has been riding the traditional cliche "American-Dream" horse is long overdue. Again, some of the other lines like RLX have focused on more current, or innovative garments which are sprinkled with fashionable statements, but the problem is they don't connect with their target audiences because the drastic differences between lines, all of this just doesn't make the dream Ralph is trying to convey genuine.

Because the lingering cliche of "timeless brand-appeal" the Ralph Lauren brand has made it's bread and butter, I feel it will become a nearly-impossible challenge for an authentic transition for a new head to sink their teeth into. I can see the Ralph Lauren name being sold to different corporations for other luxury services, or goods to save face, or the continuation of the trickling down into department stores (which they are already in), to then be abused and carelessly worn to do outside chores by the aging population this brand once sold dreams to.

[ScyStyl]

Fashion retail seems very shitty at the moment. Everyone is crying, very little clothes is selling, companies are going bankrupt, closing and laying off staff.

The latest greatest news is regarding Ralph Lauren. possibly The richest and most successful American designer around.
What does this say for the state of retail and its future?
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170405/midtown/ralph-lauren-polo-store-closing

Excuse me, I think you might have made a mistake. The URL belongs to a different article about China´s Communism. Which is pretty interesting indeed but I wanted to read it.

[ScyStyl]

I found the article. I'll read it right away!

[Nomadic Planet]

I found the article. I'll read it right away!

can you post the link? I'm very interested in reading too.

[vah]

Here's the correct link: https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...-store-closing

[byhand]

It's not just fashion. This happens in every industry. It's a business model that has been tried and true to increase profit and market share. It's especially implemented when a company goes public and there are shareholders involved. The business has to keep growing until it reaches a point where it can grow no more. Part of the problem is that when a business tries to be all things to all people it no longer has an identity. The inevitability of failure is part of the model, but the corporate officers at any particular time are not focused on the long vision. They instead need to make the company profitable for the next quarter. There is no time or interest to devote to the potential state of a company ten years from now. They just want it to be successful while they have the wheel. It's similar to politicians who have no real plan for the long term as they are enslaved to the political cycle, whereas corporate officers are enslaved to quarterly earning reports.

We see it our own niche with the diffusion lines. That's the beginning of the end. As soon as an investor says that we need to appeal to a larger audience to increase profits, the timer has started for the destruction of the business. In business it is rare to find people who are dedicated to just doing what they do well over a long period of time. As soon as investors are involved it can get messy... unless you are lucky enough to find the right investors who truly share your vision and aren't only focused on the bottom line. Investors lie to the people they invest in regularly. They'll tell you whatever you want to hear as long as they think they can profit on your back.