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Who Said Halston's Dead?
Clothing designers can have a splendidly successful life beyond the grave. The trick is to establish the name while alive, and hope only fellow professionals notice when you die. The names that come first to mind prove the point - Christian Dior, Anne Klein, Perry Ellis, Giorgio Sant'Angelo - have as much vitality in death as in life to the average customer. Now it is Halston's turn. Enter Randolph Duke...When Duke began his career at the Fashion Institute of Los Angeles, Halston, (alive at the time,) was his favourite designer and inspiration. Even before his death, Halston had a few problems with the rights to his own name, and after he died, the name endured mainly in beauty products. But last March Mat Setton and his brother Jack, who own TTI Apparel, a 400 million dollar company, bought international rights to the Halston name for all collections unrelated to cosmetics. Consumer testing assured them Halston was among the most recognizable designer names. Carmine Porcelli was brought in to direct licensing. |
In September Randolph Duke was hired as designer. Duke's design background began in swimwear on the west coast. Following stints at Jantzen and Anne Cole, he came east and developed a sportswear line under his own name from 1987 to 1992, and again in 1993 to 1995. He built a following for lively, young clothing on the cutting edge of innovative fabric use. He returned to swimwear at Gottex and more recently became a design consultant at Henri Bendel. At Halston International he hit the ground running, having the level of energy and dedication to pull together a snappy spring Sleep and Innerwear collection in three weeks, as he gave focus and direction to a spring sportswear collection. Even now he can't remember leaving the office before 9 PM. "I'm not trying to do nostalgia," he said. "I design the sort of modern clothing I think Halston would be making today, if he were alive. And he wouldn't still be doing Ultrasuede. He'd be into microfibres." The aim of the Halston International sportswear is to bring forward design within the financial reach of a fashion-aware working woman, who is operating on a very limited budget - the look of a Designer Bridge collection at a moderate price level. "Time was when fashion filtered down from the top. Now it's a filter-up story," said Duke. "In many ways the design world has shot itself in the foot." Halston jackets for spring, in fabrics such as silk-linen, retail for around $98, whether a fitted, cropped variety or multi-pocketed safari style. Long skins and trousers retail at around $66, blouses and shines in the $55 to $62 area, while cotton and silk blend sweaters are priced between $50 and $70. Dress prices range from $60 to $90. The spring collection is confined to four or five colours, with harmonizing prints. Duke will oversee licensee designs such as scarves to ensure consistency in colour, and new shades will be introduced as often as once a month. Past retail experience has convinced Duke of the necessity of keeping an in-depth collection in a single area. "If you go into a store and see three dresses hanging off a stand what kind of an impact does that make?" he asks. Buying offices were receptive to the notion of free-standing 1,500 to 2.000 foot in-store mini-shops when they reviewed the Halston Intimates line in early November. The company has hired two architectural display designers to insure the area not only catches the customers eye, but makes the inter-related clothing more comprehensible. For the Intimates group, Duke has planned unifying gifts with purchase in a series of pouches, made of the same fabric as the sleepwear, that can serve as anything from packing envelopes, to pillows to laundry bags. They'll reach the stores for Mother's Day selling, with the entire collection being delivered between March 30 and April 30. He plans other co-ordinating enticements for Sportswear. Unlike many designers Duke has had extensive contact with the customer. He had his own retail shop when he first came to New York, and more recently, two years on QVC selling his exclusive collection convinced him the consumer is underrated "We underestimate the intelligence of the shopper. She knows what she wants when she sees it. Marketing is a big factor, of course, and we want to come out like gang busters," said Duke. The Halston advertising 1997 budget is to run $3 to $5 million. "l'm not trying to do nostalgia," he said. "I design the sort of modern clothing I think Halston would be making today, if he were alive. And he wouldn't still be doing Ultrasuede. He'd be into microfibres." For all that aura of luxury, Halston was a practical designer, you know, " comments Duke. He will have his crack at the luxury market. In addition to the sportswear line, there will be a high-priced (over $1,000 retail) Halston Signature collection with emphasis on evening wear. It made its' press debut at the FAll 1997 New York shows. |