Designer fashion comes and goes. And so too, it seems, do designers.
Anne Klein & Co., the New York design house known to hundreds of thousands of women across the country for sophisticated, wearable clothes, has announced that it will shut down its Designer Collection Division. That means that the upscale fall '96 collection shown on the New York runway just a couple of weeks ago will never make it into stores. And designer Patrick Robinson is out of a job."This is a difficult decision, but one that reflects the current market realities," said Tomio Taki, chairman of Takihyo Inc., a holding company that owns Anne Klein. "The Collection Division represents less than 10 percent of the company's total sales and has not been profitable since 1989.
The company's larger divisions include Anne Klein II, A Line Anne Klein and Anne Klein Studio. These less expensive lines are available at moderately priced department stores such as Lord & Taylor, Macy's and Filene's. The Designer Collection was available at high-end stores such as Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and Louis of Boston.
The Anne Klein designer line was founded by Anne Klein in 1968. It started as a moderately priced collection of classic separates for day and evening. After Klein's death from breast cancer in 1974, designers Donna Karan and Louis Dell'Olio took over, dedicating themselves to high-priced tailored yet feminine business looks, or simple, casually elegant outfits with a modern designer flare. When Karan and Dell'Olio left the company in the late '80s, the design house was headed by Richard Tyler, then, in 1994, by Patrick Robinson. But by that time, the company, struggling for a new image, had lost its former cachet. Indeed, Robinson's last few collections were derided by fashion critics for lacking vision.
Meanwhile, as the collection floundered creatively, a troubled retail environment made the company's designer line unprofitable. In recent years, women have eschewed high-priced designer clothes (an Anne Klein designer jacket runs between $800 and $1,200) and have flocked to less expensive lines and bridge collections to fulfill their wardrobe needs. This designer defection has resulted in Anne Klein losing more than $25 million since 1989.
"There's a small population looking to spend $10,000 on a dress," said Ann Hance, a spokeswoman for the company.
The folding of the Anne Klein designer line, however, does not mean that consumers will necessarily see less of Anne Klein's clothing in stores. "Consumers will probably see more of Anne Klein rather than less of Anne Klein at a different price point," said Hance.
There will likely be more looks, more colors, more variety in the lower-priced Anne Klein lines available in the moderate-price department stores that most consumers are frequenting. In addition, Anne Klein licenses continue on hosiery, watches, jewelry, shoes, handbags, swimwear, scarves, coats and eyewear.