Karl Lagerfeld is the designer with the Midas touch – except when it comes to his own collection.
The Tommy Hilfiger Corp., which in 2004 bought Lagerfeld’s signature label for $27.5 million, said yesterday that it planned to discontinue the Karl Lagerfeld line, which was designed in New York and sold to department stores such as Neiman Marcus and a handful of specialty retailers.
A separate line that carries higher prices, Lagerfeld Collection, will continue to be produced in Paris.
To fashion observers who have watched Lagerfeld work his magic at Chanel and Fendi, where he creates eight collections a year, the latest setback to the designer’s signature label, which has never achieved the popular acclaim of his other work, is mystifying.
“He’s truly one of the greatest idea men in the industry,” said Ken Downing, fashion director for Neiman Marcus.
Neiman Marcus launched the retooled Karl Lagerfeld line, which was styled by former Helmut Lang consultant Melanie Ward, exclusively in March, and, according to Downing, customer reaction had been strong.
But trouble signs had been brewing elsewhere.
Saks decided to pass on the line for fall, and Bloomingdale’s agreed to place the merchandise in just three of its 33 stores.
Meanwhile, exclusive specialty stores around the country gave the line a tepid reception. After uneven deliveries and slow sales, Mix in Houston and Capitol in Charlotte have dropped the line for fall.