Hugues Witvoet, Chief Executive of the Edcon Department Stores Division, is proud to announce that Edgars is the official retail partner of South Africa’s premier fashion showcase, namely SA Fashion Week. As such, the retailer is going to host the first-ever SA Fashion Week Designer Capsule Collection, a groundbreaking retail initiative conceptualised by Edgars in partnership with SA Fashion Week. Launching through an exclusive event at the Edgars Melrose Arch flagship store on the eve of SA Fashion Week winter 2012 (i.e. Thursday, 21 September2011), the SA Fashion Week Designer Capsule Collection demonstrates a firm commitment to supporting the local fashion industry and enterprise development, while increasing access to designer labels through a department store experience and credit facilities. Available to purchase, the designer-wear will be seasonal, including catwalk looks. According to Hugues, fashion lovers can look forward to a world of choice in the form of seven permanent designers, like Black Coffee, Clive Rundle, Colleen Eitzen, Lunar and Two.
There will be accessories and underwear by Robyn Lidsky and hats by Chanelle Vlok. Three more designers will rotate on a monthly basis, such as:- Hermanna Rush, Rubicon and Sies! Isabelle in September/October;- Ephymol, Naked Ape and Silver Spoon in October/November; and- Ephymol, Gert Johan Coetzee and Kottin & Twille in December/January.(The complete and final schedule will be advised in due course.)“This is the first time that many of these designer brands will be available in a department store setting,” says Hugues. “Previously, they may have been confined to boutique operations or admired from a distance in the pages of glossy fashion magazines. By providing a mainstream retail platform, we are giving local designers a unique opportunity to really grow their brands and expand their businesses. While they are going to experience a whole new set of challenges and dynamics, we will be a guiding hand every step of the way.”
For example, the designers are responsible for choosing their own ranges and making any adjustments that are necessary in terms of improving performance. They will also check and maintain stock levels in their respective areas, educate the sales assistants regarding their creations, and monitor progress by means of regular store visits. On the other hand, Edgars is providing the commercial infrastructure in the form of back-end processes and technology, as well as merchandising and planning. This tried and tested operational model underpins other high-profile Edgars’ designer partnerships, like Jo Borkett and Marion & Lindie. Lucilla Booyzen, the Director of SA Fashion Week, adds that the launch of the SA Fashion Week Designer Capsule Collection is an important achievement for the fashion industry. “For the most part, fashion weeks are the prerogative of buyers and press. However, the commercial strategy that has been developed by Edgars and SA Fashion Week removes these logistical barriers to entry and packages the fashion week experience in a commercially viable format that is open and well-known to everyone!”
The Edgars and SA Fashion Week partnership kicks off with winter 2012, which is taking place at the Crowne Plaza Johannesburg in Rosebank from 22-25September 2011. In the future, Edgars will be the official retail partner of winter2013 and 2014, and summer 2012, 2013 and 2014.For Hugues, the SA Fashion Week Designer Capsule Collection reaffirms Edgars’ position as South Africa’s leading fashion retailer. “We are looking forward to launching the SA Fashion Week Designer Capsule Collection, which is going to become the benchmark for seasonal styles that are on-trend and deliver designer pedigree and quality.”Issued for and on behalf of Edgars by: Lauren Winchester | The Red Phone
