SHORTER AND MILDER WINTERS ON THE EAST COAST HAVE PROPELLED a number of outerwear producers in an altogether new direction. Add to that rising overhead and consumers feeling the pinch from gas prices, and vendors are trying to maintain a positive attitude.
With the past December one of the warmest on record, and winters growing increasingly temperate in recent years, coat manufacturers are diversifying into lighter-weight fabrics and creating entire categories that can be worn year-round instead of just during cold winters.
Vendors say that, for the most part, 2007 is off to a sunnier start because of falling temperatures in January. The effect, they say, is almost tangible: The temperature plummets, and stores start calling, looking for inventory.
Peter Mark, owner of Peter Mark Ltd. in New York, said that the turnaround at the start of this year was immediately noticeable.
“December was a dead month, but suddenly there was a good turnaround with special orders,” he said. “Last year, we had a fantastic December but a soft January, while this year, it’s reversed. And because the weather is expected to stay cold through February, we’re definitely getting calls.”
Mitch Fazekias, owner of Mitchie’s Matchings in Montreal, added, “A lot of people out there are complaining that the weather was poor, but in the last two weeks things have been good and that will probably continue. Retailers have made up their mind to clear up their old winter goods and start fresh. Business has been better than I expected it to be, but that’s because we had product for them.” Being able to deliver merchandise in a timely fashion appears to be the key to succeeding, given that the weather is so unpredictable.
“What we’ve done in the last few years is provide basic merchandise that people can buy closer to the season,” Fazekias said.
Vendors said that besides making punctual deliveries, they had to expand upon or alter their offerings to make them more seasonable. At Peter Mark, the mix includes lighter sheared mink coats and a whole collection of silk and polyblend coats trimmed with fur, which had an 85 percent sell-through at one of the majors Mark sells to.
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“Other than as trims, you’re not going to see too many of the raccoon and coyote furs walking around,” he said.
New, lighter offerings are a category-wide trend.
Mitchie’s Matchings recently introduced a line of après-ski clothing from Italian designer Luigi Pirenadelli, which Fazekias said was performing well.
“Things have to be lightweight, so the Pirenadelli line of lighter fabrics trimmed with furs and embellished with grommets and rivets has been accepted well,” he said, adding that a fur belt collection was also showing strong sales. “You don’t need for it to be minus-20 degrees outside to wear it. In Western states like Arizona and California, where temperatures go to 45 and 60 degrees at night, people are looking for interesting shawls and scarves to throw over a jeans jacket.”
George Musi, vice president of Musi Furs in Montreal, said that microsheared beaver styles were a strong seller because of their comparative lightness.
“We focus on fashion pieces that make a statement, like short jackets instead of long coats,” he said, “so that’s why we aren’t as affected by the weather as most people, whose main target is the Midwestern states.”
Vendors are saying that the industry is now more item-driven than ever before. “We’ve been doing very well with our cashmere capes trimmed in furs and vest business,” said Golfo Karageorgos, vice president of Tres Chic Furs in New York. “Those products are not as weather-dependent.”
She said that business was buoyant in places such as Denver and Utah, and that the year had started off well. “Consumers will still want the furs, but accessories like scarves and shawls are less affected and are always strong,” she said.
Daniella Penhaskashi, president of Los Angeles company Mo & J Inc., said, “We’re doing more twills and knit mixes. The industry is much more item-driven now, when it’s not just about making a jacket that’s warm and cute, but having an item that can stand on its own and is not part of a grouping. People will still be wearing jackets, if not a heavy-duty winter coat.”
And some vendors are actually experiencing strong growth. According to Donna Salyers, president of Donna Salyers’ Fabulous-Furs in Covington, Ky., “business was never better.”
“Though December was a bit warm in some parts of the country, September and October were colder than usual, giving us a great start,” she said, adding that 2006 was her company’s best sales year ever.
“Unemployment is very low, and though you can always find moaners and groaners, most people are quite optimistic. In the long term, we’re extremely optimistic and anticipate a very healthy expansion in 2007.”
Fazekias of Mitchie’s Matchings agreed that any shortfalls in the category could be compensated for by taking the right steps.
“At the markets I’ve been to already, people are coming in asking me what’s new and exciting and different; what do they need to have.”
He’s also had to be much more hands-on in the selling. “Selling approaches have to change, and many vendors are doing the trade shows themselves so they can talk to people and see where they need to go,” he said. “I’m hearing a lot of negatives, but I don’t see it that way because of the efforts we’ve made over the last few months. The idea is to make sure that what you have is hot and exciting, and that a retailer is enthusiastic about it. They have to feel it right away. It’s up to us to create that warm and fuzzy feeling.”