NEW YORK — The contemporary market saw tremendous growth in 2004, but along with financial gain came pressure to keep up with the relentless demand. Here, designers, retailers and executives offer highlights, lowlights and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2005.
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Ryan O’Sullivan, president and chief executive officer, Le Tigre
Accomplishment: “We well exceeded $20 million in wholesale volume within our first five months of selling in 2004. We also surpassed our initial 500-door count for ’04.”
Disappointment: “Not buying Google after the initial public offering and not owning enough Apple stock.”
Goals: “I want to methodically execute several licensing opportunities in various categories that are essential for Le Tigre’s growth.”
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Tracy Reese, designer
Accomplishment: “We had our largest year ever — and survived it.”
Disappointment: “It’s always the same: not being able to do enough, fast enough. It’s a peril of the fast-moving contemporary market. Keeping up with the demand is always a challenge.”
Goals: “I want to do it smarter in ’05. I want to capitalize on my strengths. We’ve also got bids in on real estate in New York, so we’ll be opening a store soon. We’re also going to do shoes for the first time in ’05.”
Walter Baker, designer, Walter
Accomplishment: “We became a major name brand in 2004 in all of the best department stores. Our jackets have been selling like hot cakes and our sales have quadrupled. One of George Bush’s daughters even wore one of our jackets during the Republican National Convention. That was pretty great.”
Disappointment: “I wish I could have gotten goods on the floor faster in ’04 and had less delay with getting goods from Europe to the United States. But I chalk that up to growing pains.”
Goals: “We’re looking forward to opening a new store on Bleecker Street here.”
Cynthia Steffe, designer
Accomplishment: “Doubling the size of our business.”
Disappointment: “Losing out to Karl [Lagerfeld] on H&M.”
Khajak Keledjian, ceo, Intermix
Accomplishment: “We changed the color of our logo and worked on the Intermix slogan, ‘It’s all in the mix.’ We also opened two new stores in 2004: one on Bleecker Street here and the other in Bal Harbour, Fla. We also launched our fragrance and our Web site.”
Disappointment: “Not opening the Bal Harbour store earlier. I wanted it to open in mid-November, but it opened the end of December. We also could have opened more stores this year.”
Goals: “Continue expanding. We want to open more stores in major metropolitan areas, like our Georgetown [Washington, D.C.] location, which will open on March 15. Using the Web site, I also want to focus on our international clients a lot in the new year.”
Cynthia Rowley, designer
Accomplishment: “Signing exciting new licensing agreements. Also, we saw the Cynthia Rowley and Swell brands grow nationally and globally.”
Disappointment: “The presidential election.”
Goals: “I will be happy to produce a child [Rowley is due in January] and a show [Rowley’s 7th on Sixth show is slated for Feb. 9] in the course of a week or two and live to tell about it.”
Marc Ecko, founder and ceo, Marc Ecko Enterprises
Accomplishment: “Real estate gains of 533,000 feet, including Marc Ecko Enterprises’ new 270,000-square-foot corporate offices on 23rd Street here. Through this move, we were able to consolidate all of our various operations, including ecko unltd., Marc Ecko Collection, G-Unit Men’s and Women’s, Zoo York, Avirex, Fetish and Unlimited Entertainment, my video game company, all of which had been in separate locations.
“We also picked up 150,000 square feet of department store selling space across all of our divisions, 60,000 linear feet of real estate through the addition of 60,000 newsstands to Complex magazine’s circulation, 35,000 square feet of prime Times Square real estate secured for the 2006 opening of ‘Marc Ecko Presents,’ our revolutionary new retail environment, and my 18,000-square-foot (not including the guest house and sports complex) dream castle in Bernardsville, N.J., originally the home of Sen. Dryden, son-in-law of Andrew Carnegie and built by William Post in the late 1800s.”
Disappointment: “Not accepting an invitation to travel with my partner, 50 Cent, to Iraq when he was asked to perform in front of 30,000 troops. I’m definitely there the next time such an opportunity comes along.
“I also regret not buying the Karl Lagerfeld name before Tommy [Hilfiger] did and, more importantly, not remembering to forward the Victoria’s Secret catalogue when we moved.”
Goals: “To do more with less, to compete with concepts rather then cash, to direct 10 rap music videos, to launch one video game and to execute three major brand-defining marketing initiatives and seven major brand-defining design initiatives before Jan. 1, 2006.”