Legwear makers typically find themselves in limbo during fashion week.
Even though tights and leggings were a ubiquitous presence on last fall’s runways, the brands often go unrecognized. In a bid to get the attention of buyers and editors, Hue, the Kayser-Roth-owned hosiery firm, has tapped contemporary designer Tracy Reese as a partner for its new Guest Designer Collection.
Reese is the first in what Hue hopes to be a long string of designers who will create limited-edition hosiery collections. The company also is in talks with two other designers for spring 2008, and there is discussion of expanding the program to include categories such as sleepwear.
Hue isn’t the first to partner with a designer for an exclusive collection. Last year, Wolford, the 56-year-old Austrian luxury hosiery and bodywear maker, signed agreements with fashion houses Missoni, Kenzo, Antonio Berardi and Zac Posen for exclusive collections.
Reese designed six Hue by Tracy Reese styles to coordinate with her fall 2007 collection, which will make its runway debut on Sunday. The knee-highs and tights will retail from $18 to $24, and are being pitched to department stores and specialty retailers that already sell Reese’s clothes.
“The guest designer program really takes the Hue brand to the next level, as a fashion leader,” said Julia Townsend, executive vice president and general manager of Kayser-Roth Corp., who said that legwear sales have been on an uptick since the fall. “We can also connect to equity of these ready-to-wear designers and it helps us offer exclusives in the legwear category. Our vision is to continue to do a guest designer program for each season.”
The tights are basics with a twist featuring styles such as a sheer navy tight with opaque dots or an opaque tight in brown with a gray lace tuxedo stripe down the side.
Reese, a fan of bold legwear for winter months, said the collaboration with Hue came together seamlessly since Hue often provided hose for her show. The practice is popular among legwear firms such as Look From London, Stockingirl and Wolford, which give product to designers such as Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs and Derek Lam for their runway presentations.
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“We wanted to make what you can’t find on the market and things that work in the real world,” Reese said. “We’re always trying to strike that balance with the accessories.”
Catrinel Popa, vice president of merchandising and design at Kayser-Roth, who worked with Reese on the collection, said of the program: “We’re just trying to select designers who are in sync with the voice of Hue. We all felt Tracy was a good fit. [The tights are] dressy but modern, and something that would accessorize her collection in a very nice way.”
Reese, whose other accessories categories include footwear and handbags, said both companies benefit from such collaborations.