CHICAGO — Forget the consumer surveys. If Terry Lundgren and the team at Federated Department Stores wanted to gauge the hometown loyalty to Marshall Field’s, all they had to do was attend last week’s Glamorama. Field’s, they would have learned, is practically hallowed ground.
Despite the impending takeover of Field’s and the rest of May Department Stores by Federated, Glamorama, held Friday in Chicago, provided all the glitter it’s known for, and a sellout crowd of 3,000. It remains the city’s social event of the season, the biggest bash of the year for Field’s, and the store’s venue for ushering in fall fashion and supporting the arts.
This year, Glamorama raised more than $300,000 for The Art Institute of Chicago, bringing the total over the past six years to $1.4 million.
At the historic Chicago Theatre, Glamorama — this year, themed “Glam Rocks” —started with a parade of celebrities along Field’s signature green carpet, and then a fashion show. Down the runway came Ryan Seacrest of “American Idol,” a bevy of bare-chested hunky male models and collections ranging from Jean Paul Gaultier to John Varvatos and Seacrest’s own R Line. It was all set against a fusion of rock, rap and classical music and performances by the B-52s, the East Village Opera Company and the Pussycat Dolls.
Immediately afterward came a huge after party, nightclub style, at Field’s flagship on State Street, where selling floors became dance floors, furniture shops became bar stops and Glam Rocks Shops displayed a wide assortment of rock ‘n’ roll-inspired clothes and accessories, including vintage rocker T-shirts, funky compacts and “blinged-up” designer dresses and separates. The same event was held a week before at the Field’s flagship in Minneapolis.
“Tonight, everything is wonderful,” said Sean Combs, in a video welcoming the audience.
Well, not quite. High spirited as the evening was, there was an undercurrent of concern. Glamorama could have been called Wonderama, with people at the party perplexed about Field’s future. They described the 154-year-old store as a Chicago institution, steeped in tradition and with the characteristics of a true brand, like Nike or Coca-Cola.
Chicago without Field’s is a possibility, considering Federated wants its Macy’s nameplate to be national and has decided to put the Macy’s name on all May divisions — except for Field’s and Lord & Taylor, at least for now. Federated already has conducted consumer surveys in several cities to measure how the local populous feel when their hometown stores are transformed into Macy’s units, and generally has learned consumers don’t care much, and don’t stop shopping where they did before. Employees care more, according to Lundgren.
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But in Chicago, there’s opposition to change.
“Everybody in Chicago feels very strongly. If they take away Marshall Field’s, it will leave a vacuum,” said Alexandra Zaporozec, co-chair of the event.
“Everybody would be upset,” said Frank Guzzetta, president and chief executive of Marshall Field’s. “No one wants to lose an historic name in a region. Glamorama is part of the Marshall Field’s institution. And it’s right in line with the things a department store should do. It will continue. My every sense is that [Federated] will continue the institution.”
Guzzetta added, “I believe [Lundgren] wants to do the right thing. He wants to do what the customer wants. He is so emphatic about that.” He said he’s encouraged that Lundgren at this point has decided not to eradicate the Marshall Field’s name.
Actress Lauren Holly said that, even before she moved to Chicago three years ago, she knew the reputation of Field’s. Asked how she felt about the store getting sold, she said: “I am a little sad about it. It’s iconic. I hope it doesn’t change too much.”
“If somebody comes here and respects the traditions of this store and makes it even better, that’s OK. This store is really loved and people love its traditions,” said Anthony Jones, co-chief executive officer of the Art Institute of Chicago.
His wife, Patty, described the mood when the takeover was announced last winter. “It was like, ‘Oh my gosh. What’s going to happen to those chocolate mints? It’s a huge thing. There is this fear factor.” (Those chocolate mints are called Frango, and have been around for 75 years.)
“Oh, I didn’t know it was being sold,” admitted Kate Pierson of The B-52s. “I hope it stays the same. It’s one of the last great department stores. I spent the whole day shopping. The sales are fantastic.”
Will Glamorama happen again next year? “At this point right now, we don’t know what’s to come,” said Michelle Mesenberg, director of special events and publicity for Marshall Field’s.
“You are standing in the best department store in the world,” said John Marcinkowski, an executive with Waterford. “If you take it away, you take away the passion in retailing. What you see here now will not exist as Macy’s. Not at all.”
Asked if Federated officials attended Glamorama, Federated spokesman Jim Sluzewski said: “To my knowledge, no one was there from Federated. It wouldn’t have been appropriate given the pending merger is still in regulatory review.”