Saltaire is crossing a new bridge.
After launching a men’s line in spring 2005, the company is entering women’s for fall with a bridge-priced lifestyle collection that is notably without even one power suit associated with the bridge department of yore.
“There’s a revolution-evolution in the bridge world,” said Saltaire executive vice president Helaine Elias. “The old bridge I would equate to what our parents would wear — it really focused on career, but women no longer wear suits to work. Stores finally have understood what this customer wants: lifestyle.”
Saltaire’s new line will bow this fall, a season after Andrew Rosen’s Premise line, which launched with a similar purpose of reaching the customer who had grown up with Theory but is maturing beyond the contemporary department, hit floors. Elias, who formerly was executive vice president of women’s at Elie Tahari, said Saltaire is similar to Elie Tahari and Tory Burch in scope.
Though full of refined jackets and knits, Saltaire is built around “a strong bottoms business.” The pants offer four fits — skinny, wide-leg, “long-and-lean” and relaxed straight-leg — in each fabric. Also, in multiple denim washes, are three different jean fits: skinny, wide-leg and an in-between style.
“We wanted to offer a great- fitting pant that is contemporary looking with a higher rise and more generous fit,” Elias said. “It’s for women in their 30s who don’t want to look like their 13-year-old daughters, but still want to look ‘with it.'”
Owned by Seattle Pacific Industries but based in New York, Saltaire uses Italian fabrics, including wool, silk, cashmere, suede and leather.
“It is about luxury fabrics in understandable silhouettes,” Elias said. “She’ll pay anything if she wants something.”
The wholesale price range opens at $52 for tops and climbs past $500 for outerwear. Pants sell for $88 to $110, while knits go for $66 to $176. Elias declined to project volume.
Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and other specialty stores have already booked orders. The men’s line is carried in Nordstrom and other upscale specialty stores.
Saltaire also plans to have its own retail operation, with a women’s and men’s lifestyle store in the Fashion Show mall in Las Vegas opening in August and in NorthPark Center in Dallas in September. The plan is to open two to five stores a year going forward, said Elias.