“ P R E S E N Ta t i o n i s e v e r y t h i n g ”

coming around againB A R N E Y S :

ALICIA MUZZY | TREND FORECASTING | MEMORANDUM 6 | NOVEMBER 3

becoming the total package

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TABLE OF CONTENTS• What is Barneys New York?• Barneys New York: In the News• What are customers saying?• What is the barneys private label?• Who is tomoko ogura?• Fall couture 2014: Editing the Avant-Garde• Trend Board: Becoming the Total Package• Why Become the Total Package?• Why Become the Total Package (cont.) • References• References (cont.)

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“The best value you can offer a customer is personal attention to every detail, and they will return again and again. Ultimately, the

customer cares the most about how he or she is treated." - Fred Pressman

(Wikipedia, 2014)

WHAT IS BARNEYS NEW YORK?BUSINESS CLASSIFICATIONIndustry: Luxury RetailHeadquarters: New York City, Store Locations: 40+ locations, U.S. and Japan Flagship Stores: NYC, Beverly Hills, Chicago (Wikipedia, 2014)

HISTORYFounded: 1923 by Barney PressmanOriginal Location: Seventh Avenue and West 17th StreetMens: Barneys was originally a men’s discounted clothing store with 40 brand name suitsFred Pressman (Barney’s son) changed transformed Barneys from a discount store to a luxury retailer for men’s suits. Barneys is widely credited to have introduced Giorgio Armani to America.Women: Clothing first introduced in Barneys in 1976, officially opened in 1986 (Horyn, 2012)

NOWCurrent CEO: Mark LeeFashion Director: Tomoko OguraNumber of Employees: 1,400Competitors: • Bergdorf Goodman

Saks Fifth Avenue• Nordstrom• Bloomingdales

(Wikipedia, 2014)

RECENTLY IN THE NEWSPoor Customer ServiceRacial Profiling(Santora, 2014)

CONSUMER PROFILEMen: 49.7% of population

Median Age: 37.4 Predominant Races:

• White: 63.1%• Asian: 28.2%

Family Households: 29.6% Family Households w/Children under 18: 8.3%

Average Income Men: $80,150 Bachelor’s Degree: 35.1%

Graduate / Professional Degree: 20.5%(Supman, 2014)

Women: 50.7% of populationMedian Age: 36.8

Predominant Races:• White: 65%

• Asian: 31.2%Family Households: 29.6%

Family Households w/Children under 18: 8.3%Average Income Women: $75,350

Bachelor’s Degree: 33% Graduate / Professional Degree: 22%

(Supman, 2014)

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“Barneys: Coming Around Again”

“Barneys Agrees to Pay $525,000 in Racial Profiling Inquiry”

“Barneys New York keeps brand top-of-mind with mcommerce site”

“Barneys New York Gets a Facelift in Beverly Hills”

“Barneys Plans to Reclaim Its Chelsea Location and Expand Down-town by 2017”

“Guessing the Online Customer’s Next Want”

“Top Spots For VIP Shopping”

“What’s a Store For?

Barneys Remakes Itself for the New

New York”

B A R N E Y S N E W YO R K

Barneys' Fashion Director Spills Her

Spring-Shopping List

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“Barneys Racist Culture Deeply Ingrained In Store, Insiders Say”

(Finocchiaro, 2010)

(Bernstein, 2013)

(Bhasin, 2013)

(Horyn, 2012)

(Medina, 2014)

(Taub, 2008)

(Santora, 2014)

(Horyn, 2012)

(Hoffman, 2014)

(“Top Spots”, 2007)

WHAT ARE CUSTOMERS SAYING?

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“Overall, terrible experience here, even though we were prepared to dish out a lot of cash. For anyone looking for a truly wonderful high end department store experience, I highly recommend Bergdorf Goodman's in-stead! Selection and service is much better there ;)”- Ashley J (Yelp, 2014)

Questions for Barney staff: 1. Did you ignore me because I wasn't dressed up and didn't carry a fancy purse?2. Did you prevent your colleagues from borrowing your register because you work on commissions and are constantly backstabbing each other?- Anqi Y (Yelp, 2014)

“WARNING: don't go in here unless

you want to feel like a poor, unfortunate

soul.” - Joolie T (Yelp, 2014)

“You would think with all the media hype, they would ease down on making their racial profiling so blatant, but while browsing for a gown, I kept glimpsing at the security guards who didn't pay any mind to the non-coloured wom-en, but there was two of them clocking my every move.

First of all, where the hell am I going to run off too that I can miraculously drag a long evening gown with me? Secondly, why do you need two large security guards for one tiny girl who the wind might knock over if it blows too hard?

Not only was it offensive, but it was demeaning and em-barrassing.” - Beck M Yelp, 2014)

“Shoe shopping is the equivalent to a euphoric high for every woman. Luxury shoe shopping especially. Imagine entering your store of choice, in need of stress release, ecstatic about your next purchase and no help was available. That was exactly my experience at this Barney's location. I came in to purchase a pair of Givenchy boots and Christian loubou-tin pumps. No one asked if I or my company (she is from Denmark) needed help. This isn't a matter of race but pure laziness and lack of customer service skills. I saw several employees chatting amongst themselves yet none felt the need to lend a hand. So instead of getting irritated I simply dropped the shoes, walked out and did some oh so soothing retail therapy at Nordstrom.” - Danielle A (Yelp, 2014)

WHAT IS THE BARNEYS PRIVATE LABEL?"To get the customer to buy private label, it has to be something special, not just a navy jacket." (Schiro, 1993)

"We [Barneys] approach it as we would a designer collection.We go to Europe to the fabric shows and use mills and facto-ries in Italy." (Schiro, 1993)(Schiro, 1993)

"With private label, you can con-trol your business a lot better.With a designer-name collec-tion, you can't control deliveries and you have to mark down the clothes when other stores do."(Schiro, 1993)

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ABOUTName: Barneys New York CollectionFounded: 1986

WHY• Excluive styles without paying a premium to designers• Better control of business • More steady income for Barneys New York• Way to reach varied audiences with different income levels

IMPORTANCE• Accounts for 50% of sales(Schiro, 1993)

WHO IS TOMOKO OGURA?

SHORT BIO30 years old

American, japanese heritageBorn in NJ, USA

Parents live in JapanMoved to Japan when she was 11

College: Dartmouth First Job: 2005 - Assistant in the

Barneys fashion officeCurrent Job: Fashion Director at

Barneys New York, started in 2012, replacing Amanda Brooks

(“Tomoko Ogura, Senior Fashion Director”, 2014)

FAVORITESCasual Shoes: Common Projects SneakersHeels: Esquivel’s suede derbysJacket: Junya Watanabe biker jacketJeans: R13 slouch skinnyShirt/T-shirt: ATM brand’s rib-knit, long-sleeve T-ShirtSwimsuit: BantuPurse/Tote: Moreau Makeup: La Mer Crème De La Mer, Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Mascara, and By Terry Rose Balm Gloss.Perfume: Byredo Palermo. Or anything with the smell of yuzu which reminds her of Japan. Travel: Comme des Garçons’ patchwork large zip pouch, Valextra’s zip pouch, and Reece Hudson’s Bow-ery pouchette. (Hoffman, 2014)

Personal Style: Comfortable neutral minimalism

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“As the fashion director, I am a set of eyes for Barneys. I am continuously observing, searching and discovering de-signers, collections and trends. Through an intimate collaboration with the merchant team, I guide and direct the vision of the store with regards to fashion and product. I spend much of my time in showrooms and meeting people to better

understand what is happening in the overall market and from there what is potentially relevant to Barneys.” - Tomoko Ogura (Team, 2014)

FALL COUTURE 2014: EDITING THE AVANT-GARDEAesthetic Logic Industrial Logic Consumer LogicDesigner Item 1 Item 2 Item 3

Vion

net

Vikt

or &

Rol

f

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1. Bright Red - color of power and sexuality2. Comfortable fabric, suitable for fall/winter. 3. Beautiful bow em-belllishment as focal point

1. Can use comfortable, flexible synthetic blend as the fabric. Use light-er, breathable fabric for spring/summer look.2. Red bow embeliishment to add sophistication and personality to the simple emsemble.3. Could produce in a variety of colors.4. Basic apple silhouette to suit consumer shapes.

1. Comfortable dress for any occassion - casual or formal - appeal to larger audience because of its versitility and original simplicity. 2. Red Bow adds a sense of sexuality and youth which matches target consumer age, personality and valures.3. Original piece that is dis-tinctive amongst others, sets the woman apart from her fellow co-workers, friends, etc.

Arm

ani P

rivé

1. White lace, lightweight fabric with billowing chiffon pieces cut out from lace. Beautiful, yet fun and surprising.2. Alludes fun and ele-gance with swift move-ment.3. Embellishments add a new sense of abstract, originality, diversity, and individuality.

1. Use synthetic fabric with simple lace embellishment. 3. Cut out pieces from the lace dress and underlay with ruffling fabrics, chiffon fabrics, or other fun embel-lishments. 3. Maintain sense of ab-stract, originality, diver-sity, and individuality in embellishment, color, and movement.

1. The white lace will appeal to larger audience.Very sleek and sophisticated, yet also young and playful.2. A fashionable piece very different from others which will allow the Barney consum-er to feel like an indivudual, original, and apart from the collective crowd.3. Could be used in the pro-fessional setting because of its modesty and long length.

1. Lightweight2. Sexy and sleek3. Soft lines, movements4. Soft elegance5. Comfortable shorts6. Fun red fringe7. Hot red sohistication with sleeves and modest dress length

1. Could use inexpensive synthetic fabric.2. High drapability which eludes movement, lose dress. 3.Experiment with other fabrics and colors for versitility. 5. Stick to this sleeve, round neck, and long length for practical, profes-sional, and sophisticated look.

1. Versatile look - work, business meeting, night out, date night. 2. This ensemble is simple yet fun and sophisticted. 3. Youthful look. 4. Evokes movement and curves without hugging a woman’s curves. 5. Comfortable and prac-tical.

Arm

ani

Priv

é“The catwalk explored the

contents d'une boîte

laquée, a lac-quered box

that opened to reveal a feast of

red, white, and black.”

- Tim Blanks(Blanks, 2014)

BECOMING THE TOTAL

PACKAGE

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WHY BECOME THE TOTAL PACKAGE?CORE CONCEPTArmani Prive Fall Couture 2014 collection has a large influence from Asian culture. This collection is a nostalgic look into a past collec-tion of Giorgio Armani from 1981. This collection has a strong Japanese influence as well as a look into the future with this collection’s industrial, modern edge with a coat of red vinyl strips studded with rhinestones and a shimmering coatdress made from laboriously applied enamel studs (Blanks, 2014). Everything in this collection is black and white with pops of vibrant red. Armani is known for his neutrals (especially his original men’s suits), but this time everything has been embellished with red. He made red BIG.

DECONSTRUCTING THE COLLECTIONEverything is embellished . Through these abstract embellishments he is alluding to a larger theme and mood as if influenced by an Asian festival with round polka dots, cut out circles, etc. resembling party confetti or the dot from the japanese flag. The silhouettes vary; however, mostly bellshaped and A-line silhouettes are present which accentuate the female figure without tightly hugging a wom-an’s curves. These silhouettes and draping fabrics make these pieces comfortable, appropriate, and modern. The details in the collec-tion come from the use of exterior trim - fringe, buttons, zippers, suspended shapes, etc. There is a lot of movement in the collection with draping organza remsebling an unwrapped gift with overflowing tissue paper. He incorporates more movement with his use of geometric shapes in both fabric and embellishments. There is life with the movement. With the movement and pop of red color comes a sense of fun mixed with sophisication. Red evokes a powerful, sexy, youthful mood which connects with Barneys New York Collection consumer market. I didn’t see other designers witht the same Asian influence, but I did notice a strong use of red in the other collections as noted in the table earlier in this report.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR BARNEYS NEW YORK COLLECTIONWith Tomoko Ogura’s japanese heritage and cultural influence mixed with the Asian influence of this collection, the two are a perfect match and a great starting point for Barneys. Barneys is slowly overcoming an image and economic crisis. With the recent racial pro-filing scandal and getting over the Great Recession economic turmoil, Barneys has turned away customers and it’s online reviews are disappointing. Barneys may not be able to control who writes about it, but it can help control what message it is personally sending out. Barneys New York Collection is directly related to Barneys New York, which means the current Public Relations image crisus affects both entities. With customers turning from Barneys and shopping at compeititor stores instead, Barneys is compromising its bottom line: making a profit. The primary focus now should be to regain customers with customer satisfaction.

Ogura said in an interview, “online has become a huge focus for Barneys. The fashion consumer continues to be more connected and the Internet is satiating their growing curiosity quickly and extensively. At Barneys we are storytellers and it is important to continue sharing these stores in a unique and compelling way. Online is a platform from which to share to all of our customers our vision and point of view and so a big part of my role is directing the content of our digital communication; choosing the stories to tell.” (Team, 2014)

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WHY BECOME THE TOTAL PACKAGE?All publics are connected in this day in age via all media sources (including online reviews such as Yelp which is depicted earlier in this report); therefore, the crisis is crucial and needs to be addressed through multiple facets of the Barneys New York team.1) Improved Customer Service 2) Improved Communication Strategy Online and In-Store with All Consumers 3) Improved Gobal Consumer Connection through Fashion Merchandise

Number 3 is where Ogura plays a role. While Ogura may not be able to control human resources and how her sales associates interact with customers on the floor, she can create styles that evoke the following themes: coming together, breaking boundaries (racial, geographic, economic), and embracing diversity. She can communicate a positive message for Barneys through the collection itself which could play a visual role in altering the consumer opinion of Barneys New York.

This fashion campaign is part of a bigger picture, and is important that Ogura has a thorough understanding of the crisis and consumer prolfiling and spending statistics as well as a seat at management’s table. This is where consumer research plays such an important role. By looking at online sources, some primary research can be obtained and evalauted which is what I have done in this report. My recommendations stem purely from my primary research findings, my observations, and my analysis. For a more complete and thor-ough undertanding backed by research, Barneys should really consider hiring an external market reearch firm to conduct randomized surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews with consumers. After this secondary research has been completed, a more thorough anaylsis and recommendation could be made.

My fashion campaign proposition starts with a collection that will appeal to a diversifying consumer base - conumers who come from all over the U.S. and even the world (much of Asia), from different heritages, economic levels, subcultures, careers, ages, etc. It is okay for Barneys to have specific publics it wishes to target; however, by illegally discriminating against a certain public, it is also influencing the views and opinions of the target publics they do wish to have as their consumer base. Thus, the problem and the immediate necessity. Fashion is influential and plays a high roler in business and society. All are connected. Ogura should show this in what designs/ designers she chooses to include for Barneys private label .

As a Public Relations and Consumer Journalism student at the University of Georgia, my job as Tomoko Ogura’s intern is to help understand Barneys target consumer and then determine a message strategy to reposition Barneys in a positive, public light. The Barneys New York shopping experience is all about giving consumers the total package, from the elite experience of shopping in Barneys New York to the luxurious, quality fashion products it offers. Business starts and ends with the consumer. Since Barneys’ products aren’t being purchased because of the company’s damaged image, Barneys should consider reinventing itself by renovating itself, first starting with its packaging - how the company looks to consumers both through customer service, visual and written communications, and the fashion products themselves. This is essential in order to become the total package, because in the end, presentation is everything. Page 11

REFERENCESBarneys New York. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.yelp.com/biz/barneys-new-york-new-york

Barneys New York. (2014). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barneys_New_York

Barneys, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Top Luxury Brands. (2011, June 14). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/152400/barneys-nordstrom-bergdorf-top-luxury-brands.html

Bernstein, J. (2013, December 18). Barneys: Coming Around Again. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/fashion/barneys-new-york-chelsea.html?pagewanted=all

Bhasin, K. (2013, November 7). Barneys Racist Culture Deeply Ingrained In Store, Insiders Say. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/07/barneys-racist_n_4225710.html

Big Department Stores | Fun Fun New York. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://funfunnewyork.com/big-department-stores.html

Blanks, T. (2014, July 7). Armani Privé Fall 2014 Couture Fashion Show: Runway Review. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.style.com/fashion-shows/fall-2014-couture/armani-prive

Blanks, T. (2014, July 9). Vionnet Fall 2014 Couture Fashion Show: Runway Review. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.style.com/fashion-shows/fall-2014-couture/vionnet

Childs, G. (2014, June 12). Barneys New York Taps Russell Westbrook For Collaboration. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://styleblazer.com/292147/westbrook-xo-barneys-new-york/

Finocchiaro, P. (2010, November 10). Barneys New York keeps brand top-of-mind with mcommerce site. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.luxurydaily.com/barneys-new-york-keeps-brand-top-of-mind-with-mcommerce-site/

Hoffman, E. (2014, April 7). Barneys’ Fashion Director Spills Her Spring-Shopping List. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.refinery29.com/tomoko-ogura#page-2

Horyn, C. (2012, December 15). What’s a Store For? Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/magazine/barneys-remakes-itself-for-the-new-new-york.html?pagewanted=all

Lund, A. (2014, August 28). Style Chat: Barneys’ Tomoko Ogura Breaks Down Exactly What You Need for NYFW and Fall. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.elle.com/news/fashion-style/style-chat-tomoko-ogura-on-fashion-week

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REFERENCES (CONT.)Medina, M. (2014, October 6). Barneys New York Gets a Facelift in Beverly Hills. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.wwd.com/retail-news/department-stores/barneys-gets-a-facelift-in-beverly-hills-7968210

Mower, S. (2014, July 8). Armani Prive Fall 2014 Couture. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.vogue.com/fashion-week/946667/armani-prive-fall-2014-couture/

Ongley, H. (2014, May 13). How I Got Here: Barneys Senior Fashion Director Tomoko Ogura on Success, Snoozing, and Her Designers to Watch. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.styleite.com/qa/how-i-got-here-barneys-senior-fashion-director- tomoko-ogura-on-success-snoozing-and-her-designers-to-watch/

Santora, M. (2014, August 11). Barneys Agrees to Pay $525,000 in Racial Profiling Inquiry. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/nyregion/barneys-agrees-to-pay-525000-to-settle-racial-profiling-suit.html

Schiro, A. (1993, July 12). The Return of the Store Label. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/13/news/the-return-of-the-store-label.html

Supman, J. (2014). Barney’s Target Consumer: Men and Women Demographics. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://jacquelinesupman.com/downloads/jsupman_barneys_ppt.pdf

Taub, E. (2008, May 18). Guessing the Online Customer’s Next Want. Retrieved November 1, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/technology/19recommend.html?pagewanted=print&_r=1&

Team, B. (2014, May 27). Role Call | Tomoko Ogura, Fashion Director. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/05/role-call-tomoko-ogura-fashion-director.html

Tomoko Ogura And Other Fashion Leaders Choose Flats Over Heels. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://thewindow.barneys.com/t-magazine-flat-shoes/

Tomoko Ogura, Senior Fashion Director, Barneys New York. (2014). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://intothegloss.com/2012/08/tomoko-ogura-senior-fashion-director-barneys-new-york/

Top Spots For VIP Shopping. (2007, October 10). Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/2007/10/10/style-shopping-VIP-forbeslife-cx_ls_1010style.html

Verner, A. (2014, July 9). Viktor & Rolf Fall 2014 Couture Fashion Show: Runway Review. Retrieved November 2, 2014, from http://www.style.com/fashion-shows/fall-2014-couture/viktor-rolf

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