Saks Goes for Cashmere

Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (New York) will kick off a “Wild About Cashmere” promotion across all of its 57 Saks stores this weekend.

The merchandising, promotion and marketing campaign, which will run through the holiday season, will be sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission. Designer Rebecca Moses has been named creative director and consultant for the project. Moses, who lives and works in Italy, designed more than 250 original products for the campaign in collaboration with Italy’s top manufacturers. She also helped assemble some of the world’s most famous names in fashion, home design, accessories and beauty to participate in this rich program.

More than 100 international designers and manufacturers are participating in the campaign, which will include not only cashmere sweaters and coats but also handbags, jewelry, shoes, home furnishings, intimates, outerwear, baby and beauty.

“Never before has a retailer embarked on such an ambitious and creative approach to cashmere,” said Saks president and coo Andrew Jennings. “By combining the world’s finest fashion designers with one-of-a-kind merchandise, dramatic in-store installations and an explosion of color, we’ve elevated cashmere to a lifestyle in a bold, statement-making way.”

The campaign will feature several retail themes that address the lifestyle approaches of Saks clientele, with unifying elements of luxury, quality and beauty throughout. These themes, spanning all product categories and price points, include: Bohemian Grandeur, Forever Young, New Age Glamour, Shock and Pop, Rock N’ Roll, Tradition Redefined, The Beautiful Individualist and Age of Innocence, all represented by dedicated in-store shops.

“Our customers want style, choice and exclusivity, and Wild About Cashmere will deliver cashmere choices beyond their wildest imagination,” said Saks vice chairman and chief merchant Ron Frasch.