Anne Klein Suits

Even if we had all this [the force in terms of] brand awareness, people had a very emotional relationship with Anne Klein informed, "said Dee deVries Salomon, vice president of marketing and corporate communications at Anne Klein . "There was not a real perception of what it meant to Anne Klein. Anne Klein has had many owners and designers and advertising campaigns. It has not been a consistent message, we are about customers."

To fight against this notion, the company has installed Nolan, a self-proclaimed devout Anne Klein as senior vice president of design and undertook reengineering the bridge collecting signatures for money. In addition, the company recalled the mark of the lion-headed a four-year hiatus to be a symbol of Anne Klein and Anne Klein has reworked the line 2 with a new logo and new positioning as a collection of career best price.

Nolan, who was until recently a designer for Ellen Tracy collection for 10 years, seems to have found a match in Anne Klein with his respect for the late designer and her idea of coordinated sportswear, but also its conviction that fashion and practice should work in tandem.

"One of the first things he told me is that our client did not 6 feet and 100 pounds," said Wendy Chivian, president. "If we broaden the base and focus on The idea that sport is coordinated, there are many opportunities. "

For his part, Nolan said: "I really think you could make great fashion product and make it marketable. These are clothes that I'm connected and I think I put a link to the past. All of my training was Anne Klein.

A Fashion Institute of Technology graduate who also designed the Bill Haire - one of the assistants Klein - Christian Dior and Blassport, Nolan becomes the latest in a series of designers to head the collection since Donna Karan left Anne Klein in 1985 to start his own business.

In the wake of the departure of Karan, the company has undergone several design philosophies, first with Louis Dell'Olio, then with designers Richard Tyler proven and Patrick Robinson, and more recently the team of Ken Kaufman and Isaac Franco, in an attempt to interpret that philosophy with varying success.

The arrival of Nolan, with his experience of sport deck prices, appears to be the clearest sign yet that the company has awakened to the idea of who your customers are and what their needs are.

"In recent years, we did not give him enough options," said Chivian. "But there is no one right way to put it together. We will move forward in the direction of Charles to put together. "

With the introduction of its first collection, the direction of Nolan seems to focus on the basics of career - the basis of the initial collection of Anne Klein.

"I personally believe in a great blazer," Nolan said. "The blue blazer, black, camel you can come to Anne Klein and always get."

He also said he wants to produce clothing that is on the decline, but not too directional, because the Anne Klein customer does not come to the mark for that.

"I think being comfortable in your clothes is the most important thing, without exception," he added. "It's only a matter of good cut, the garment well balanced. The thing is to have this brilliant armhole that does not deny your day so you can talk on your cell phone and not get tired. "

In addition to Nolan's design philosophy and what it can do the lion's head logo begins to appear with the fall collection on belt buckles, in the soles of shoes as a lining in coats, among other incarnations.

"By taking" Anne Klein "foot of the bed and replace it with the lion head, we are relaunching the lion and giving it a new status," said Solomon.

When Kasper ASL acquired the Anne Klein brands in 1999 for $ 60 million of Anne Klein Co. owners Frank Mori and T.