Halston's in a hurry to market
Most of the designer clothes seen during New York's Fashion Week won't hit retail racks for months. But the upscale fashion house is going online with its latest line. Lisa Napoli reports.
A model walks the runway at the Rubin Singer Fall 2008 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2008 at The Promenade at Bryant Park on February 1, 2008 in New York City. (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images)
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Scott Jagow: In New York City, it's Fashion Week. Usually, the clothes being displayed on the runway don't show up in the stores for months. But one of the classic brands is trying a new approach. Lisa Napoli explains.
Lisa Napoli: Halston is going off the rack -- way off the rack. The classic fashion house has cut a deal to offer some of the pieces it's showing off in New York this week, available at an online retailer. Now, instead of next fall.
Promotional video: "The day dress, the jersey shirt dress is a Halston classic. Versatile, trans-seasonal and effortlessly sophisticated."
And not cheap -- $1,500. But retail analyst Marshal Cohen of NPD Group says the price isn't the point. What's new is that you can pick up this spendy schmatta so soon after its debut.
Marshal Cohen: We're seeing the market try to speed up their process, the production cycle, to try to get their product to the consumer at a much quicker pace.
Industry lingo for this trend is "speed to market." Cohen says it's not just a way to beat the copycats, but to help fashionistas get some runway action faster than you can say "fabulous."
In Los Angeles, I'm Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.
