Park & Bond Launch

Earlier this week, Gilt launched its full priced menswear line - Park & Bond. The site is named after two streets here in the city - Park Avenue and Bond Street. Classic and contemporary come together all under one site.

To be honest, when I first heard about the upcoming site a while back - I was skeptical. Gilt is known for its flash sales so why would anyone opt for their regular priced line? Add in the launch of Mr. Porter earlier this year and it all didn't seem to make much sense. BUT- after taking a look at the site - I have to say - I definitely like what I see.

Brands include Comme des Garcons, Dries Van Noten, Gant by Michael Bastian, Richard Chai for Original Penguin, Viktor & Rolf and more. The product selection and range is vast and there's enough of a differential between Mr. Porter and Park and Bond for it to remain competitive.

The site also has some great features like what to pair pieces with (likely pawned off of Mr. Porter) and pointers including how to create the perfect dimple when tying a tie and how to wash raw denim.

Pierre Balmain

Balmain announced it will be launching a diffusion line: Pierre Balmain. The line will yield a more casual and relaxed urban vibe than the main line and won't come with as hefty a price tag (albeit it's still not cheap). Prices will range from $172 for Ts, up to $1,200 for eveningwear.

The collection will include womenswear and menswear pieces ranging from knitwear to denim. The line is aiming to launch this December globally with a Spring collection and will be available in the US, Asia and Europe.

All images courtesy of WWD

Personally I like diffusion lines - but it helps to understand where and why they arise. While they reach a further target market and increase accessibility for consumers, at the end of the day - fashion is business and 99.99% of diffusion lines arise to generate money. In particular - with lux labels, while items may cost an arm and a leg - if you only sell a few of those items, at the end of the day it doesn't work (seriously - how many people can afford a $1,500 T-shirt). Diffusion lines bank off of the goodwill existing Brands hold, but are intended to generate cash through higher sell through rates and quantity - plain and simple.