January, 2008

From the Fashion Investor blog, we spotted this today. Do you think this is true or hearsay? And are denim brands like Rock & Republic better off sticking to denim, what they know, instead of trying to expand too quickly? It’s funny that they mention True Religion, because they have also been venturing into handbags, swimwear, etc. recently themselves…

The buzz about Sundance this past week has been about the state of some popular contemporary denim brands. I’m not even remotely a fan of True Religion, one of the sponsors of a swag suite at the festival, but the brand has generally been successfully in selling their core product – upscale denim with new, on-trend variations every six months or so. The gossip around Sundance has been focused on how Rock & Republic has been faring. While their core product is also upscale, on-trend denim, they have been trying to expand into areas with limited success that has allegedly cut dramatically into their cash flow. With handbag prices reaching $950 and shoes reaching $395, and sunglasses like those pictured above for $350, Rock & Republic is pricing the brand much higher than others in the same contemporary market, including L.A.M.B. and Botkier, among others. Read More >