Monday, February 21, 2011
Lush colors, styles and polished 1970 minimalism , likely trends in the New York Fashion Week, United States department store customers say how they look on clothing to entice buyers cautious against the backdrop of a fragile economic recovery.
Americans are shopping, but are more cautious, demanding the return of the retailers and designers after the worst financial crisis in decades, said buyers from top department stores Barneys, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
Rising commodity prices, particularly cotton prices hitting record levels, and probably trickle up to higher prices for clothes this year, experts say.
New York Fashion Week began on Thursday with 89 designers from all over to show their fall and winter collections for 2011. It is followed by the Fashion Week in London, Paris and Milan.
"As the economy slowly recovers, we see customers returning to stores, but they are certainly very careful about what they buy," revealed, Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing. "We're not going to see clients with commercial refuse, that they were before the recession."
Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of the U.S. economy has not recovered from the crisis, as unemployment varies 9% and many Americans struggle with high household debt.
"We're in this period, a hangover from the recession, and I think it's all a bit nervous about saying: 'Well, what is this," says Catherine Moellering, executive vice president, Fashion Retail consultant Tobe.
But she adds: "There are many consumers who are ready to buy. This concept is now a real pent-up demand, and consumers feel that they deserve to shop. They constrain and they are ready to buy. "