$100 Denim Still Popular
For the past couple of years, a retail price point of $100 has been a target for many in the premium-denim market. More palatable for consumers than the $200–$1,000 prices jeans reached before the recession, $100 premium jeans can sell in specialty retailers, department stores and better department stores. In 2009, Rock & Republic gave the new category a major nod with the introduction of Recession, a capsule collection of jeans for men and women with pared-down pricing. This year appears to be continuing the trend with a new crop of brands hitting that $100 sweet spot.
Sold, a new women’s premium-denim collection from the father-and-son team of Mel Geliebter and Mike Geliebter, debuted for Spring 2010 with an introductory price point of $98. Mel Geliebter, who founded l.e.i. Jeans and later sold it to Jones Apparel Group in 2002, and his son, Mike Geliebter, saw a need for competitively priced jeans in the premium market, Mike Geliebter said. “We wanted to get back in the business, and we saw an opportunity to do it at a different price point,” he said. The Geliebters (who also produce a handful of mid-tier denim lines that retail at Sears, JCPenney, Kohl’s and Torrid) positioned Sold to top out at $125 retail while still offering the style and quality consumers expect from premium denim.“We have the ability to manufacture premium product at [a lower price point],” Geliebter said, thanks to overseas production and the company’s own wash facility in Mexico. Sold debuted with a collection that includes the must-have silhouettes (skinny, boot, straight) and the newest denim style since the boyfriend jean—the denim legging. Dubbed the “Virtual Stretch,” Sold’s version of the legging features pull-on construction, five-pocket styling and 33 percent stretch. Retail priced at $98, it is Sold’s opening price point.
Rich & Skinny, the premium-denim line from designer Joie Rucker, dropped its pricing 20 percent starting with the Spring 2010 season. At $99, the “Legacy”—a new legging-style jean in a rinse wash—represents the lowest price point the brand has ever hit. Selling at retailers such as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Lisa Kline, the Legacy will be carried over into future seasons. “The fabric is less expensive, which brings the price of the jean down,” said David Dietch of Dietch PR, which represents Rich & Skinny. “But lower prices are the way the market is going.” (Rich & Skinny also sells the “Legacy” in other fabrications at $150 retail.)
Ariat, the Union City. Calif.–based equestrian-footwear company, launched a denim collection for men and women for Spring 2010. The collection, which is designed to be worn while horseback riding, is the first step into the denim market for the brand. Designed by premium-denim veterans Stefano Aldighieri and Dan DiSanto (who have worked for brands such as Levi’s and 7 For All Mankind), Ariat Denim features premium-denim styling, technical design and a retail price point of $55 to $69. Made of ring-spun cotton, the jeans include rider-friendly touches such as comfort inseams, an adjustable waistband that eliminates gapping when a rider sits on a horse, deep front pockets, anchored and reinforced belt loops, and heavy-duty hardware. An expanded collection of Ariat Denim will debut for Fall 2010.
