It All Came Together at Saks

Saks Fifth Ave

Emily Guck

Since arriving in New York, my roommate and I have had a goal to make it to Saks Fifth Avenue. Wednesday was the day that we ventured out to cross this item off of our bucket list. The second you enter the store you are transported into a mini mall of luxury goods. However, what caught our attention was not the Chanel makeup counter or the impressive selection of Louboutin shoes, it was actually all the references and connections we were able to make to the industry tours we participated in.

One of the first things one will notice when walking in the front door is a display featuring sun hats produced by Eugenia Kim. To a normal shopper these may appear to be a fun accessory to pack for your next resort vacation. However,  immediately recognized them from New York Embroidery Studio, where we saw the same hats being made. I was a bit jarring to compare the conditions of where these hats began to their end retail destination. There was an extreme difference between the hot working conditions of the factory, and the white pristine interior of Saks.

When I turned around, there in the display case were the Alexander McQueen skull scarves that were mentioned at the Collection 18 appointment. Rachel had mentioned that these Alexander McQueen scarves were the start of the skull print trend that collection 18 utilizes in their own brands. 

Also, the windows at Saks were covered in flowers very reminiscent of the ones produced at M&S Schmalberg. By simply visiting one store I was able to apply and see many of the things that we had learned in our meetings. Although some of our meetings at the time didn’t feel applicable to my retail interests in buying, they are all integral parts of the industry I hope to be immersed in. It was really interesting and exciting to see some of the strategies, trends and products applied in a store format.