Packing For London
Jenny Packham, who has been showing on the New York Fashion Week calendar for the past eight years, plans to return to London in September with an on-schedule show to mark her 30 years in business, WWD has learned.
Launched in 1988, the label is known for its bridal gowns and eveningwear collections. The spring 2019 show will be one of a series of events to mark the anniversary. Packham is British and her label is based in London, although she has been showing in New York for the past 16 seasons.
“London, for me, is the most creative and inspirational city in the world and our home,” Packham said. “We are looking forward to presenting a collection that reflects this energy and propels the brand into its next decade.”
The designer recently teamed with the British footwear brand L.K. Bennett on a bridal footwear and clutch collection that’s slated to launch next month and includes 16 footwear and five clutch styles influenced by old Hollywood starlets like Vivien Leigh and Bette Davis.
A favorite of the Duchess of Cambridge, Packham has dressed numerous celebrities on the red carpet including the likes of Adele, Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson and Kate Winslet. Aside from formal gala events, she dressed the duchess both times as she made a hospital exit after the birth of Princess Charlotte and Prince George. — LORELEI MARFIL Bowl to drum up interest in its new private label men’s brand. Called NHP, the collection will launch on the Gilt web site in June and rollout to sister Saks Off 5th stores in the fall.
NHP, which stands for New
High Performance, will include both tailored clothing and sportswear and is targeted to the athletic Millennial male.
Tonight in Minneapolis, the host city of the Patriots-Eagles matchup this weekend, Gilt will host a cocktail party and preview the collection for the announcers, celebrities, professional athletes and influencers in town for the game.
“We are looking to develop a program for young, fashionable guys, and we think there’s a big opportunity for hip, cool, updated suits that are closer to the body,” said Tom Ott, chief merchant of Gilt and Saks Off 5th. “There are not a lot of options for those guys at the lower end of the market.”
The suits will retail for $495 and will feature high-performance fabrics and attributes such as comfort and flexibility, he said. Ath-leisure sportswear looks will also be offered.
At the event in Minneapolis, the looks will all be styled with sneakers to make the point that NHP is “fun and not so stiff,” Ott said.
He said the plan is to connect the brand to “rookies and up-andcoming” pro athletes that young men can relate to. “We think there’s a lot of potential in sports marketing,” Ott said. — JEAN E. PALMIERI