Amina Muaddi Presents Exclusive Capsule With Neiman Marcus
The footwear designer received the retailer's Innovation in the Field of Fashion award earlier this year.
Amina Muaddi brought “Midnight in Paris” to Los Angeles on Wednesday evening.
“I wanted it to look like a beautiful, shiny night,” said the designer, who's based in the City of Light, of her namesake label's new capsule. “The sparkly Eiffel Tower.”
It's a 13-piece collection — footwear and bags in deep blue and silver, adorned with stars — made exclusively in partnership with Neiman Marcus. Muaddi was in town for cocktails at the retailer's Beverly Hills store, followed by a dinner at Chateau Marmont.
“For me, this collection was about a celebratory moment,” she said. “And it was an important moment in my career winning this award.”
Earlier this year — in Paris — Muaddi, who's Jordan-Romanian, received the Neiman Marcus Award for Innovation in the Field of Fashion. Started in 1938 by Stanley Marcus and Carrie Marcus Neiman, the ceremony has honored the likes of
Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. It was held intermittently for years before taking a pause in the mid'90s and returning last March.
“From the very beginning, we recognized that this was resonating with our customers,” Lana Todorovich, chief merchandising officer of Neiman Marcus, said of Muaddi's creations. “Since then, we actually tripled the distribution in our stores. She's in a really large footprint within our stores.…Especially after the awards, you know, we really saw the pickup in the demand.”
“It was one of my first retailers,” Muaddi said of Neiman Marcus, which operates 36 stores. “And they believed in the brand right from the beginning.”
The designer, whose heels are immediately recognizable, continues to share a message of empowerment. There's a confidence that comes with slipping into an Amina Muaddi design, she said.
“That's why I love, not just the beauty of a silhouette in footwear because it looks like a sculpture, but also the feeling that it gives you, a boost of confidence,” she went on. “I also felt like it's a capsule that is perfect for every woman that wants to celebrate an important moment in her life, a special occasion, or simply celebrate herself by gifting herself a beautiful, glamorous pair of shoes or a purse.”
Her success has also brought numerous copycats.
“On one side, as a creative maybe there is an initial frustration, but, you know, I have always been taught that if they don't copy you, that means you're not successful,” she said. “Of course it's frustrating because you put hard work, time and money to create something. But at the same time, it is what it is. Your client will always choose you.”
Looking forward, Todorovich said Neiman Marcus will continue to recognize emerging talent: “We have a really storied history of discovering, nurturing and growing brands.”
The current focus for the retailer is on consumer experiences, bringing “immersive” events with an element of exclusivity.
As other recipients of this year's awards, Brunello Cucinelli will release a second exclusive collection in fall 2023 inspired by “Hollywood glamour,” followed by Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, who will present an exclusive activation in 2024.
“We do a lot of what we now call retailtainment, which is basically retail and some form of entertainment,” Todorovich continued, adding, “We are really focused on this relationship that we have with our customers. And we are also focused on relationships that we have with our brand partners, and our relationship with our own sales associates. It is a circle, a sort of ecosystem.”