New York’s Fashion Week was kicking into high gear, but you didn’t have to be in Manhattan to catch the energy.
Kiton, for example, the Milan-based luxury brand, held its shows both at Americana Manhasset and its brand new shop on Madison Avenue.
“Retail is very on the street – so see now, buy now,” Maria Giovanna Paone, the president of Kiton Global told LIBN. That kind of dynamic is “something that is leveling up in the stores.
MARIA GIOVANNA PAONE: ‘We want people in the area to know about the family, the style, the tailoring and the quality we use.’Photo by Judy Walker
“As we open the store in Manhasset, we want people in the area to know about the family, the style, the tailoring and the quality we use,” said Paone, whose father Ciro Paone launched the family-owned company in 1956.
Moving into a post-COVID economy, retailers continue to create new ways to engage an audience. While the “experience economy” is nothing novel, retailers are compelled to build a new and returning customer base.
Still, there are obstacles – among them, inflation, concerns over the supply chain and global tensions. Yet consumers continue to spend, and the retail industry has seen job and wage gains, according to the National Retail Foundation.
One constant remains: Consumers like to see value where they spend their dollars.
“As we gear up for the holiday season, consumers are seeking value to make their dollars stretch,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement on Sept. 15, when the most recent retail sales figures were released. “Retailers have been hard at work managing their supply chains and holiday inventories to provide consumers with great products, competitive prices and convenience at every opportunity.”
And even amid rising costs, retail sales rose 9.1 percent year over year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent figures. Though how long the trend will last is anyone’s guess.
During these times, a dose of retail therapy that delights the senses holds a certain appeal.
“Consumers want joy, escape and inspiration,” Cara Kleinhaut, founder and CEO of AGENC Experiential & Digital Marketing, told BizBash earlier this year. “We have been isolated and cooped up more in the past two years than in recent history. When we do gather, we want a release from anxiety and stress. We see the use of bold color, art installations and the transformation of outdoor public spaces into areas of play, discovery and storytelling.”
As social beings, humans thrive on that in-person experience, whether outdoors or inside. And the more dynamic experiences can resonate, especially for in-store happenings, which is why Simon Property Group malls like to host events.
“Shopping in-store provides the chance to touch, feel, and try products before purchase, and benefit from the expertise of knowledgeable, at-hand sales associates – something that will continue to set us apart from online shopping transactions,” Nancy Gilbert, director of marketing at Roosevelt Field, told LIBN.
“Events only amplify this experience by giving shoppers and brands the opportunity to interact with one another in a more meaningful way, and providing people with more than just a shopping experience,” she pointed out.
Walking the runway for Kiton. Photo by Judy Walker
And when it comes to fashion, it helps to have a narrative, something Paone was eager to share at Toku, the upscale Asian-fusion restaurant near Kiton at Americana Manhasset.
The restaurant featured a runway and the wine and lunch were flowing. Here, the space was filled with influencers, both old-school (local business leaders and media) and modern-day (think: stylized Instagrammers).
The outfits were at once casual and elegant, aspirational and accessible, a template of smooth-flowing browns and blues and grays mixed with the occasional beige striding down the runway.
This fashion show “was the same as working in New York Fashion Week,” said Elena Beginina, a stylist who with her team has served the industry in New York, Italy and Moscow. Her work includes organizing makeup artists and bloggers, as well as unifying wardrobe changes for the models.
Beginina offered a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the show, noting that the timing and teamwork were “very professional.”
“I love this brand and working with this brand because everything is organized,” she said. “It’s beautiful. There is coffee and food for everyone working backstage, this is important. Everyone is helping each other. Details are important.”
Walking the runway for Kiton. Photo by Judy Walker
And the bloggers that she brought in “know this brand for their clients,” she said. The influencers in the crowd, all of them, wore Kiton – whether a clutch, a jacket or some other item. “This is very important – this is respectable for the brand,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Simon properties aim to entice audiences beyond the everyday mall enthusiast. The properties are addressing health needs, including through PURE Mammography, which is already at Smith Haven Mall and coming to Roosevelt Field in October. The malls also promote hiring opportunities and appeal to people’s culinary tastes and sense of fun with an abundance of offerings.
“We want each and every guest to come to the property and have a great and memorable experience – whether it’s enjoying live music at one of our chef-driven restaurants, personalizing a pair of jeans at Levi’s, finding a job at a local job fair, or expanding your community at events and programming across our properties – each moment helps foster stronger connections with visitors and locals alike,” Gilbert said.
Roosevelt Field, Walt Whitman Shops and Smith Haven Mall are Simon Property Group malls that host dynamic experiences for Long Islanders. Courtesy of Simon Property Group
This year alone, for example, the mall is introducing more than 20 new stores at Roosevelt Field, six at Walt Whitman Shops and six at Smith Haven Mall.
As for dining, Gilbert said Simon malls are “opening restaurants such as Fogo de Chao, Nomiya, Bleecker Street Pizza, Carpaccio, Morgan’s Brooklyn BBQ, Mito Asian Fusion, and elevated offerings such as community programs, live music and in-store discounts that help attract visitors to our properties.”
At these properties, the experience economy remains dynamic.
“Our Long Island properties have had a lot of success with events that bring a number of brands, retailers and local community partners together for a robust, more holistic shopper experience,” Gilbert said.
“For Beauty Week 2022, we teamed up with the likes of Sephora, Kiehl’s, MAC and other major brands to curate a variety of in-store experiences, special guests and product discounts to help give the event more depth,” she said.
