In the world of department stores, Neiman Marcus reigns supreme as the most high-end and luxurious. Surprisingly, today was the first day I actually walked through the department store. The majority of my visits have been through their website and until today I didn't understand or comprehend why people regard Neiman Marcus as such an opulent department store. All the walls and floors are bright white and marble and the most surprising thing was the absence of people. In a store like Macy's there are families running wild with their coupons and cards and in Neiman Marcus you hear only the background music and light footsteps of associates working with clients and styling them in designer brands. I definitely felt out of place.
Since the whole store was so new to me, I figured I might as well explore a few brands I was also unfamiliar with. When approaching the store I noticed they had two displays showcasing a new spring collection from Jay Kaplan. The store over all has quite a minimalist approach with displays and they definitely exuded that by their window displays. They had only one mannequin in each with two props. It helped highlight the vibrancy of the new collection and give off a regal vibe.
Key trends, colors, fabrics, and patterns seen in Jay's new spring collection were easily identifiable. Coral and magenta tones definitely are strong color stories for him for the spring as well as the color blocking method. Sleeve detail is also apparent in both tops on display; each has a different detail but both are updates to the modern sleeve. Both bottoms also have pleats, the skirt has many but the pants have a very refined front pleat.
The second designer I looked into was Fur. Upon entering Neiman there was a small display in front of the escalator to notify guests the brand was having a trunk show upstairs so I immediately went up to look. I had also never heard of this brand before and was intrigued by the fur pieces on display, they weren't just the typical brown mink.
It is clear from the display that Fur and Jay Kaplan followed similar trends in their collections; color blocking and magenta tones. They both also used white as a nice contrast in their designs to further help their colors and patterns pop. The patterns in Fur were definitely more abstract if there was any at all. The cobalt blue in Fur caught my attention as well because I know that is the color of the year for Pantone.
Finally, I made my way over to their prom set up. The last time I recall truly shopping in a department store was for prom season more than 5 years ago. Due to the high end designers they carry I was interested in seeing the price range of the gowns Neiman Marcus carries. Right as you enter there is a big display with trending dresses and even a male mannequin dressed in a tux.
What caught my attention first was the use of a gold butterfly in place of the letter "o" in the word prom. It is attention to detail like this by the visual team that really go above and beyond. And, for the third time across all areas I investigated, the color magenta has popped up again. Not only is it a trend for women's wear, outerwear, but also prom wear. As for materials, satin and sequins remain the biggest trend which isn't too different from what was available during my prom shopping days. Prom has definitely shifted more towards wearable and season-less gowns. As for the male prom outfits, they spiced it up with coats and pants outside of your typical black and grey. I equate this to the rise in mens fashion and the shift from just boring basics to a more fashion forward feminine look.
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