Let Them Wear Jimmy Choos

Have you ever sauntered into a luxury shoe store, promising yourself that you will only be window shopping, only to find yourself lovingly holding a pair of Christian Louboutins, on the precipice of purchase, when you realize that they cost nearly as much as a month’s rent?

Very few people can afford to drop $600 on a pair of shoes, let alone $5,000 or more as is the trend with serial high-end shoe shoppers and fashionistas alike. Financial woes perpetuated by high inflation and mounting unemployment have only made such splurge purchases further from the average American’s grasp.

Is the middle class destined to only covet the most luxurious items of prominent fashion designers?

For years, fashion designers have released B lines of clothing, like “Lauren” (Ralph Lauren), “McQ” (Alexander McQueen) and Marc by Marc Jacobs, but even so, those secondary lines still carry high price tags.

One of the first retailers to bring quality, affordable, fashion lines from notable luxury designers is through Target’s GO International line, which rotates through limited edition clothing and accessories lines from a lineup of star-studded designers. Kohls department stores have been successful with bridal guru Vera Wang’s line of clothing and shoes called “Simply Vera,” which is a permanent feature at Kohls. While shoes have been components of these discount designer lines, the main focus has been on clothing.

Stores like Zara have gained devout followings from their designer shoe and clothing recreations at more affordable prices, but two new shoe lines have garnered substantial attention from the fashion world. Christian Siriano, past Project Runway winner launched a line of shoes at Payless Shoe Source this past month at locations nationwide. The launch has increased traffic at Payless Stores and his pumps, which sell for about $35, sold out in less than two weeks at the midtown Manhattan location.

Another new exciting fashion development is the new line of shoes (as well as selected handbags and clothing) by Jimmy Choo at H&M stores. With a launch date set for November 14, it is sure to be a big seller, especially since Jimmy Choo shoes retail in excess of $500.

Christian Siriano’s new line has already proved successful, and I suspect that the new Jimmy Choo line at H&M will be popular as well.

Do discount lines of designer clothing and shoes detract from the sales of the original lines? Definitely not. Those who can afford the original lines would only supplement their wardrobes with discount offerings. As for the impact of these new lines, I think that the result will be a marketing success. The consumers of the new discount lines, finally able to afford the “luxury” offering, after having a taste of high-end fashion, will develop a strong desire to purchase the “real” items at the designer price tags. So before you praise the fashion elite for their philanthropic desire to bring luxury to the masses, take a look at their bottom lines.