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May Department Stores Company Introduces "be" and "i.e" Sportwears Brands
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire), July 11, 2002 - The St. Louis-based May Department Stores Company introduced its new proprietary sportswear brands at a recent runway fashion show held in New York City.
In his remarks during the show, Gene S. Kahn, May's chairman and chief executive officer, introduced be, i.e, and i.e relaxed, which will arrive in May's full-line department stores in August. In addition, an updated redesign of the company's popular Valerie Stevens brand was presented.
 
"i.e." is the new modern, moderate-price sportswear label introduced by May for its department stores, arriving in August. (PRNewsFoto)
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"We are differentiating our merchandise assortments and making the 'casual lifestyle' the cornerstone of our merchandising initiatives," said Mr. Kahn. "This supports our strategy of continuing our appeal to our critical core customer - the baby boomer - and simultaneously broadening our customer base."
Mr. Kahn continued, "We are advancing May from the era of private label to an era of proprietary products that respond to our customers' needs and desires for distinctive yet wearable fashion. Let me emphasize we are not only building the dominance of our proprietary labels, we're also moving to offer true proprietary brands."
Mr. Kahn presented a profile of each brand:
be is targeted to the 19 to 30 year-old woman and offers lifestyle dressing - clothing for all times of the day and all occasions - with a sense of fashion confidence, style, and attitude. The be customer is a younger woman - a recent college graduate, young married, young working woman, or young mother - with a modern taste level and a fashion sense. The brand not only embodies the latest fashion trends, but equally it is a fashion the customer can feel comfortable in. It is designed to meet this customer's wardrobe needs - from dressed up to dressed down - and mixes with everything in-between. May is supporting the be launch with its first-ever national brand campaign, including newspaper advertising, magazine inserts, direct mail, billboards, a national TV branding campaign, and special events in 10 key markets in partnership with Glamour, Elle, Vogue, In Style, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire.
i.e. is May's new proprietary brand targeted to the 31 to 44 year-old woman who wants the latest fashion trends interpreted in product that appeals to her and meets all of her lifestyle requirements in apparel ranging from tailored and business casual to denim and other very casual looks. The i.e. brand offers a modern tailored look, while its extension - i.e. relaxed - is more casual. Mr. Kahn said that May's research indicated this customer is the most underserved segment of today's sportswear consumer. "This customer believes she cannot find the apparel she wants in department stores," he stated. "We think i.e. will go a long way to meet her needs. It has the potential to become our biggest selling brand."
Valerie Stevens, May's established sportswear brand, has been dramatically updated. It is targeted to the 35 to 45 year-old customer and has an equally strong following with the 45-plus customer. The redesigned brand continues as a collection but also offers Valerie separates that the customer can wear throughout her working day and into the evening. Valerie Stevens Casual answers customers' needs ranging from weekend wear to business casual apparel. The brand is styled in a fashion-right and sophisticated manner that follows today's trend-setting influences. Mr. Kahn said, "Valerie Stevens fills a void for updated, tailored and casual sportswear, which our target customer says is
often hard to find."
First-Time Product Tests Find Chemical Linked to Birth Defects in Some Top-Selling Cosmetics
WASHINGTON, (PRNewswire) July 10, 2002 - Christian Dior's Poison, Arrid Extra Extra Dry deodorant and Aqua Net Hair Spray are among many of the beauty and personal care products that contain one or more of the dangerous chemicals known as phthalates, according to Not Too Pretty, a report released today by the Environmental Working Group, Coming Clean and Health Care without Harm.
The groups contracted with a major national laboratory to test 72 name- brand, off-the-shelf beauty products for the presence of phthalates, a large family of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects in the male reproductive system. The lab found phthalates in 52 of the 72 products tested - or 72%. Only one of the products listed phthalates on the label.
"Chemicals that can damage the development and future fertility of babies don't belong in products marketed to women," said Bryony Schwan, coordinator of the Coming Clean campaign. "Phthalate-free products that perform as well are on the market for virtually every single phthalate-containing product."
Hundreds of animal studies have demonstrated that phthalates can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system, especially the developing testes. Phthalates are used as a plastic softener and solvent in many different consumer products. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, ingested when they contaminate food or when children bite or suck on toys, and are inadvertently directly administered to patients from PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) medical devices.
This report focuses on one source of exposure: the cosmetics and beauty products women are using every day. The products were chosen after reviewing a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database of cosmetics that listed the phthalate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) as an ingredient. The products were tested for the presence of six other common phthalates as well.
The products listed below contained one of the phthalates, while those noted with an asterisk contained more than one phthalate. The lab found more than one phthalate in 11 products.
Hair Products:
Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray*
Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray*
Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray
Redken Cat Finishing Spritz
Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style
LA Looks Styling Gel Extra Super Hold
TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray*
VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold
Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol
Deodorant:
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray*
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray*
Ban Delicate Powder Roll On
Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Secret Sheer Dry Regular*
Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol
Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Fragrances:
Charlie Cologne Spray
Eternity by Calvin Klein
Fire & Ice Cologne Spray*
Freedom
Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray
Oscar*
Poison by Christian Dior*
Elizabeth Arden Red Door
The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment*
White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor
The limited testing done for Not Too Pretty also revealed that the same big companies that produce phthalate-laden beauty products also make products free of phthalates. For example:
- Unilever makes hair sprays with (Aqua Net and Salon Selectives) and without phthalates (Thermasilk and Suave).
- L'Oreal markets Jet Set nail polish without DBP but puts the phthalate in its Maybelline brand.
- Procter and Gamble sells Secret Sheer Dry deodorant with phthalates and Secret Platinum Protection Ambition Scent without phthalates.
- Louis Vuitton has taken phthalates out of its Urban Decay nail polish but still has these dangerous chemicals in Christian Dior nail polish and the fragrance Poison.
For more information on phthalates in cosmetics and complete list, go to www.nottoopretty.org
Fashion Expert Says Colors of Patriotism
Are Making a Transition
NEW YORK, (SLFP.com) May 26, 2002 - After the September 11 attacks on America, shirts, shoes and even cars became red, white and blue fashion statements and symbols of solidarity. But Tristine Berry, a fashion expert for BASF Corporation, says these color and fashion statements are continuing to evolve.
Call it an occupational hazard, but Berry looks at color in a way that most of us don't. It's her job to advise clothing manufacturers, mills and retailers about Americans' changing fashion tastes so they can purchase the right nylon fibers from companies such as BASF for their new fashion lines.
While Americans are still buying red, white and blue for their wardrobe, Berry says they're beginning to put those colors together in new combinations.
"After September 11, we saw this explosion of patriotism - everybody went out and embraced it," says Berry. "People all over the country were wearing American flags, stars and stripes. Today, red is still one of the hottest colors in the stores." But now, she explains, "Red is shown with white in new ways. For instance, look for large, red florals printed on white backgrounds."
Also popular is a nautical look that evokes red and white, and blue and white, in a new way, with red and blue stripes cut with white. Berry says red is also making its way into home fashions, with shades of red on walls, in area rugs and in accent pieces such as lampshades and pillows.
Everywhere she goes - from the bus to the beach - Berry sees this shift in color, which she believes will guide fashion for the remainder of the year. She believes that nautical themes and a blue, retro '70s look also will be evident. "It's part of what I call 'sailor mania,'" she said.
So what's hot for summer and fall fashion? Here are some tips from BASF's top fashion trend spotter:
- "The biggest thing right now is stripes, more printed than woven," Berry says. "Look for pastel stripes in a sailor style, even in hats."
- In keeping with the nautical trend, jeans are appearing more often in fashion ensembles, as part of a '70s trend Berry calls "decade recycling." Berry predicts the '70s look will be better than in its first iteration because the technology used in making clothes has improved greatly in 30 years.
- Ticking - tightly woven cotton or linen - also is back, making its way from home design into apparel.
- For fabrics, the emphasis is on comfort. Softness and stretch are important for Fall 2002.
If nautical themes are "in" for the rest of 2002, what's out? Berry says there's one color that can go to the back of our closets -- pink. "Everybody owns something pink, so they may not want to toss it out. However, people are ready for something different or more directional and are ready to treat themselves to something new."
While shopping for blues and stripes this summer, where can we find the next color sensation? Berry says we should look around us -- color today moves easily from home design to clothes and cars and back again. "There's a reciprocity that takes place between all parts of your life," she explains.
 The Saint Louis Front Page Style St. Louis is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .
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