The Material Girl line of young women’s apparel and accessories available at Macy’s is getting a big boost from the star this Thursday, April 25 with a pop-up exhibition (lasting all of 2 hours) at Macy’s Century City location in Los Angeles, CA.
According to Madonna as told to WWD, “The pop-up exhibit at Macy’s perfectly exemplifies the inspiration and spirit of the Material Girl line and will give my fans a great opportunity to see the evolution of my style over the years.”
Top pieces on display include the iconic Jean Paul Gaultier corsets from the “Blonde Ambition” tour in 1990, the bustier with gold nipples and tassels from “Open Your Heart”, and the white wedding dress she rolled around in at the MTV Awards in 1984 to “Like a Virgin.”
According to Dari Marder, the CMO of Iconix Brand Group which is Madonna’s partner in Material Girl, “It’s a magical thing to bring all these iconic pieces together in one place. This will show customers how influential Madonna has been to fashion and how that influences Material Girl today.”
Material Girl collections are currently in 600 Macy’s stores.
It will also be interesting to see how the on-going trends towards ‘80’s styles shore-up with a new generation of younger consumers, many of whom weren’t born yet. The influences of Madonna’s fashion choices have been legend, but especially her punk aesthetics from an earlier timeframe, specifically in the ‘80s. The DIY aspects of over-accesorization and mix and match of vintage finds is an attractive combo for young women still stoked on thrift and vintage shopping patterns in general.
Gap’s Global Expansion Plans
Last week Gap Inc. outlined a massive plan to roll-out globally including additional intentions with its online business. Plans include more stores for Old Navy, including in Japan and China, where they believe the lower-priced brand will flourish, as well as their Banana Republic stores, especially in China aiming for 35 new stores in 2013. Other locations on their radar include India and Brazil.
After years of transition and lower comparable store sales, they have announced they are on track with infrastructure in place for the international market.
“Over the next five years, key to our continued success will be pushing the envelope further to make shopping seamless to customers through our digital strategy,” said Gap Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Murphy at their April 17th meeting in San Francisco at the brand’s headquarters regarding their global expansion plans.
Among the shifts is less of an emphasis on North American consumers and expanding their online offerings. Other brands they intend to boost via online include Athleta, Intermix, and Piperline.