Club Monaco (Q1130)
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mid-priced, high-end casual clothing retailer
- Club Monaco, Inc.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Club Monaco |
mid-priced, high-end casual clothing retailer |
|
Statements
1 reference
design and merchandising team
Club Monaco was one of the first brands to create “experiential” shopping experiences, building cafés and flower shops in their stores as early as 1985. More than 30 years later, they’re pushing it further with slightly redesigned stores where events and plush seating areas will entice shoppers to grab a coffee and hang out for a while. Many luxury retailers and cool-kid startups have a similar approach to retail, but Club Monaco is a massive, global brand positioned somewhere between the high street and contemporary designers—so if they believe in it, you can bet this is more than a trend.Club Monaco also cast a diverse group of “real people”—many of them friends of the design team—for the Fall 2018 men’s and women’s lookbook and advertising campaign. Booking non-models has become the norm for many larger runways, but Club Monaco’s m.o. is to make high-quality, affordable clothes for the masses, so the move feels particularly natural. This collection’s shearling coats, marled knits, and workwear separates are the kinds of pieces you’ll reach for every day, so it’s important to actually see yourself in them.Head of design Steven Cateron said he asked the guys and girls to show him how they’d wear the pieces in their day-to-day lives and found that many of the women were reaching for men’s pieces, like retro varsity jackets and classic blazers. We’re guessing a lot of guys were into the soft giraffe-spotted jacket on the “women’s” side too. Going forward, Cateron is planning to mix the men’s and women’s pieces together in the stores rather than divide them on opposite walls or floors—an old-school model that no longer feels necessary in 2018. He also showed his first line of women’s shoes—luxe yet affordable flats, embossed mules, and ankle boots—and a men’s range is likely next.
8 September 2018
Club Monaco was one of the first brands to create “experiential” shopping experiences, building cafés and flower shops in their stores as early as 1985. More than 30 years later, they’re pushing it further with slightly redesigned stores where events and plush seating areas will entice shoppers to grab a coffee and hang out for a while. Many luxury retailers and cool-kid startups have a similar approach to retail, but Club Monaco is a massive, global brand positioned somewhere between the high street and contemporary designers—so if they believe in it, you can bet this is more than a trend.Club Monaco also cast a diverse group of “real people”—many of them friends of the design team—for the Fall 2018 men’s and women’s lookbook and advertising campaign. Booking non-models has become the norm for many larger runways, but Club Monaco’s m.o. is to make high-quality, affordable clothes for the masses, so the move feels particularly natural. This collection’s shearling coats, marled knits, and workwear separates are the kinds of pieces you’ll reach for every day, so it’s important to actually see yourself in them.Head of design Steven Cateron said he asked the guys and girls to show him how they’d wear the pieces in their day-to-day lives and found that many of the women were reaching for men’s pieces, like retro varsity jackets and classic blazers. We’re guessing a lot of guys were into the soft giraffe-spotted jacket on the “women’s” side too. Going forward, Cateron is planning to mix the men’s and women’s pieces together in the stores rather than divide them on opposite walls or floors—an old-school model that no longer feels necessary in 2018. He also showed his first line of women’s shoes—luxe yet affordable flats, embossed mules, and ankle boots—and a men’s range is likely next.
8 September 2018
For a few years, Club Monaco’s strategy seemed to mirror that of most high-street brands: to offer a wide range of products that hit multiple trends, no matter how disparate. You might have found a ruffled sweater or off-the-shoulder top alongside the retailer’s signature tailoring, or a tasseled skirt next to an elegant 9-to-5 shift. The Spring 2018 collection, which arrives in stores and online today, looks noticeably cleaner. The only “fashion” influence you could really decipher was the touch of ’80s vibes in the polka-dot blouses, pegged trousers, and leggings under slip dresses, plus the splashy men’s Hawaiian shirts (hands down a guy’s must-have item this spring). Otherwise, the collection nodded to Club Monaco’s heritage—well-made, affordable American classics—and felt more grown-up, too. Head of design Steven Cateron zeroed in on fit and silhouette rather than novelty details, pointing out a very nearly perfect cotton button-down and a few excellent trousers. It’s worth pointing out that he styled and shot the lookbook, too; it feels more spontaneous and low-fi than the brand’s past efforts, and makes the clothes look more desirable.Cateron’s vision translated to the Spring 2018 ad campaign as well. (Not that you can’t actually see the clothes in it—how many fashion ads can you think of where the product is purposefully obscured?) The photos will be plastered around New York City and in Club Monaco stores and feature models silhouetted against glowing colored backgrounds. You can just barely make out the lines and shapes of their clothes, cast as they are in dark shadows. It’s a visual clue of what Cateron wants to emphasize now: the silhouette, weight, and gesture of each garment, not the trendy finishes or colors.
5 February 2018
For a few years, Club Monaco’s strategy seemed to mirror that of most high-street brands: to offer a wide range of products that hit multiple trends, no matter how disparate. You might have found a ruffled sweater or off-the-shoulder top alongside the retailer’s signature tailoring, or a tasseled skirt next to an elegant 9-to-5 shift. The Spring 2018 collection, which arrives in stores and online today, looks noticeably cleaner. The only “fashion” influence you could really decipher was the touch of ’80s vibes in the polka-dot blouses, pegged trousers, and leggings under slip dresses, plus the splashy men’s Hawaiian shirts (hands down a guy’s must-have item this spring). Otherwise, the collection nodded to Club Monaco’s heritage—well-made, affordable American classics—and felt more grown-up, too. Head of design Steven Cateron zeroed in on fit and silhouette rather than novelty details, pointing out a very nearly perfect cotton button-down and a few excellent trousers. It’s worth pointing out that he styled and shot the lookbook, too; it feels more spontaneous and low-fi than the brand’s past efforts, and makes the clothes look more desirable.Cateron’s vision translated to the Spring 2018 ad campaign as well. (Not that you can’t actually see the clothes in it—how many fashion ads can you think of where the product is purposefully obscured?) The photos will be plastered around New York City and in Club Monaco stores and feature models silhouetted against glowing colored backgrounds. You can just barely make out the lines and shapes of their clothes, cast as they are in dark shadows. It’s a visual clue of what Cateron wants to emphasize now: the silhouette, weight, and gesture of each garment, not the trendy finishes or colors.
5 February 2018
Club Monaco is one of the few labels that are sticking to the see-now-buy-now formula this season, but it actually makes sense for the retailer. It doesn’t really “do” needle-moving fashion; Club Monaco’s strength is well-made, nicely priced clothes that feel relevant, but aren’t going to garner a skeptical side-eye glance. You can walk into any Club Monaco knowing you’ll find a great trench, a new crepe suit, or a party dress at prices you can stomach, along with a few trends peppered in here and there. In other words, these aren’t clothes you need to see six months in advance. Banana Republic switched to the see-now-buy-now model, too, and while J.Crew is absent from the calendar this season, it could be a wise move for the label.For Fall 2017, which arrives in Club Monaco stores and online today, head of design Steven Cateron mined the label’s archives for classic American staples, then gave them a 2017 twist. Gray wool suiting was a bit roomier, for instance, and boyish Glen plaid coats had fur trim at the cuffs. More surprising were the ’80s riffs: one-shoulder dresses, splashy leopard prints, and footless tights, which were styled under many of the looks. Don’t miss the shoes, either. The pointy flats with puffs of fur were Club Monaco’s take on the babouche slipper, and the spiky leopard mules were good, too.
8 September 2017
Club Monacois becoming a major force in the see-now-buy-now game. Just a few days after Tommy Hilfiger and Rebecca Minkoff staged their Spring ’17 shows in Los Angeles, the sophisticated and nicely priced Ralph Lauren–owned retailer filled its Fifth Avenue flagship with hundreds of flowers and a jam-packed room full of buyers and editors who could purchase the collection on the spot. This wasn’t the case at Club Monaco’s first show, which took place at Grand Central last September; this time, customers were invited to shop, too.The strongest pieces were the floral midi-length dresses and skirts, which captured the romantic mood of the moment without feeling overly referential. The first look in particular stood out; the creamy rose-printed skirt looked like it had been lifted from the ’20s, not the ’70s or another heavily mined decade. The Club Monaco team, led by creative director Caroline Belhumeur, also explored zeigeist-y head-to-toe floral prints, layering an antique floral trench over a matching jumpsuit and teaming a black floral bomber with matching pants. (They made that bomber for men, too, FYI.) The jury is still out on whether the Club Monaco customer wants such a full-on look—the label is more closely associated with ladylike, business-casual pieces—but with the added exposure of the NYFW event, they might just feel inspired to start experimenting.
11 February 2017
This morning, Club Monaco staged its first-ever New York Fashion Week presentation, in Grand Central Terminal. Situated in the chandelier-lit Vanderbilt Hall, passersby on their way to work got a glimpse of the action—and if they saw something they liked, they’ll be happy to know it is now available on Club Monaco’s website. The clothes were from the brand’s fresh-from-the-factory Fall ’16 collection, and the timing was ripe with the industry’s current obsession with see-now-shop-now shows.Caroline Belhumeur, creative director and head of women’s design at Club Monaco, was quick to point out how much the brand has changed in recent years. Once reserved for 9-to-5 staples like trousers, cardigans, and button-downs, Club Monaco has become a wallet-friendly resource for simple, elegant clothes (and accessories and shoes) suited to every occasion. Dresses and outerwear are a strong suit, but even the most avant-garde type would be interested in their high-quality tees and cashmere sweaters. “It’s really about offering pieces you can mix into your existing wardrobe,” Belhumeur said. “They’re pieces that should become timeless and seasonless staples, but we sprinkle in some trends, too.”A few of the major Fall themes we saw back in February were present here, like ruffles, velvet, Victorian florals, and shearling coats. There might not have been any major surprises, but it was nice to see a new emphasis on rich textures and layering; Club Monaco has been leaning in a more minimal direction for a while. Women are always in the market for great basics, but right now they want special items, too—pieces with outfit-making muscle that can be worn multiple ways. A navy velvet jumper layered over a ruffled silk blouse and a few pouf-sleeved sweaters fit that description on the women’s side; men should be on the lookout for the relaxed plaid trousers and herringbone peacoats.Shop thewomen’sandmen’sFall 2016 Club Monaco collections.
9 September 2016