Elizabeth & James Line Thriving

The recession had hurt everyone, especially high-end fashion designers and celebrity-designed lines. It seems no one wants to buy these expensive brands. That is, unless the brand is designed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Their contemporary sportswear line, Elizabeth & James, is thriving despite hard economic times, according to the NY Daily News and it’s even single-handedly keeping some small stores afloat.

The reason? Several merchandisers think it’s simply because MK and Ashley have made high-quality, on-trend, beautiful clothing. Several stores across America are big fans.

“It’s cool, contemporary merchandise that our customers are craving,” said Bloomingdale’s fashion director Stephanie Solomon.

Another bright spot is that while their name certainly helps Elizabeth & James succeed, it’s not really the selling point of the brand. Who is behind the line is incidental to the product, not the focus.

“The twins have really done an excellent job on making the product a star,” Ken Downing, senior VP fashion director for Neiman Marcus said.

I’ll admit, I’m very, very impressed with the Elizabeth & James line, and MK and Ashley’s higher end line, the Row. Both are beautiful, well structured, chic collections that are sure to impress regardless of the name behind the brand.

Image: Newscom