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Who’s Your Customer?
By admins | February 9, 2010
Who’s your customer? That’s one of the most basic questions a designer or manufacturer asks. For those of us working in fashion design, it’s often a no-brainer. Many of us, and our readers who work for Garment Center companies, know immediately who our customer is. We know from extensive market research by the manufacturer, or feedback from the retailer, or our own branding campaigns. We design for our customer because frankly, that’s how we make money. So it is always shocking to hear of a designer shunning their customer base. We mentioned something similar the other week in regards to Lady Gaga. But this week we would like to address the Eileen Fisher/Rosie O’Donnell debacle.
Apparently Rosie is a huge Eileen Fisher fan. Recently she told the designer, “On behalf of every plus size woman in the world, I just want to thank you.” So what was Fisher’s response? “Well, it’s just not the image we are going for.” Oh, Snap! Seriously? Rosie is not the image you are going for? We’d have to disagree; wealthy, rotund, mature women seem to be exactly your target market.
In case anyone is not familiar with Eileen Fisher, her brand is known for its conservative style, quality materials, and flowing silhouettes. Their prices range from about $200 to $400 a piece for most items and their sizing goes up to 24W. They’re very popular for their “mom” cardigans, knitted wraps, and unstructured jackets. It seems pretty clear to us that these are not the clothes a 25 year old, size 2, fashionista would wear, and frankly we don’t even know any 30 something’s that shop at Eileen Fisher. This is a brand favored by the 50+ set, as well as, the plus size crowd. Don’t get us wrong, Eileen Fisher has some great products, but their conservative style and looser fit is a perfect match for the Rosie O demographic.
So who does Eileen Fisher think she is designing for? For us designers, her comments not only come off as snotty and elitist, but also ignorant as to her own business. We can tell you from a design perspective you cannot make and produce a line of clothes going up to a size 24W and not realize you have a plus size customer. You don’t accidentally draw a pattern, or forget you attended a fitting with a size 18 model, or subconsciously agree to spec a full size scale. Really, who does she think she is kidding? To us, it seem that Eileen Fisher has just outed herself (like many other big name designers) to be just a figure head and completely unaware of what is happening in her own design department. Perhaps, she is just cashing the checks, schmoozing at events, and attending the occasional photo-shoot. That would explain why she is unaware that the rise on her size 8 pants are those of “mom jeans” height and not similar to contemporary brands.
So, how do you feel about this situation, Team Eileen or Team Rosie? Do YOU ever shop Eileen Fisher? Does your mother? Your grandmother?
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Topics: celebrity, designer, retail | 12 Comments » 
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February 9th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Team Rosie! For sure! This totally reminds me of Lagerfields comments about not wanting plus size people in couture.
I will say Eileen Fisher does have some beautiful clothes but no I have never shopped there, however my Aunt (age 52) size 10 does shop there quite a bit.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
I have a friend (age 55, size 16) who is a big Eileen Fisher fan but I’ve emailed her this post, bet you that changes pretty quickly. I’m for Team Rosie!
February 9th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Frankly, I think you’re right that Eileen Fisher herself is no longer in command of her own fashion design army. Why work for a living if you can live off the equivalent of royalties? If anything Eileen Fisher should be thanking Rosie for the endorsement, which cost Fisher NOTHING, and used it to discuss the issue of size in fashion. It could have been a watershed moment where a designer actively recognises the purchasing power of the plus size demographic.
Instead, she shot herself in the foot. Way to go, Eileen.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
wow, sounds like she really didn’t think before she spoke!
February 10th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
I am definitely going to have to side with Team Rosie on this one. In this market, or anytime really, it is a bad idea to ‘bite the hand that feeds you”… she clearly doesn’t know her client base much.
To answer your question… I do not own any Eileen Fisher and nor does my mother. (i think it’s too on the conservative side for both of us!)
February 11th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Although I am certain on Team Rosie here – I also have to point out that Eileen Fisher is just verbalizing what the vast majority of department stores at every price point communicate by the way they arrange their departments and display their plus sized clothing. What counts in the fashion world is:
Youth
Thinness
If you are older and/or not thin, you will find your clothing where? Not on the main floor and not displayed up front. Although I think Eileen Fisher made a huge mistake, she is no different than any other designer out there that ‘just do happens’ to have an extended range. By the same token, if the person who had made the comment was Janene Garofalo (who is extremely petite), I’m sure that Eileen Fisher would have said the same thing – short women are not a demographic that designers are interested in, either. So, though I think Ms Fisher was extremely rude and perhaps delusional – I also think she’s no different than any other designer out there.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
I think it’s really tragic that someone would have the gall to say something like that to anyone. The moment I hear something like that I lose all respect for the designer, the brand, the collection, the line…anything and everything. No matter how big you become in any field of work, it is never okay to treat people so disrespectfully. :(
February 13th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
What a disconnect there is between some designers and their customer base.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Team Rosie. And yes, Eileen Fisher sounds clueless. I have an older sister that loves Eileen Fisher, but she’s not fat. She likes the cut and comfort.
This reminded me of when we’d do Bill Blass trunk shows in DC, and we’d hear about him sitting with the ladies for lunch, drinking, and telling some they were too big to wear his clothes. But still, they adored him.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
My mom, 86, LOVES Eileen Fisher and I also own a couple of her pieces, jacket and slacks and tshirt top. The clothes are very comfortable by all accounts.
February 17th, 2010 at 10:42 pm
Who doesnt wouldn’t want their clothes on tall, thin, beautiful, chic women, but the reality is not many people fit this mold. The designer should have just graciously accepted the compliment. “Thank you” and move on.
March 15th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Some designers seem to live in a bubble with their assistants yessing them to death…They have lost sense of the real world and this comment from Eileen Fisher illustrates that….