In the footwear industry, casual styles are enjoying victories.
Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade New York and Stuart Weitzman, has seen gains in multiple sectors this trimester, including shoes. The company reported revenue of $1.62 billion, marking 126% year-over-year growth, driven by Coach’s growth.
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In footwear, Tapestry has refocused its plan on comfort-oriented styles in line with an overall strategy of “meeting the customer where they are,” said Tapestry CEO, President and Director Joanne Crevoiserat. , to FN in an interview.
“By staying close to our client, we pivoted,” she said, giving the example of Stuart Weitzman. ” We saw that [casualization] trend is happening in the market and we have responded and reacted. And we’ve seen some of our casual offerings really do well and customers have really responded to them.
She specifically called out the Jelly flats and sandals by Stuart Weitzman, who she said were standout artists in the shoe business. During the last quarter, Stuart Weitzman also expanded its sneaker offering, while reducing the product assortment by 45% less.
Coach has also found success across all genres with its more casual offerings such as its Jelly sandals and slides as well as its sneakers.
“Our sneaker game is very strong and that’s really exceptional for us,” Coach CEO and Brand President Todd Kahn said in an interview. “What we love is that it plays a lot to our iconic logos, which says a lot about the strength of the brand.”
Coach’s shoe sales are primarily direct-to-consumer, with its wholesale business in North America in the mid to high numbers. Kahn said the brand is seeing success with wholesale footwear partners such as Macy’s, Nordstrom and Saks. And he hopes to see them grow. Crevoiserat said Stuart Weitzman is also focused on growing its wholesale business and already closed 90 additional Nordstrom stores last quarter.
Despite the general pivot towards comfort and casualness, Tapestry’s latest results show signs of a return to dressier styles.
“Casual styles are resonating with our consumers. But we have seen and are starting to see a return to certain styles of clothing,” Crevoiserat said. “And I think people [are] delighted to be able to get back to work and back to the office and attending events and weddings.
Like workplaces and other entities in post-pandemic work, Crevoiserat believes that the future of footwear will live in a “hybrid” zone between sartorial and casual.
“There is absolutely still a place for clothing in the world,” she said.