THE TRENDS OF ADULTS ALLOWS US TO USE THEIR STRENGTH TO OUR ADVANTAGE.”

the idea of being in the fashion segment of the business.

In 2019, I left Synclaire Brands and joined Isaac, and we began the journey to obtain fashion brands. Our first brand was DKNY kids, which was immediately successful. We started working on our second brand, Kenneth Cole. Kenneth was looking for a new home and we had a previous history, so it was an easy transition to bring his brand on board with us.

When Covid hit, Synclaire brands filed for bankruptcy and the one of the last brands that the company had signed was Jessica Simpson. When I knew that this brand would be available again, I immediately reached out and Jessica Simpson became our third brand. I knew Marc Fisher himself and the president of the company, Susan Itzkowitz, from my days of working with the adult brands of Tommy Hilfiger, Ivanka Trump and Tretron. We started the Marc Fisher Kids collection in the Fall of 2022, and it has quickly become a great brand for us.

Earnshaw’s: What do you think is the special sauce behind the four major brands that the company manufactures?

Roccamo: We feel that nationally known fashion brands will always do well. We can cover all channels of distribution and the perceived value is great. Following the trends of adults allows us to use their strength to our advantage. Having worked with some of these brands in my previous role has help in the transition from the previous licensee.

Earnshaw’s: Please explain the development process from fashion concept to final product.

Roccamo: Our design staff will begin working on a new season by using trend agencies, and our licensors develop the trends that we plan for kids. We do a great deal of trend shopping and idea gathering, focusing on take-down concepts from the adult collections. Then the CAD phase begins as we match CADS to the merchandise plan that we put together for each brand. We go through three rounds of CAD development before we put our final collection together. We get the CADS approved by licensors, and we begin the process of developing sales samples. At the same time, our sales team starts to work with key retailers to choose the styles they want. We need to complete our sales samples in time for the FFANY market week. From there, orders are placed overseas for delivery in the upcoming season.

Earnshaw’s: What are some of the key market trends in kids’ footwear for Fall/Winter 2023?

Roccamo: Court shoes, caged chunky trainers, high side-wall joggers, and high-all court shoes. Combat and hiker boots are also still strong.

Earnshaw’s: How many doors are you in? Has this been an increase or decrease from years past and why?

Roccamo: We are in approximately 6,500 doors across all channels of distribution. That number has stayed fairly the same as retail has been stagnant through the pandemic and most recent inflation worries. Most retailers are reluctant to start new brands and most are trying to work through a heavy overstock situation.

Earnshaw’s: Who are your top five accounts and what do you think makes them successful?

Roccamo: Our top accounts are Macy’s, Zappos, Amazon, Belk, and Nordstrom. Macy’s has a strong online presence and a good footprint in brick and mortar. Even as they continue to navigate retail coming out of Covid, they are making the right moves to continue to stay relevant in the market. Amazon has seen strong growth, which is in part due to the pandemic push to online. Zappos continues to be a stronger player in the online arena. Belk has been a surprise for us because they are coming out of bankruptcy–since we’ve been doing so well for spring and fall, we’re looking to grow our business there. Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack have always been strong in kids’ footwear, and our Marc Fisher collection is selling well for them.

Earnshaw’s: What’s your approach to merchandising support for your accounts?

Roccamo: We work hard to tailor our collections to fit their needs. We work very closely with them right from the beginning of development to make sure they have what they need to be successful. It’s important to offer as much merchandising support as you can, because buyers’ workloads have increased dramatically. They are responsible for so much, so helping them merchandise the collection and making them feel good about their picks is imperative to growing your business.

Earnshaw’s:

There has been a great deal of change. We have seen a consolidation of brands and retailers who did not survive Covid. The companies that were struggling were not capable of the rapid change that hit the market. On the other hand, the survivors have been keeping most things status quo and trying to adjust to the market changes.

The main challenge right now is the volatility in the market. The upper tier of the market was hit the hardest during Covid. The off-price channel has fared the best in this environment as consumers moved downstream to find better prices. Stimulus money and consumers being stuck in the house fueled retail sales. That all dried up when the stimulus ended, and inflation started to affect the market. The other challenges facing the kids’ market is the overall reduction of retail outlets. The closing of key retailers, and reduction in the volume of stores has affected the number of channels of distribution. And the shift from not enough inventory to a flood of product has basically halted future sales. Most retailers are working through selling their current stock and not looking at

I think that we excel at addressing the changes in trends and the market. The best thing about us is that we are nimble—we endless energy and a commitment to sustainability shares insight about what makes her brand tick.

What has been the inspiration for your designs?

Paige Lauren: I start with colors that pull me in, and I create a story around that. I’m a visual artist and have developed my own sensibility about what I think will work.

What design elements do you incorporate and what’s unique about the fabrics and construction?

Lauren: We always have binding on everything with a top fourthread stitch. We develop our own fabrics that are luxuriously soft and made locally from predominantly natural fibers. Using pops of color is one of our hallmarks. We use lasting construction techniques and high-quality finishes. I’m committed to using low-impact organic dyes and recycled fabrics—there’s a sustainable mentality on all ends of my designing.

Who are some of your favorite designers and why?

Lauren: Tommy Perse, who was a California kid, created Maxfield in L.A. and was an amazing merchandiser. Rei Kawaubo, Japanese designer of Comme de Garçons, for his architectural silhouettes and fabrics. Versace for the pops of color and edge. The list goes on, but these are a few fabulous humans who made a mark in our fashion world.

What changes in the market have you seen?