"I'm willing to spend money on quality things that will last a long time," Simmons said. "That is what I look for. But I also want to be unique, because I really don't want to see myself coming and going everywhere."
That's good news for younger, unknown retailers and designers who are experiencing a new freedom in the way they design, sell, and market upscale wares. Unlike bigger outlets, they do not risk alienating their core shoppers if they veer too far from the traditional luxury-sales formula: offer prestigious brands at top dollar.
One example is the shops that recently opened at Northern Liberties' Piazza at Schmidts. Here, dozens of virtually unknown specialty retailers and designers are hoping the style-conscious will discover a new kind of luxury: chic clothing and novel accessories that may be pricey, but not blatantly so.
New York designer Nima Taherzadeh, 27, is on the same track. Taherzadeh sells his Nima label locally at Boyds and Saks. His dresses sell in the $1,000-to-$3,000 range, and he said the recent economic downturn has forced him to make his commercial vision stronger.
"It's a fine line," Taherzadeh said. "You have to offer things the customer feels confident about and secure to purchase, but that's also edgier. We have to give them something to feel safe in."
Sounds luxurious.
Contact fashion writer Elizabeth Wellington at 215-854-2704 or ewellington@phillynews.com. Read her blog at www.philly.com/ philly/blogs/mirrorimage.
