Monobrands Mixing It Up

Two years ago designer Ria Browne was hired by hotelier Andre Balazs to create a chic hotel shop for his Sunset Beach on Shelter Island.  The store, called Sunday, received lots of acclaim for it’s well-edited, high-low mix of goods (Eres bikinis and Allegra Hicks caftans along with resort-store staples like sunscreen)

Browne decided to capitalize further on her knack for stocking a shop just so, and founded a "merchandise consulting firm" called Tiny Park.  Now she’s been hired by Kate Spade to scout out goods from other designers to be sold in their shops.  "The monobrand store is beginning to feel a little flat," Browne opines in Departures magazine.

Departures Article

If she’s right we should expect–strangely–to see more brands luring customers by mixing other brands’ merch in with their own.