Fashioning a Deal
Take a look at Rachel Dodes’ Style and Substance column in today’s WSJ. Her profile of Marc Beckman’s Designers Management Agency (DMA) is a worthwhile read. What his group is doing in terms of brokering deals for these uber creatives is important and impressive, to say the least. Rachel discusses some very large scale, mass-brand deals.
Immediately, I think of the power of connecting authentic design houses and their faces with the pregnancy and new parent market – the power of this demographic (best described in psychographics, clearly as the stats on births does remain stable) is widely known yet grossly untapped. Take an expectant woman who fits the bill – educated, successful and affluent – factor in her desire to remain connected to her very strong sense of self (aka “life before”) and you have a very fertile (ok, I should stop that!) breeding ground (it just gets worse, really!) for a designer to own a piece of the category. Consider Kate Spade with her Maclaren stroller or Cynthia Rowley with her Graco collection. And, this is just gear. There has also been a bit dabbling in the maternity fashion space as well – where, for now the emerging, indepenant designers such as Emilia Fabricant (Cadeau) or even Isabella Oliver own the upper space. Limited collections also exist via Pea in the Pod (DVF, for example). Bottom line – this market is unique. It offers an incredibly eager, engaged and open consumer who is in mid-shift – as well as the boomer grandparents who feel equally passionate about the category. In the words of MasterCard - priceless.
I look forward to seeing more of the design world enter into the pregnancy and baby space. I can think of about 1000 partnerships and programs are begging to be inked…let’s hope the Marc Beckman has been paying attention to the Bump and Baby craze – the time is ripe (I will stop now…)!