……………………….December 07 offered 3 additional new styles…..The first was a silk charmeuse “Pirate’s Blouse”. It was tunic length, perfect for slim velvet pants, or a long slim skirt. It had a drop seam on the sleeve. There was shirring at the seam and again at the cuff to give the pirate effect. The blouse had high side splits. I also had a braided belt made out of the charmeuse fabric to go with the tunic. It came in Ivory, Black and a deep Crimson Red……..The next top was a combination of stretch velvet and stretch mesh. The mesh portion had matching small bugle beads scattered all over it……all hand sewn. The ballet neckline and the bottom of the short sleeve were bordered with the bugle beads. It came in Black and the Crimson Red….The sketch say it was supposed to be a body suit, but we changed it into a regular top. If you look closely you can see where I blackened out the bottom of the bodysuit….The last item in the group was a georgette pull-on skirt. The bottom of the skirt had two rows of pleats. Each row had a band approx. 1 1/4 inches wide of the charmeuse. The effect of the satin bands on the matte sheer georgette was really special and a very difficult detail to make. Sewing bands of charmeuse on to a sheer georgette takes patience and precise workmanship!! a very designer detail. These rows of pleats moved beautifully. This skirt looked great with so many pieces….It looked perfect with the two tops in the group, plus sweaters and blouses, and many jackets. It was a terrific “novelty” skirt to own.
I’m not sure the global economy ever fully recovered from the Great Recession that started in 2008; I think it still has an impact on prices of goods. I was a Buyer & Product Developer for more than 20 years. Some of the most important aspects of my job were to negotiate the “cost” of merchandise and to price items with a high margin and quick turnover. Negotiating was not for the non-assertive; making the numbers work was decisive in whether I could move forward with a vendor’s product. When pricing, any shipping costs had to be included. This was not my favorite part of the job, but I surprised myself as a single mom making her way then. I loved the product development most. I could combine the creativity with the numbers and later add 2nd & 3rd generation products. It’s difficult to compare value between competitor merchandise vs.most “house” brands/developed lines and can result in higher margins. I worked mostly in home decorative accessories, but dabbled in other areas. I have tremendous respect for Louis’s exceptional creativity and his business savvy.
I have the crimson velvet top, I’d gladly pay $48 for it. LOL!
April, “Cost” is wholesale cost. The retail price is beneath the wholesale price. If the prices shown are correct, they’re double the wholesale + about 25%.
They were actually prices Rowena wrote as estimates. The cost was accurate, but we never new what QVC was going to mark them up at until they were posted.
But back in those days, Lily, QVC, as Louis says, wrote their OWN prices for things. They don’t do this anymore, but what they did THEN was to show a retail price for a garment (or whatever) and then show their REDUCED price for comparison, so all of us knew what a bargain we were all getting by buying from THEM because of the large quantities they purchased (which wasn’t, of course, true for this line). When I think how women clamored for cashmere sweaters from Linea because they were all willing to “pay more”, and then when we got it in the Posh Knits in cashmere/silk how those sweaters sat there, unloved because of every excuse in the books, it was a real lesson in the limits of what most women really mean when they say “we’d willingly pay more”. For cynics like me, I knew we’d never see anything like THAT again, & boy, did I stock UP.
April, I’m not sure I understand what you mean when you say QVC doesn’t put their prices on things anymore? because they absolutely do decide what things should be priced at, and reduced sale prices are usually figured in. They aren’t going to take a loss unless maybe they have under 40 pieces and just want to clear it out. As far as women “willing” to pay more for better quality that is only true for a few women….not enough to make a difference. Of course there are certain items like the first silver pieces that women were emotionally involved with which made the difference, but I see the Star group is much slower even thought the quality of the pieces with the stones is superb and actually should cost more.
Louis, online they used to give a comparison btwn what a “normal” retail price for a garment might be if one bought that or a similar garment at retail, and what QVC was able to offer that same garment for to their customers because of their massive buying capacity, that’s all. They have dropped that practice, I’ve noticed.
Those prices listed are absolutely shocking now. Under $30 for a silk charmeuse shirt designed by you? I think that most of us who got used to that kind of luxury a mere 14 years ago from you via QVC have clearly forgotten how cheap some materials were in those days when they bemoan the lack of luxury fabrics and say that they would “willingly” pay for better now.
April, what the actual prices these clothes would have to be today there are few who would “willingly” pay for them. Even the currant clothes women complained about the prices and waited for sales or lost out because they sold out. I would guess mark ups are high to cover all of the sales. Every retailer does that.