Pure Brings Results for Donna Karan Home

At The New York Market —After just under a month at retail, the relaunch of Donna Karan Home's Pure line is seeing an uptick in business. At the same time, new patterns generating the best sales are sophisticated neutrals — in both DKNY and Collection.

“The customer is buying neutral fashion, and that bodes well for Pure,” said Patsy Pollack, president, Donna Karan Home.

Although more neutral, “Luxury is selling,” she said. Currently, the best-selling bed is a $450 Collection ensemble, Gold Leaf.

“Even though we are in a fashion business, people still are more conservative with their home than with their clothing,” she said.

Generally, the fall selling season so far is “positive,” Pollack said. “The consumer is turned on when they see something new on the selling floor.”

To boost sales, Donna Karan Home has been working with management and staff at its top doors on presentation and selling.

“It's all about execution and the marketing of the brand,” Pollack said.

For the designs being shown at market, the general movement is “splashes of color grounded in earth tones,” said Tara McGrath, design director, Donna Karan Home.

There has also been some paring down. In DKNY Home, Donna Karan Home is showing only one sheet per bed, a solid or a print, where previously it had shown both. The beds also are less loaded with detail, although technique remains a strong emphasis.

In DKNY, the expression continues to be the play of feminine and masculine, punches of dark and punches of light, and matte spiced with shine. Hand-crafted techniques, judiciously applied, set the tone across the assortment.

Pure continues the wardrobe-building strategy launched last market by layering on Victorian-inspired motifs of eyelet and petticoat detailing in ivory and white. New to the Pure line is a periwinkle matelasse coverlet. In bath, Pure adds a jac towel cuff to the periwinkle solid line in two colorways as well as an eyelet shower curtain.

Donna Karan Collection, the top-of-the-line segment of Donna Karan Home, offers designs that are on the one hand more graphic, and on the other more refined in technique.

Chief among the former is Framed Floral, whose pattern is inspired by a 19th century tunic. Block-framed flowers, tailored and geometric silk pin tucks are grounded by time-aged colors accented with a touch of modern black. It also features a new quilt that is a linear stitch on a stain-woven voile.

Along the same line are graphic line extensions: quilts and accessories in three designs: appliqué leaf, applique block and applique graphic. Each is available in five colorways.

In the refined sphere are two “soft” Collection beds evoking origami in hand-applied techniques. Origami Pleat is pleated in a linear pattern, and the pleats are inverted and interrupted with straight pleats for added dimension. Origami Diamond features hand-stitched folds, pleats and layers.

Collection has also expanded the palette in its core 525-count pleated hem sheets as well as in its Banded Bead towel line.

Overall, the direction for summer and early fall '06 is “soothing and peaceful,” said Pollack. “That seems to be what people are looking for.”