If you haven’t heard the news, Saks Fifth Ave is buying Neiman Marcus!
I have some thoughts on this since I worked for Saks Fifth Ave at one of their prime flagship stores in Houston, Texas.
In 2016, I headed down to Houston to try my hand at a corporate job. I had always loved fashion, owned my own boutique in Wayzata for many years, and worked at various retail shops in the Twin Cities. But to be honest, I really wanted to get my hands on the best of the best clothing that is only available at luxury stores. I wanted to get out of Minnesota and see what it would be like to work somewhere warm with a bigger city.
After being in the clothing business for 15 years, my passion has always been for designer pieces. Not only are they made better and have more elevated fabrics, but designer pieces stand the test of time. When I look into my closet and work with clients that are creating the wardrobe of their dreams, I rarely shop for less. In this capacity you need to step up if you want your clothing to last.
My career with Saks Fifth Ave was short lived but an incredible experience. I was at their store for 2 years and managed to be top 5 in the store almost every week of selling. I also took home a national award with the company called “A New Kind of Seller” in 2017 because I started promoting my business on social media platforms like Instagram as a stylist with Saks.
There were so many aspects to my time in Houston that stood out to me. From the level of excellence that Saks provided, to company meetings every morning with the GM.
They had a mandatory company meeting every morning to go over the new product that was featured and had real models to walk the stylists through the lens of the in-house designers or the reps that represented those lines. My biggest sale while working at Saks was a $32,000 hand-beaded Dolce & Gabbana couture gown for a client from Mexico City - by far the most expensive item I have ever sold!
These meetings were so wonderful to help me keep my finger on the pulse of what’s new and able to understand the craftsmanship of why each item was “designer.” These pieces felt much more than just a brand when I got to touch and feel the luxury goods. You learn why it has that price tag.
Saks Fifth Ave always had live piano players in the lounge and huge arrangements of fresh flowers everyday in the boutique.
My favorite memory of my time there was when the GM at that time, Bobby Dees, asked me what I was most excited about working at Saks Fifth Ave. I replied, “I want to meet Lynn Wyatt!” He laughed and said, “That's cute.”
A few weeks later, I got a call at my desk from Bobby and he said “You are not going to believe who’s in the store, MRS. WYATT. I will introduce you.”
I couldn’t believe it. While we were chatting, I told her the story of how I wanted to meet her and she was so overwhelmed with joy that I thought she was a fashion icon.
Maybe she was thinking that being older, I would have wanted to meet somebody younger. However, she didn't realize that I read Vogue magazine religiously and had been reading about her for years.
She was so darling and thanked me for the compliment, asked me a few questions about myself, and just a total class act all around. Her darling southern accent was also as sweet as can be.
Lynn Wyatt is a fashion icon for Houston and an avid Chanel client. She was dressed head to toe in Chanel, with leather pants and Chanel buttons cascading down the pant leg, a gorgeous embellished shirt with ruffles and pearls by Chanel, and Chanel fine jewelry.
And it wasn’t just the usual inventory you find in the boutiques. You would normally have to make an appointment to view or purchase Chanel fine jewelry at this level. We're not talking about fake pearls here.
I mean, real emerald stones and diamonds. Something that you would have to go into a private room with security to look at. She had not just one, but three necklaces by Chanel fine jewelry. For any fashion girl, it was a moment for me.
Needless to say, I ended up working for Chanel Ready-to-Wear after my stint in Houston, but this brings me to my final comments. So much emphasis has been on fast fashion in the US for the past several years. Trends and young instagram models are wearing cheap clothes from Zara or Amazon and pairing it with a designer shoe or handbag to manipulate their followers to think that looks like luxury. Let me tell you though, it is not!
I am so tired of women wearing cheap, ill-fitting clothing, or sweats and then topping it off with a Chanel bag. It’s tres passé. Elegant women want chic, luxury items that are beautifully made. Clothing that is not trendy, but will outlive any trends that may come to be.
With the fast fashion industry’s neglect for the environment with landfills and labor exploitation of their own employees, we have a choice to make as consumers. You get what you pay for.
My clients buy luxury, however, I had to move them in that direction. I have been doing in-home closet styling sessions for 15 years and one of the most common habits I see is that women buy pieces on sale that are cheaply made without considering the wardrobe basics or staples that are well-made and will last forever.
This is why many people labor over getting dressed in the mornings - they buy trends and one year later, it's out of style. Instead, invest your money into building a wardrobe on the classics!
Personally, I am very excited for this merger, given the fact that I had such an incredible experience with the Saks Fifth Ave company. They truly understand luxury and how to create a fabulous store that is next level. When I am in Naples, Florida (where I work and live half of the year), I am a regular shopper with clients and no one has the designers like they do. There’s Prada, Dior, Etro, Carolina Herrera, Victoria Beckham, and Dolce and Gabbana to name a few.
My idea is less is more. Stop buying things that will not last. Luxury clothing doesn’t have to be ridiculous or only for the wealthy. Take it from a clothing stylist, if you buy investment pieces, you’ll wear them for years to come.
Thank you Saks Fifth Ave for such a wonderful work environment and educating me about what a luxury store truly looks and feels like. I will always cherish my short but sweet time in Houston at The Galleria.
Sincerely,
Jessica Hilde
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