Cloak Closing

[keith]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



[quote user="drexl"]

ie Seamless, Alexander mentionned always being on the brink of profitability, so I don't know if the closing is due to finances (alot more labels have been operating in the red for a longer time than Cloak), and I'm pretty sure his sales volume has increased since when the movie was shot.

[/quote]

I don't think that they sold well at all. They didn't sell at Barney's, and they certainly didn't sell through their stock at the SoHo store. They weren't clearing inventory there even at their steepest markdown. I'm not surprised that they are closing down, but I am certainly disappointed (although if the S/S collection is never produced, I won't weep).

Look at is this way: if they had really increased sales significantly, then they wouldn't have trouble getting financial backing (or staying afloat). If the sales hadn't increased, despite the hype, the awards, the free advertising... well, to an investor, they aren't exactly getting a diamond in the rough, are they? What else could be done to make it viable? No one would want to touch it.

[goethe]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak

i agree with coldrice. i think everyhthng after fall 04 wasn't very exciting.

[unmetro]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak

[quote user="Faust"]


Anyway, boys, hold on to your old Cloak for investment purposes...

[/quote]

haha...and i was just about to post a spring '04 shirtI have(style M500) on the classifieds....hehe

[kucejoe]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



Too bad, Cloak was my favorite label and it is one of the only high
end brands that I like that is available in my area. I really hope that
he starts a new label.

It does however make sense if the spring collection was his "best" then maybe it really is a big f-u to the investors:

"No, use that horrid shade of tomato juice red..........yes, that one."

"Bleach
that plaid...yes, make it splotchy..........yes, hahahaha.....that'll
show'em (insert evil laughter)." That is my idea of how S/S07 was
designed.

I am hopeful that the final Cloak collection will look
much better on the rack (fingers crossed). Anyways, if someone has any
more information about his new line or whether he is even starting a
new line, please let us know.

[darkanimal]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak

I'm guessing it will be Gardening-goth aesthetic. [8-|]

[nairb49]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



I posted on another forum that I thought he would fit in heading HL before I looked around a bit and found out that that was a rumor that had been going around for some time.

Anyone know of any plans of the Theory group? On the one hand, I feel he'd be a good fit for reviving HL, but on the other, I don't see him getting anywhere near Theory corp.....

[Chinorlz]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



Yeah, I have to echo sentiments here. Aside from a few items, Cloak has never sold well.

Even the acclaimed collection from 2004 didn't do well in stores... only in the aftermarket which benefits Alexandre/Cloak absolutely nil. By that point it had already reached deep discount. Stores dropped Cloak more often than they picked it up it seems. Louis Boston used to carry TONS of it, but it didn't do well. I remember at their 50% off sale, I could have picked up just about any Cloak piece I wanted plus the size up and the size down.

The only piece that I ever saw sold out was the peacoat from this season. Nothing else noticable at all.

Suggestions for reopening his designs?

1. Fucking make odd sizes. If I have to choose between a 32 and a 34 again I'm gonna be pissed. You can't exactly tailor jeans cut black pants and the 32s were damn tight in the thighs.

2. Up quality control (seems like this was on the upwards trend)

3. Use better fabrics. A lot of Cloak had a really cheap feel to it. The leather was never good and neither was the suede. Just look at those leather/suede bags he did... they just looked like something you'd buy at a flea market!

Don't get me wrong, I was/am a fan of the line and the designs. They were pretty cool and interesting. He made pants interesting and desirable to me (and I'm one picky bastard when it comes to pants!). Definitely looking forward to seeing what he's going to bring to the fashion world next.

[Caffeine]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



As I mentioned in my blog, I had a brief conversation with the couple when i bumped into them at Barneys. It was back in July I think. They clearly wanted to develop a women's line, but they had trouble to find a good backer. Financial problems definitely played a role, and normally financial problems come hand in hand with legal issues......It's really sad.

My impression was that his wife was a very independent and successful woman. I'm quite certain that she will always support him. And the two together looked very sweet together.

[Faust]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak

[quote user="Caffeine"]

As I mentioned in my blog, I had a brief conversation with the couple when i bumped into them at Barneys. It was back in July I think. They clearly wanted to develop a women's line, but they had trouble to find a good backer. Financial problems definitely played a role, and normally financial problems come hand in hand with legal issues......It's really sad.

My impression was that his wife was a very independent and successful woman. I'm quite certain that she will always support him. And the two together looked very sweet together.

[/quote]

Hi, Caffeine! Welcome to SZ! Nice to have you here.

I hope he comes back. From the interview it looks like he may pull a Helmut Lang on us.

As far as him designing Helmut Lang - if he has an ounce of self-respect, which he seems to, I doubt he will go for it provided what they are turning Helmut Lang into.

[nairb49]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



^^exactly, they're killing the label (HL) if you ask me.

The only way I see him coming back is as kind of an Agnes B deal.

[nambla]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak



Do you really think he will come back?

Isn't he in his sixties or something?

[casem]

Re: Men.Style.com: Curtains for Cloak

Anyone else notice that the quality did get better this season (as Chinorlz alluded to)? Everything I got was made in Italyor the USA, and no problems with buttons popping off all over the place like my shirts from SS 06. Too bad just as things were getting ironed out quality wise they're closing. I wonder what the SS 07 stuff will be like, at least the boots and some of the funnel neck button ups look promising, but not much else.