Macy’s has set its sights on serving the contemporary men’s customer with its latest private brand.
On Thursday, the retailer officially launched Mode of One, a collection targeted to the 25- to 40-year-old man who is comfortable in his own skin and isn’t ashamed to express his individuality.
Macy’s spent more than two years working on the collection, conducting research on men’s trends and style preferences. The line is inspired by street style, art, sports, music, technology and entertainment.
For the launch collection, Macy’s collaborated with graphic designer Tyrell Waiters who created original graphics and artwork, as well as Ouigi Theodore, founder of The Brooklyn Circus, who served as the stylist.
The name of the collection derives from Macy’s belief that everyone has their own unique “mode,” or personal style, the retailer said. Its tag line is “Statement Making Style.”
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“Mode of One represents our commitment to offering contemporary menswear that celebrates the individuality of the modern man,” said Emily Erusha-Hilleque, senior vice president and head of private brands at Macy’s.
She said the way these men dress “tells the story about who they are. They see their style as their calling card — it defines not where they are today but where they’re going.”
Mode of One offers a range of pieces, from hoodies and graphic T-shirts to cargo pants and suits, in multiple fits and proportions.
The collection has more than 140 stock keeping units, designed to be mixed and matched to create different looks. Prices range from $24.50 to $159.50 with sizing S to XXL and 30 to 40. A relaxed-fit blazer retails for $139.50, a bomber jacket is $129.50, a fleece hoodie is $69.50, tailored knit pants are $59.50, fleece shorts are $49.50 and slim-fit jeans are $69.50.
Erusha-Hilleque said key pieces include the knits such as the T-shirts offered in three fits: slim, classic and oversize, as well as denim and bottoms in athletic, relaxed and straight fits. Some of the pieces are distressed or laser-treated.
She also pointed to the fleece joggers, suit bottoms and “disproportionate amount of layering pieces” as key to the collection.
There will be monthly drops starting in October and throughout the holiday season. The collection is available online, in the Macy’s mobile app, and in its stores nationwide.
Sam Archibald, general business manager of apparel for Macy’s, said Mode of One serves to strengthen the company’s contemporary offering. “It doesn’t stand by itself,” he said. “We’ve launched a few new brands in men’s in the last six months.”
Macy’s recently reintroduced Nike, added the denim-skewed collection Hugo Blue, expanded its Karl Lagerfeld offering and brought in the streetwear brand All Good Things Are Welcome Here. The retailer has also seen a “nice performance in Fanatics,” the officially licensed sports apparel merchandiser, he said, as well as its sister brand, Lids. Macy’s has also beefed up its fragrance offering for men.
All of these brands are “younger in feeling,” Archibald added. “We serve a diverse customer and our commitment is to bring him the best and most relevant product. We’re building a wardrobe for the under-40 customer and Mode of One is a powerful, dynamic brand for the customer who has expressive style.”
Archibald said Macy’s had not done a good job servicing this customer and Mode of One is designed to remedy that. “This brand offers the customer strong value, great quality, great prices and great fashion — we owe him that.”
Other men’s private brands include Sun + Stone, targeted to young guys; Alfani, a more dressy brand; Club Room, which focuses on sportswear and tailored basics, and I.N.C., an edgy, collections-based brand.
Archibald stressed that Mode of One is not a streetwear brand. “Streetwear is a term that has evolved over time,” he said. “This is how the modern, contemporary consumer wants to dress.”
Erusha-Hilleque said this customer is already shopping at Macy’s for fragrance and shoes and the retailer saw an opportunity to draw him to the apparel offering as well.
To introduce the collection to customers, Macy’s created a campaign featuring a cast that is representative of the community it is targeting, they said. That includes New York Knicks basketball stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart who are serving as the brand ambassadors for the inaugural collection. “They’re authentic to who this customer is and connect to the clothes,” Archibald said, adding that the target customer is influenced by sports and music.
Macy’s also tapped Atlanta-based barber VicBlends known for his style and podcast Deepcut, and New York City-based chef, author and restauranteur Kwame Onwuachi who has been featured as a contestant on “Top Chef” and been singled out by the James Beard Foundation as a “Rising Star Chef of the Year” to create social content for the launch.
Archibald said Mode of One was tested in a couple of key doors in the past few weeks, including Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., and has performed well. It will eventually roll out to all doors and be merchandised in a “brand environment” with mannequins and signage.
