Stacy London, stylist, fashion consultant, author and magazine editor, is collaborating with QVC on a collection called By Stacy London. The clothing collection will premiere on television and on QVC.com on Friday.
In her role on “What Not to Wear,” a reality TV series about makeovers, London spent over a decade developing a funny, honest and unfiltered approach to what to wear at every age.
London’s QVC collection is designed for personalization, offering multiple ways to wear each piece. This includes London’s signature “addables,” which are collars, cuffs and other items that can be collected and swapped to create layered looks without the fuss.
Sizes XXS to 3X, or 0 to 28, range from $36 to $170. Most pieces are machine washable.
A look by By Stacy London for QVC.
Johanna D. Halsmith, courtesy of QVC
“The collection was born out of my own desire to experience joy in midlife. I’ve never felt more like myself despite physical changes and the menopause, and I couldn’t find clothes that made me look as confident as I feel,” said the 55-year-old Londoner. “I designed this collection with the QVC over-50 customer in mind, to offer her quality, ease and style in every design.”
She said the collection offers comfort without sacrificing style. “It’s my mission to help others find the joy of dressing again. This is the age of possibility in all things – including style,” she said.
London explained that she had to take a break from fashion to get back into it. During her time away, she was going through menopause and didn’t like any of her clothes. “I didn’t feel like myself in any of my clothes. I didn’t feel like myself at all,” London said. She said she also heard from women between the ages of 40 and 70 who had trouble finding the right clothes for them.
As she traveled the country promoting women’s health and advocacy, women talked to her about how their bodies changed after having children and after menopause. But what concerned her most was that they weren’t wearing modern clothing. “That was the question I was asked most often,” London said.
“One of the things I noticed was a decline in her confidence and a feeling of insecurity as she got older that she couldn’t explain,” London said. She said she has spent her whole life styling people to make them feel confident and she realized she could do that for that age group and that QVC was catering to those consumers.
“It’s not about trends that are tailored to 20- and 30-year-olds. It’s about having a wardrobe that feels appropriate for your age. I don’t care what body type you have. It’s much more about empowering yourself and using style as a tool to find the magic of midlife,” London said.
The Q50, part of the Age of Opportunity, is made up of QVC presenters, celebrities, activists and entrepreneurs whose experiences and successes demonstrate the opportunities this stage of life offers women. London has also been named a Q50 ambassador.
Rachel Ungaro, General Merchandise Manager and Vice President of Merchandising at QVC, said of her choice of London: “What’s not to love about her? She’s incredible, just because of her history with ‘What Not to Wear’, she’s an authority on fashion and she’s the salt of the earth. Her collection is unique and different and fun.”
She said London focuses on colour, texture and shine, offering interesting patterns, floral prints and beautiful brocades. She believes the line, designed as a complete head-to-toe collection, will appeal to her core 50-plus clientele.
“Stacy’s expertise and commitment to empowering women over 50 through fashion aligns perfectly with QVC’s mission to provide women (ages) 50+ with products and shopping experiences that make them feel seen and supported. The launch of By Stacy London is an exciting addition to our fashion offering and we look forward to inspiring our customers through Stacy’s passion,” said Ungaro.
“I think it will sell really well. I think customers will embrace it very much,” Ungaro said.
Some looks from By Stacy London for QVC.
Johanna D. Halsmith, courtesy of Q!VC
For her first collection, London said she focused on “modern vintage looks.” She designs floral brocades in teal and gold and pink and gold, for example. “It’s just a modern take on what a lot of women our age struggle with. Whether they’re the breadwinner in their household, whether they’re divorced and starting a new life, this is a time of significant change. You have to say goodbye to the person you were to become the person you are,” she said.
London said you’re aware that you no longer want to dress the way you did at 25 or even 35. “Everything in life changes, so wouldn’t your style evolve to suit whatever stage of life you’re in?” London asked. She designed easy-to-wear suits and ponte suits in white and jewel tones, an oversized boyfriend blazer and wide-leg straight-leg trousers that she says will become staples.
Stacy London with models wearing the By Stacy London collection for QVC.
When asked if she had ever designed a collection before, London said: “Never, and I’ve been a stylist for 35 years… you think you know everything until you realise you’re the dumbest person in the room.”
London designed what she felt was missing from her wardrobe and the wardrobe of this particular age group. “I want to look chic, but not look like I’m trying so hard. It’s not about dressing your age, it’s about finding your style and that reinvention that’s possible for us at this stage of life,” she said.
She chose things that not only look elegant but also feel comfortable. “It’s a breeze to get dressed in the morning,” she said.
“I always say, ‘This is Garanimals for adults.’ It gives us confidence in a crazy time in our lives when we as women feel like we don’t get the same attention as we did when we were younger,” London said.
The first collection consists of 19 pieces. The line is manufactured by KBL, which was launched in London by her business partner Marla Wynne Ginsburg, who also has a line called MarlaWynne on QVC. Wynne encouraged her to turn her experiences with menopause into a clothing line.
One of London’s favorite pieces is the brocade pantsuit. “I was wearing it one night and someone asked me if I was wearing Gucci,” London said. She also loves tweed suits with a shell jacket and the ponte suits “that feel like pajamas.” She designed a convertible trench coat that turns two into one and is actually a five-in-one coat. “They’re Transformers for women,” she said.
Stacy London is one of the brocade jacket and sequin looks.
Johanna D. Halsmith, courtesy of QVC. rsy
London said she has a two-year contract with QVC with automatic renewal.
She’s excited about her first appearance on television on Friday at 11 a.m. EST, where she’ll be selling this collection direct to consumer. She’ll be on the air at least twice a month. Each month they’ll release another 19 to 20 pieces. She said she’ll also be doing on-air styling.
London said she designed this collection to complement products already available at QVC and she wanted to create crossover between the brands. She said she wanted customers to feel “pampered, seen and heard.”
In the second quarter ended June 30, QVC’s parent company Qurate Retail reported revenue of $2.4 billion, down 9 percent from a year ago. Net income was $20 million, down 81 percent from the same quarter a year ago. One bright spot, however, was the Age of Possibility campaign.
David Rawlinson, CEO of Qurate Retail, said on this month’s quarterly earnings call, “This quarter, we invested in the Age of Possibility campaign, which launched in April, where we engaged 50 influential women, including celebrities, businesswomen and activists, as QVC brand ambassadors. Since launch, we have seen a strong initial response to this campaign: 38 billion earned media impressions, 330,000 new Facebook community members, a nearly 200 percent increase in QVC’s social media following, and more than 1 million visits to QVC’s campaign website.
“We saw strong demand from brands related to Age of Possibility in Q2, with overall demand for the existing 12 brands increasing by low double digits following the launch of the campaign, and Valerie Parr Hill, Kim Gravel, Apparel and Beauty and Doris Dalton’s Doll 10 in particular being strong.”
