Miley Cyrus, Max Azria team up for Wal-Mart recession chic
On Wednesday, Wal-Mart (WMT) paired a trendy singer with a trendy couture designer as it announced the introduction of Miley Cyrus/Max Azria. Arriving in August, the line will include pants, tops, graphic Ts, shoes, and accessories. All items will be priced under $20.Cyrus, known for her squeaky-clean Disney image, seems to be pushing to mature her brand. For example, her notorious Vanity Fair photo session with Annie Leibovitz, which provoked outrage last year, could be seen as the first step in her push for a more adult audience. In this context, the Miley Cyrus/Max Azria line aims for a comfortable middle ground: she's a top-selling recording artist at Wal-Mart, where much of her core audience already shops, so it seems a logical retailer for the clothing line.
Yet by pairing with Max Azria, Cyrus is making a bid for respectability and a more sophisticated image. While most of her audience won't recognize the designer's name, aspirational shoppers might want to fill their carts with his wares.
Designers Go Exclusive
If you're looking to buy Tommy Hilfiger clothes, you better find out where the closest Macy's is, because starting in mid-September the designer's collection will only be available at Macy's.
Mark Lennihan, AP
The deal is part of a growing trend by department and discount stores, in particular, to sign exclusive deals with celebrities and designers for product lines. Macy's also has a deal with Martha Stewart.
Al Behrman, AP
Target has many such deals, including one with designer Isaac Mizrahi. In an effort to emphasize its devotion to fashion, the retailer will open four "bullseye bodegas" in New York during Fashion Week. The shops will feature lines from designers like Jonathan Saunders, Anya Hindmarch and Sigerson Morrison.
Jemal Countess, WireImage
Kohl's also has exclusive lines from famed designers. Vera Wang's Simply Vera line offers clothes and household items like bedding. The retailer will also become the exclusive purveyor of the Dana Buchman collection from Liz Claiborne.
WWD / Condé Nast / Corbis
JC Penney is the sole home of the American Living brand from Ralph Lauren. The store also features lines from Nicole Miller and Chris Madden.
JC Penney / AP
The pairing also makes sense for Wal-Mart, positioned as a chain for consumers living paycheck-to-paycheck. In light of the financial meltdown, its core audience has likely exploded. The $20 price point is high for the store, but quite low for many new (and once-affluent) Wal-Mart customers. Even if they don't bite, Miley Cyrus is a sure bet.
Still, pairing with Wal-Mart isn't a strategy from out of the blue. While Azria's last retail partner, Nordstrom, has a far more affluent clientele than Wal-Mart, co-branding is clearly becoming an important way to widen his reach. But Wal-Mart is new territory for Azria, a bulwark against further slowing of sales among his more affluent clientele. Given the economic outlook -- and his core audience's likely economizing -- it's a wise move.
If their marriage succeeds, then three highly disparate brands will benefit mightily from this strange synergy. But even if it fails, this unique cross-pollination promises to be fabulous.
D-Day for Harry Reid: Can he wrangle 60 votes for Senate health reform bill?
Fed stalls on Chinese bank deal, costs taxpayers $1.7 billion
Dell in a handbasket: Should founder Michael Dell resign?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
6-03-2009 @ 3:58PM
Jack said...
with Miley so much for taste
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 4:20PM
marolie borden said...
Thank God I do NOT have any teenage daughters. I would NOT allow them to see or wear anything that little CLOSET WHORE promotes.
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 4:45PM
Dan said...
OUCH!! That puts it to her!! You tell'em!
6-05-2009 @ 3:44PM
chess said...
wow! great comment geared toward a minor!
6-05-2009 @ 3:59PM
Joe said...
There is nothing wrong with Miley that washing a little of that red off her neck won't fix. She is a cute little girl and a lot of young people like her.
6-05-2009 @ 7:38PM
brandonmil3 said...
AMEN MAROLIE!! I get sick of hearing about that horse face also!
7-05-2009 @ 10:14AM
unknown said...
your wrong she is a exelent roll model for children and she allways wears lovely clothes that suit her individual style she has oviously had exellent parenting from billy ray and tish cyrus they should be very proude of what there daughter has acheived in her life so far and no one should critecise her for any mistakes that she has done because we all make mistakes no one can be perfect which is what she says in one of hanna montanas song nobodys perfect. you should not critesise her for making mistakes we all make them its a part of life just because she is a celebraty does not mean that you should try and be like her because we are all different and special in our own individual ways there will only ever be one you so make the most of it dont wast it.
6-03-2009 @ 5:08PM
barb frey said...
I don't think marolie knows what she is talking about .I've never see Miley look like a whore,. I think she is decent until -proven otherwise. You should be ashamed of yourself
Reply
6-05-2009 @ 4:25PM
Irene said...
oh really? you've never seen miley act like a whore? have you seen her pics that were leaked on the internet by trainreq who hacked into her email account? You may think that those pics were taken in private and never meant to be published but that still doesn't justify it. A lot of things happen in private but that doesn't make it any better than if they were to be done in public.
6-03-2009 @ 5:00PM
Lee said...
Note to marolie borden . It takes one to know one .. So just come out of the closet yourself..
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 5:31PM
Djinko said...
OUCH!! Thats putting it to her!! You tell'em!! Just keep in mind it is Wal-Mart we are talking about here...
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 5:25PM
natalie said...
That horsr mouth should not be promoting any clothes. She is a white trash little girl.
Reply
6-05-2009 @ 5:45PM
Zomii said...
Oh yeah? well keep ur damn mouth shut! She is a wonderful actress and a even more wonderful singer! so like I said SHUT THE HELL UP!
6-03-2009 @ 5:43PM
Becky said...
What is this Wal-Mart you are talking about - I stopped shopping there when they decided to close out the layaway and assume people would want their credit cards - when Wally World goes back to caring more about CUSTOMERS instead of their bottom line, I will NEVER set foot in one of their stores again!
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:00PM
billybob said...
leave good ol' Miley alone. She ain't not hurtin' any bodies. She's just tryin's to haver her self a good time, and everyone be hatin' on her like she's some sort of little hoochie coochie. She ain't dones notins wrong, and she is rich and popular, You all's are hatin bec the goats aint lovin on ya like they used to.
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:08PM
Mo said...
Miley, is already everywhere in Walmart. Who cares about who designs the clothes. My question is where are they made? China? Yeah thats right Walmart was founded on made in USA and when the man passed along went his dream. His kids took over and greed is their only thoughts. Don't judge Miley she is just doing the same thing. Greed, money is the ony thing. Designers have to find a way to make money so now they have to step down into reality to earn their bread and butter. If people like Walmart, Miley and Max want to really help. Open up jobs and have the products made here in the USA.
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:20PM
ssmith616 said...
Is this line going to be made in america or just say made in america like kathy lee gifford's (late 1990's) did... when was being made by child sweatshops in honduras, along with a sweatshop in NYC..
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:23PM
Seymour said...
Poor Wal-Mart. Since they began paying slave wages and forcing other companies out of business, everything they touch turns to s--t! I won't shop there anymore, and it appears from these comments, a lot of other Americans feel the same.
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:25PM
marolie borden said...
No One Saw PICTURES of HER and HER OLDER BOYFRIEND??????? GET REAL!!!! Her parents and everyone else is in Disneyland.
Reply
6-03-2009 @ 6:34PM
heathermae32h said...
OMG people she is a 16 year old girl closet whore are you kidding me think back to WHEN your old ass was a teenager!!! I like her my daughters like her so she has made some mistakes who didn't at sixteen?????
Reply