Interest, though, from Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The fashion collection owned and operated by Rachel Roy – the half-Indian, half-Dutch designer who is one of the premiere names in the industry – has been shut down by The Jones Group, which was the exclusive distributor of the Rachel Roy Collection.
The Jones Group, which licenses Roy’s fashion lines, has held a 50% stake in Rachel Roy since 2008, and will continue to distribute the designer’s contemporary line, which is sold exclusively at Macy’s under the title “RACHEL Rachel Roy.” But reports indicate that all designers employed by the company under Roy’s banner were laid off last week, and sample rooms were subsequently shut down, with the Jones Group only saying that they didn’t feel the current line was in line with their overall strategic direction.
Currently in the midst of a sale to Sycamore Partners for nearly $1.2 billion, The Jones Group also owns stakes in 35 other brands, such as Anne Klein and Nine West. Although being dropped by The Jones Group is a blow to Roy, there is reportedly interest from retailers like Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and Saks 5th Avenue to sign her. Roy has also said that, in the worst-case scenario, she will find a way to finance her fashion label herself.
Born in California in 1974, Roy earned her bachelor’s degree from Washington Adventist University in Tacoma Park, Maryland. After graduating in 1996, she went to New York to pursue fashion, quickly rising up the ranks to become one of the biggest designers in the industry.
Her collections have been sold at department stores like Saks 5th Avenue and Neiman Marcus, and her clientele includes names like Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, and First Lady Michelle Obama.
She has received recognition from both Hollywood and Bollywood, and has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show. In addition to her former partnership with The Jones Group, she teamed up with British pop singer Estelle in 2010 on a designer jewelry line to be sold at Macy’s.
She was formerly married to Roc-a-Fella associate Dame Dash, with whom she has two children, and was said to be dating Indianapolis Colts’ linebacker Dwight Freeney for some time.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com