After a three-and-a-half-decade hiatus, Bloomingdale’s will once again stage a huge import promotion, this time bringing the food, fashion, accessories, fine jewelry, home furnishings, beauty and culture of Italy to its 59th Street flagship in Manhattan, branches around the U.S., online, and in social media, starting Sept. 5. For the two-month event, titled ‘From Italy, With Love,’ more than 150 brands, including 30 new to the upscale department store such as Isaia menswear, Fendi, Etro and La DoubleJ ready-to-wear, are participating, and there will be 300 exclusive products displayed in the Bloomingdale’s stores and on the website.
There will also be pop-up shops, food carts, cooking demonstrations, customizing fashions, installations, classes, trunk shows, activations and panel discussions. While Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship will be the nexus, with its nine selling floors and with all categories engaged, the 31 other Bloomingdale’s locations will participate to varying degrees. Bloomingdale’s in recent months spelled out other specific strategies and ideas for taking the brand to new heights, emphasizing increased localization of events, merchandising and marketing; generating greater cross-category shopping; leveraging data more intensively, and building up the accessories business while maintaining rtw as the core. It stressed improved ‘storytelling’ and experiences to elevate the essence and breadth of the most important brands being sold. To further that objective, the designer floors 4 and 5 at the 59th Street flagship in Manhattan will be renovated.
Regarding R-T-W, among the highlights of the campaign is fine jewelry, which will be spotlighted with a ‘full suite’ of one-of-a-kind jewels, available only at Bloomingdale’s, from Crivelli and Marco Bicego, Ippolita, Roberto Coin and other brands. A 52-carat collection has been designed by Alberto Milani, featuring a necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings. In fashion, there will be exclusive pieces from Max Mara, Ferragamo and Valentino, as well as a one-of-a-kind dress designed by Giambattista Valli, inspired by his love of travel. Officials also indicated that men’s tailoring and premium selections from Canali, Corneliani, Armani, Tod’s, Ferragamo and Peserico, among others, will be part of the program. Isaia will launch a bespoke made-to-measure service as a part of an Italian master tailor event.
Bloomingdale’s private label, The Men’s Store, will introduce exclusive Italian leather accessories and tailored suits crafted with Loro Piana fabric. As a central component of the 59th Street programming, Salone del Mobile.Milano will pay tribute to Italian design. The flagship will host a special exhibition with an installation titled ‘Italian Design: From Classic to Contemporary,’ showcasing products from 23 Italian brands, all exhibitors of the Salone del Mobile.Milano trade fair. Architect Ferruccio Laviani is curating the installation, which took inspiration from Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical piazzas. There will be a host of exclusive collaborations with AC Milano x Off White, Rag & Bone x Lucali, Dave’s New York x Roy Rogers and Kartell x Missoni. In addition, 10 new brands including Gallia Knitwear, Joshua Sanders, Il Bisonte, Artico, The Andamane, Vibi Venezia and Paris Texas, will be featured within the assortment.
An Il Mercato 1,600sq ft (140m2) marketplace will be at 59th Street, on the main floor, selling gourmet sauces, homemade pasta, olive oils and coffee curated by region, from De’Longhi, Il Buco Vita and Giadzy, and ‘Unfortunate Portrait T-shirts’ packaged in pizza boxes.