There’s a lot going on at Düsseldorf fashion retailer Peek & Cloppenburg. After the renovation, the company changed management and also plans to reduce some of its sales areas. Nevertheless, things must continue and buyers are out and about at trade fairs and order appointments as usual.
FashionUnited asked Kai Stolte, Buying Director for womenswear at Peek & Cloppenburg BV & Co. KG, Düsseldorf, what is important for autumn/winter 24, which pieces are currently doing well and what needs to improve in the industry. The fashion retailer also explains what he is considering for the first store in Italy.
What learnings are you taking with you from the winter for the coming order season?
Kai Stolte: In view of the dynamic season lengths and progressions, we will increasingly take the need for ‘ready-to-wear’ topics into account in the coming seasons. Our customers – especially in the medium and high price range – are looking for something special. We take this into account by designing our product mix towards bolder and more innovative offers.
As a multi-brand retailer, we offer a full range of styles. We have the opportunity to transfer the core strengths of the individual brands into our range, moving away from repeating basics and towards individual brand orientations with the aim of creating an attractive overall range with fashionable tops for customers.
What are your current top sellers?
The topic of denim is picking up again, new shapes have entered the mainstream across all age groups. Skirts from satin to denim, from leather to polyurethane, in all shapes and lengths will dominate the summer. In the transition to this, knitwear in new shapes and colors continues to do well.
And what will you order less now?
There is not one topic that we are reducing. Rather, we aim to increase our dynamism in the overall product range for our customers and to continually give them new incentives to visit our stores and also online. Our range is intended to inspire – to achieve this we curate bolder collections at different trend levels and rely on a good mix in our brand portfolio – from classic to ‘fashion contemporary’ to premium.
Which trends are determining the FW24 season?
We perceive more subtle, calmer, more valuable collections. Many partners are foregoing prints in FW 2024/25 or offering them in a much more monochrome way. Instead, the focus is on a variety of product types, structures and surfaces. Tailoring remains, but is more feminine and flowing. We also see casualness with oversize blazers and wide trousers or in broken looks with a “blouson instead of a blazer”.
It gets feminine with layering looks made of fine knits, satin fabrics and soft jerseys as well as playful details such as flounces or ruffles. Denim stays as a bottom or in an ‘all-over’ look. And later in the season we’ll see more opulence via metallics and sequins in new variations and shiny materials.
Which collections and labels are you paying particular attention to this season?
Our colleagues in purchasing are at all the important trade fairs, scout trends and have a feel for what’s coming. This applies to our existing brand portfolio and also for newcomers. Our goal is to continually inspire our customers with our curated goods.
Do colors stand out that are very popular with you?
In addition to natural and earth tones, we also find pastel tones, but they lose a bit of their “sweetness”. There are pointed collections with highlight colors that set accents in striking red, pink or blue.
Are you still feeling the price increases from last year?
The majority of suppliers are of course aware of the price sensitivity of customers; The price increases are much more moderate this season. As a rule, basic price ranges are not exceeded – and if they are, this jump is also visible to the customer in the quality and design of the goods. Goods with these “new price ranges” can round out the ranges here and there.
Where is there currently more need for discussion?
The seasons are becoming more and more dynamic. And the factors for this are becoming increasingly diverse. Therefore, overarching, quick and flexible reactions are required on all sides. Trends develop faster and with them customers’ demands to be able to buy the goods more quickly. In principle, intensive exchange with suppliers as well as courage and passion for new, innovative collections on the part of producers and retailers are essential.
This year Peek & Cloppenburg is also opening its first store in Italy. How do you approach the order for the location in the fashion metropolis of Milan?
Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf: In principle, we pay attention to local conditions and adapt our product ranges accordingly. The market launch in Italy remains an exciting experience at all entrepreneurial levels.
This interview was conducted in writing.