Eight months after Reed Krakoff announced that his eponymous luxury label was suspending design and production operations while it shifted its focus to the accessible segment, the former Coach exec is back in business—sort of.
Kohl’s on Wednesday revealed Krakoff to be the latest designer to lend his touch to a limited-edition collection of clothing and accessories for women.
Dubbed Reed, the line will hit stores and Kohls.com next spring for a fraction of what his namesake venture retailed for: $15 to $129, versus his iconic Boxer bags that were once priced between $1,000 and $6,000.
“When Kohl’s presented me with this great opportunity, I couldn’t say no,” the three-time CFDA winner said in a statement. “Everyday luxury embodies the best of American fashion. The ability to create great design at an incredible value is more relevant today than ever before. Great style is all about the unexpected and Kohl’s is an amazing platform for this limited-edition collection.”
Handbags, of course, are at the core of the collection (Krakoff is best known for transforming Coach from a $500 million company into one with sales of more than $5 billion) and sportswear-inspired apparel comes in a bold color palette of cobalt blue, navy, black and white, with pops of pink and yellow. The athletic influence can be seen in a tracksuit-esque top and pants, a perforated mesh skirt and more.
“The Reed collection is inspired by iconic looks, with the emphasis on craftsmanship and quality synonymous with Reed Krakoff,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief merchandising and customer officer. “Each piece is the perfect combination of function, elegance and fun, which we know will be sought-after by women across the country this spring.”
She added, “The collection also includes several options for women to personalize her look by quickly and simply adding an accessory. This provides even more opportunities for our customers to bring the products they love to life in a way that works best for them.”
No word yet as to whether this link-up will turn into something more long-term—the designer’s own website still says his 5-year-old brand is “undergoing a thrilling transformation” and will return with “a completely new look and feel.”