Saks Fifth Avenue will have a new owner soon, but it already has a new look.
The luxury retailer announced on Monday that it has agreed to be sold to Hudson’s Bay Co., Canada’s largest retail chain and owner of Lord & Taylor in the United States, for $2.9 billion. If the deal goes through, Hudson's Bay says it plans to open up to seven Saks stores in Canada next year.
But even before the sale was announced, Saks created a new marketing campaign for fall called LOOK, with a pitch to customers to think of the store as a "place of discovery."
“Saks is not just a place to buy things—it’s the ideal place to LOOK for what’s new and what’s trending," Terron Schaefer, Saks executive vice president & chief creative officer, said in a statement.
(Houston fashion lovers might recall Schaefer from his charming appearance at the Passion for Fashion luncheon last spring and his stint as a judge on the reality series, Fashion Star.)
The campaign, which includes bold geometric graphics designer by Pentagram's Michael Bierut, launched last month in the early fall catalog featuring advice from designers on how to put together separates to make an effortless ensemble.
The rebranding strategy, which is being incorporated into the website, social media, shopping bags, adversising, in-store events and visual displays, will also be a central theme in the big fall catalog out next month.
The LOOK early fall catalog features separates such as sweaters; a designer suggests ways to make a complete outfit.
Featuring vibrant prints and thoughtful details, the collection brings the brand’s signature whimsical charm to swimwear with beautifully designed swimsuits and sarongs. Photo courtesy of Hunter Bell 
