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Té Casan; R.I.P. Where will Natalie sell her vegan wares now?
Quick, name some casualties of the financial crisis.
- Hedge Funds
- Investment Banks
- Mortgage Companies
- Designer Shoe Outlets
In retrospect it seems so clear. Want to sell vegan designer shoes? Keep the price around a hundred bucks a pair. Or less. $200 for a pair of flats just may be a bit pricey to those folks who have seen their fortunes disappear in plummeting stock prices. $400 for a pair of vegan designer boots might seem a bit steep to those who aren’t sure if they will have a job next month.
Té Casan, the trendy New York designer shoe retailer, closed their on-line and retail outlet on November 30. They were the only source for Natalie Portman’s vegan shoes; it is unclear what will happen to her line now.
Designers have long used price and product shortage to promote exclusivity. Perhaps it is time they attempt to make previously out-of-reach fashion available to the masses ala Lela Rose’s line at Payless and Issac Mizrahi’s line at Target.
I’ll miss going to the website to look at the glitz and glamour. But the reality is that when it comes time to look for a new pair of vegan shoes I’ll be shopping at PlanetShoes.com or Payless. What will be interesting is to see who the next victims of the economy will be. You can be sure that the investors will attempt to mitigate their losses by staying open through the holiday season, but come January, look out.
Discussion
2 comments for “Té Casan; R.I.P. Where will Natalie sell her vegan wares now?”
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I DID love those red mary janes, but for like 200-some bucks???
Shoes NEED to be affordable. I found myself a great pair http://www.neuaurashoes.com
The Esperanza style from NEUAURA really captures the Victorian era styling but with a modern twist. Very beautiful!
I was one of the people who frequented the line, and stopped in the SoHo boutique more than a few times. To be honest, part of me was thinking, “I’ve met vegans, and I’m just about one of the only ones who will spend this kind of money on shoes!”
If it comes back with a similar price range, I’ll keep buying. If it comes back at a lower price, a la Bitten by SJP, I really hope that they keep the quality. After all, we always had Payless. What vegans were really missing out on were a really well balanced pair of high heels that didn’t pinch or cause blisters.
Unfortunately, only a few of us actually noticed.