Latest news with #SerenaUziyel
Business of Fashion
3 days ago
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Why Brands Are Still Betting on the US
Serena Uziyel isn't giving up on the US. Over the last year, the Istanbul-based luxury shoe brand has opened two stores in Florida and one in New York in what is now its second-largest market after Turkey. The brand hopes to open more stores in Florida, as well as new markets like California and Texas. Those plans were made before the Trump administration unleashed its tariffs, and when the US economy was on more solid footing. But the brand has no intention of changing course now. 'We know how to deal with it, so we are not going to change our plans,' said chief executive Nadir Celik. It helps that the brand has experience navigating economic turbulence and high inflation in Turkey, he added. Countless brands are making their own assessment of whether trying for a slice of the world's biggest fashion market is still worth the investment. All signs point to a weak economy with consumer confidence plummeting as the costs for essential goods like eggs go up. Retail sales on discretionary items fell in April. Trump's trade policy is also in flux, with the Supreme Court potentially weighing in on whether he can impose tariffs on dozens of countries on top of a 10 percent global levy that went into effect in April. Investing in America could be a costly mistake in a worst case scenario, where Trump imposes prohibitive tariffs, the economy enters a deep recession, or both. But missing out if the turbulence is milder than expected has its own costs. Brands operating in the US are moving quickly to protect themselves, such as by reconfiguring their supply chains to minimise potential tariffs, or operating on parallel tracks, growing their US presence while speeding up expansion elsewhere. For many, the choice to stay is clear – the market is simply too big to ignore. 'America as an economy is too important to be canceled,' said the Switzerland-based designer Philipp Plein. 'People have money to spend; people will keep on spending money.' A Resilient Market Philipp Plein International Group is going ahead with a number of US store openings for its Plein Sport activewear brand, as it looks to at least double sales for that business to $40 million, Plein said. The line is made in China, where Trump has slapped 30 percent duties on all products, but he's betting that the tariff uproar won't be as detrimental as many fear. He's even more confident in the American consumer. He noted the country's economy bounced back quickly after Covid compared to other leading economies like China, which has struggled to recover from the pandemic. Brands are also banking on customer loyalty to get them through a potential rough patch. When it comes to customers, 'once we get, them we keep them,' said Peta Heinsen, co-founder and director of the Australian womenswear brand Matteau. Heinsen said the label aims to have more than half its sales come from the US, up from 35 percent today. If US customers replicate a 70 percent global repeat purchase rate, they'll get there, tariffs or no tariffs, Heinsen said. The more that happens in the US, 'we can see huge potential without having to do too much more than we're already doing,' she said. Supply Chain Alignment Where brands are changing course, it's often behind the scenes. Ever-changing tariffs have underscored the need for brands to have a global supply chain — particularly one that isn't wholly dependent on China. The more suppliers and factories in its network, the more flexible a brand can be in relocating production when the cost of doing business increases. Diversified supply chains will help in most tariff scenarios, experts say. Several brand founders cited Portugal, Turkey and India as countries with relatively low manufacturing costs that were likely to dodge the highest tariffs. In February, Matteau moved production of its swimwear line from China to Portugal, sidestepping the roller coaster ride in April and May that saw tariffs on Chinese imports set as high as 145 percent before temporarily settling at their current level. (Whether the brand's bet pays off in the long run remains to be seen; in late May, Trump threatened a 50 percent tariff on goods from the European Union). After moving into 1,700 Target stores, supplement maker Imaraïs Beauty is in talks to move production of its gummy supplements from Canada to the US so it can keep its big new retail customer consistently supplied without having to pay tariffs. 'As a brand, and a brand owner, you're putting out fires nonstop,' said co-founder and chief executive Aaron Hefter. 'This is a forest fire.' With a trade war still brewing and consumer sentiment in flux, brands have to move forward with their growth plans while minimising any threats to their business, said Anshuman Jaiswal, chief business officer at software firm OnePint, which helps global businesses manage inventory. 'The only thing that you can control is, 'Can I have more risk cushion in my business plan?'' Jaiswal said.
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Turkish Accessory Brand Serena Uziyel Opens Store In Manhattan
Gold clutches from Serena Uziyel While the retail storefront scene in Manhattan as a whole seems like there shouldn't be this many, a few years post-COVID-19 shutdowns, one place that doesn't have a lot of retail space left to rent is buzzy Manhattan (the former Barney's New York excluded). Now adding to the mix is luxury accessories brand Serena Uziyel, who recently opened her sixth store there, with three in Turkey and now three in America. The single-brand retail space openings expand a customer base and point to the growing trend of brands focusing on DTC in their retail spaces, whose locations are easily determined based on online data. New York is a full circle moment for accessories designer and brand Serena Uziyel. The founder and namesake brand director got her start in New York. After studying at Parsons School of Design, where she garnered crucial work-study experience with luxury brands Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Moschino, Uziyel worked for Zara in Spain. After two years, she moved on to Sanayi313 in Istanbul, where she created the multi-disciplined label's shoe and bag collections. Accessories on offer at Serena Uziyel's new boutique. When she launched her brand in 2019, she looked to the craft of ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Babylon, and Persia, thus infusing each design with a rich heritage that incorporates storied techniques of looms, crochets, and filigree. She applies these artisanal practices to shoes with techniques and shoe-crafting skills she learned from Florence-based master cobbler Giuseppe Joseph Amolo. Much of these inspirations are found in the family's manor. Uziyel also focused on the DTC business model by opening her first store in Istanbul in 2019. Her next store was in Bodrum, followed by another in Turkey. With her third US store, Uziyel joins the post-pandemic migration to Madison Avenue, which resembled a luxury ghost town immediately following the COVID-19 shutdowns. Serena Uziyel sandals with signature chain detail. The 3,500-square-foot space is between 66th and 67th. It encompasses Uziyel's vision for her lux accessories and design aesthetic, emphasizing female artisans and elevating its craft heritage to a sophisticated modern style. The new location will debut the Catena accessory group. The handwoven Catena chain detail, which alludes to unity, connection, and interconnected links of women, was initially used on footwear and has expanded its language to include day-to-night occasion handbags, chain-motif jewelry, and belts that feature the signature detail as well as a range of news interpretations of the décor which sits across the top of the foot on shoes. To celebrate that bond, Uziyel invited a dynamic group of New York women, such as Mary Leest, Moraya Wilson, Natalie and Dylana Suarez, and Kristina Askerova, to celebrate the new store with an intimate dinner at New York's Casa Tua.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Misela Opens First Manhattan Store In Noho
Inside the new Misela store By now New York City Mayor Eric Adams is infamously known as a big fan of Turkey's but it also seems Turkey is a fan of the Big Apple. At least when it comes to luxury accessories. Two brands, Misela and Serena Uziyel have both opened retail spaces in the past month as their customer base expands. It also points to the ongoing larger trend of brands focusing on DTC in their own retail spaces whose locations are easily determined based on online data. For Misela, founded by Serra Türker Bayr, the downtown cool of Bond Street beckoned. The brand's roots began in New York when Türker Bayr, launched Misela in 2008 with a largely wholesale business model. The brand, whose names refers to the first two letters of Serra and her sisters name, is produced in Turkey and hit the market during the indie accessories boom and garnered prestigious industry recognition, selling at Henri Bendel and Scoop in their heyday. As the brand grew, so did Serra's as she got married and started a family, she eventually returned to Turkey full time. The Anatolia chevron style is a customizable bag in a variety of styles By 2012 she had opened her first store in Istanbul. 'We started growing the brand there slowly, shifting from wholesale to DTC. The brand got bigger so along the way I wanted to expand internationally, and I opened a boutique in London in 2019,' said Türker Bayr adding, 'I always wanted to come back to New York because my heart was always kind of here because I knew this market and this woman, but I was waiting for the right time.' A hallmark of the brand is its chevron leather pattern which can be customized in various color and stitching details on a variety of totes, carryalls, small leather goods and even suitcases. The made-to-order styles cost the same as items in store and on the shelf. A whipstitched leather trim also comes in 80 colors to accent the twelve base colors. Initials and the brand's Eye of the Tiger motif—a design with roots in Ottoman Empire and Eastern philosophy is a modern talisman for strength and vitality—motif can also be added to bags. Once ordered the bags which are made in Turkey, take 15 to 20 days to be created and delivered. Average price points range from $880 for an Edna tote in Anatolia print to the Sienna doctor's bag style in Los Angeles laser cut pattern for $1,300. Türker Bayr promises a special design for New York. 'I'm a textile designer, originally and I wanted to create this fabric to create timeless handbags. I played around with some designs and I created a zig zag within a Chevron,' she explained. The Belgravia taxi cab yellow style is unique to New York. The brand also features soft leather styles such as quilted styles and laser cut styles that recall architecture motifs. 'There's always a source of inspiration. For example, this I call Theia print which is an alternating diamond pattern,' she explained. Since opening the store in the UK, Misela has leaned into digital marketing which helped build a US customer base, currently focused on New York and Los Angeles. Meanwhile back at home base, the brand opened a new headquarters in Istanbul, a four-story building with two floors dedicated to selling. A design atelier and headquarters occupy the other two floors. 'We partner with galleries for creative approaches in seasonal room concepts. These have been so loved so we wanted to do the same idea here in New York,' Türker Bayr added.
