Macy’s To Launch Ongoing Collaboration With Made Inspired by ‘Street Fashion’

Designers collaborating with high street stores is obviously not a new concept. But a just-announced project should challenge everyone’s current notion of designer collabs. Rather than working with one designer or label, Macy’s is teaming up with Made Fashion Week to create a line inspired by fashion industry influencers.

Made Fashion Week is a creative group formed by Mazdack Rassi, one of Milk Studio’s co-founders, that “connects and supports emerging talent,” including designers, photographers and artists. They also help stage tons of runway shows during New York fashion week. Made currently supports about 40 fashion labels, many of whom have a downtown vibe–think Altuzarra.

Even though Made works with such a large group of designers, none of them are directly involved in this Macy’s collab. Instead, creative types at Made will be designing the collections in conjuction with Macy’s merchants, according to a release. The inspiration? Models, artists, photographers, designers, and bloggers in all their downtown glory.

"This is an organic collaboration between the creative teams from Made and our merchants to bring relevant, of-the-moment fashion to Macy's," Tim Baxter, Macy's executive vice president, fashion and product office, told WWD. "It's a collection of must-have items, inspired by street fashion and what the most fashionable people in the world are wearing." It will be a collection inspired by the Made lifetstyle, so to speak.

The collection, which is officially called “Made Fashion Week for Impulse,” will hit Macy’s stores and its website starting on March 15. It will be an ongoing collab, and Macy’s is anticipating new merch will hit shelves every month or so. Prices are affordable, ranging from $39 for a tank to $139 for a jacket. The pieces will be classic with a twist, featuring trendy patterns and textures and of course, creative styling. Macy’s said some of the influences include “modern school boy and feminine grunge,” two themes that the downtown and off-duty model crowd perennially mine for inspiration.

Terry Richardson–who seems to give instant fashion cred to every project he touches–shot the campaign for the collab. It was lensed at Milk studios, and has a models-lounging-around-off-duty-backstage vibe. Macy’s and Made will also produce a bi-annual “style guide” featuring various downtown denizens–musicians, artists, and the like–in editorials wearing pieces from the collection.

"We are translating our culture into actual garments," Jenn Lombardo, another of Made’s founders, said. "Just like us, the Made collection exists somewhere at the intersection of fashion, music, art and popular culture. Our collections will always be inspired by the kids on the streets.”