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Claiborne Looking to Mizrahi and Bartlett for Quick Fix

January 18, 2008Written by George Anderson

Bill McComb, CEO at Liz Claiborne, told The Wall Street Journal that Isaac Mizrahi is the "pied piper of women of 35."

He better be, seeing that Mr. McComb hired Mr. Mizrahi as the new creative director of the Liz Claiborne with the expectation that women will be dancing out of retail stores with the clothes he designs.

"We've been disappointed with the performance of the line for several seasons running," Mr. McComb told The New York Times. "The results have called out that a strategy change is needed."

Mr. Mizrahi's hiring comes at a time when Mr. McComb is making numerous changes to help his company's revive lagging sales.

Last week, John Bartlett was hired to design a menswear line called "Claiborne by Bartlett."

Dave McTague, executive vice president, Partnered Brands for Liz Claiborne Inc., said in a press release to announce Mr. Bartlett's hiring, "What the everyday man needs right now is a collection that can dress him from work to weekend with an updated yet classic look - but what's out in the market right now doesn't fit his lifestyle. John is known throughout the industry as a talented, cutting edge menswear designer and we feel that he is the perfect partner to help Claiborne give this customer exactly what he needs."

In another move, Claiborne announced yesterday that it had made an exclusive deal with Kohl's to sell its Dana Buchman line.

In addition to looking to put new life into some brands, Mr. McComb has decided to cut and run on others. Claiborne recently announced the sale of C&C California and Laundry by Design brands to Perry Ellis.

Discussion Questions: What will the recruitment of Isaac Mizrahi and John Bartlett mean for Liz Claiborne? What are your thoughts on the other moves Bill McComb is making as part of his strategy for turning the company around?

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