Forever 21 Goes Upscale With Twelve by Twelve
Forever 21 unveiled its new concept, Twelve by Twelve, with a cocktail party at hip downtown loft space The Marvimon House.
The young contemporary line is the brainchild of Betsy Zanjani, the company’s vice president of merchandising, who was hired a year and a half ago to launch the new collection.
Under the direction of Zanjani—and a team of 12 designers—Twelve by Twelve had a soft launch last fall in select Forever 21 stores. Encouraged by the strong sales, Zanjani’s team is preparing for a full launch this fall with in-store shops and the first freestanding Twelve by Twelve store at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles.
“I’ve been living and breathing Twelve by Twelve for over a year now,” Zanjani said.
“It’s a contemporary line that deserved its own environment. It’s the twist to Forever 21 that will appeal to the hip, savvy, contemporary customer who, we feel, does not have a place to shop. We’re creating an environment for her.”
Twelve by Twelve’s prices are 35 percent higher than Forever 21’s regular retail prices, and nearly everything is priced below $100. Zanjani said prices could go a little higher for special items, but for the most part, the prices will remain below $100.
The retailer provided a sneak peak of Twelve by Twelve, including a flirty minidress with oversize paillettes, a lantern-sleeve dress with a row of pintucking around the hem, retro-styled cropped jackets and swing coats, a halter-neck sweater with a chiffon yoke, and a quilted jacket in metallic bronze.
The new collection’s Web site (www.twelvebytwelve.com) is set to launch later this month, with plans to add e-commerce to the site by this fall. —Alison A. Nieder
