Designer Cynthia Steffe is poised to take on the next phase of her eventful, 30-year career, introducing the contemporary line, Cluny next month, WWD reports.
Cluny, which is a type of lace, comes after Steffe's five-year hiatus following a contract dispute with Bernard Chaus Inc., the company that still owns the designer's name.
Positioned with lines like Alice + Olivia and targeted to Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, the collection includes leather leggings, oversized knits, T-shirts, dresses and fur coats for a customer base that's "on the girly side, and the younger side," Steffe told WWD.
Steffe and her husband, Rick Roberts, reflected on their time between labels -- a combination of a non-compete clause with Chaus and the poor economy -- and outlined a measured return to the business. “I’m keeping it very focused," Steffe told WWD. "As we grow, we’ll layer in more basic pieces. But [at retail] it’s the special pieces a woman doesn’t have that are selling."
