Betsey Johnson's newest CEO is spelling out some sea changes for the brand, both on the creative and the commercial sides of things. Following the label's acquisition by Steve Madden this October, Susan Falk replaced Chantal Bacon (who had previously been with the 32-year old label from the beginning), and she's wasted no time implementing some executive changes.
Starting with online sales, the label launched a revamped e-commerce site this week, which includes a "Head 2 Toe" feature to facilitate buying an entire ensemble. Additionally, Falk tells the WSJ that she's aiming to increase the number of boutiques from 65 to upwards of 100 in the near future.
On the design front, Falk envisions apparel, specifically dresses, that would appeal to a larger number of women, citing that in recent years Johnson's designs have perhaps been "a little too short" and skewed towards too young shoppers.
While sailing seems to be smooth for the moment, it remains to be seen if Johnson will actually take Falk's suggestions seriously: "I've been true-blue to my brand for over 30 years and I'm not about to stop now," she said.
