Dive Brief:
- Fashion designer Brandon Maxwell on Tuesday debuted his spring 2022 collections for Walmart's Free Assembly and Scoop brands, the retailer said in an announcement.
- The Free Assembly collection consists of over 500 pieces across men's, women's and children's fashion and is priced between $8 and $48. Scoop, which is more trend-forward than its sister brand and has a focus on denim, is priced between $18 and $75.
- The collections come nearly a year after the big box retailer named Maxwell as the creative director of those brands.
Dive Insight:
Walmart has long held a large portion of the apparel market, but now it wants to push forward in fashion.
The retailer tapped Maxwell, who produces his own luxury label and has been a judge on the TV show "Project Runway," in a show of its commitment to become a leader of stylish, yet affordable, clothing.
"This partnership allows me to bring the experience and joy of fashion to countless people who live in small towns across the country," Maxwell said at the time of his appointment as creative director. "Everyone deserves to have access to well-designed clothing at an accessible price point."
Maxwell currently oversees the entire creative process for the Free Assembly and Scoop brands by working with the design team, ensuring the themes of the collection are cohesive, and working on brand marketing. "The storytelling that surrounds any brand is just as important as the product," he said in a statement regarding his first collections with the retailer.
While big box rival Target has been known for its flashy designer brand collaborations with the likes of Rodarte, Zac Posen, Jason Wu and Phillip Lim, Walmart has been steadily making moves to supplement and improve its own apparel offerings. The company unveiled apparel private label lines, acquired DTC plus-sized brand Eloquii and purchased men's-focused Bonobos. As recently as last week, Walmart announced the launch of a Gen-Z focused apparel line from that brand, dubbed Bonobos Fielder.
In a call with analysts regarding its earnings last week, CEO Doug McMillon pointed to apparel as a strong performer globally. Clothing, along with its home category, are "important," McMillon said on the call. "We've seen growth there over the last couple of years."
