Sigerson Morrison and its contemporary counterpart, Belle by Sigerson and Morrison, are gearing up to unveil their first collections since founders Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison parted ways with the company last March.
“We’re calling this a refreshing of both brands, because what we’re doing is taking the heritage of each, taking all the things that have always been fabulous — and looking to make Sigerson Morrison and Belle even more relevant,” said Susan Itzkowitz, president of Marc Fisher Footwear, the parent company that acquired the 20-year-old footwear brand in 2006.
In addition to enlisting a design team in Italy, both labels will add an assortment of silhouettes and styles, heel heights, materials (including ethically sourced fabrics) and color palettes for the spring 2012 collections, which will both bow at the FFANY show next month.
She also revealed that Marie Claire’s style and accessories director Taylor Tomasi Hill has been brought on board as creative consultant to work with the labels in terms of trend direction, developing new ideas and merchandising the lines. Tomasi Hill will also have a hand in future advertising campaigns, marketing initiatives, events and social media projects.
“Taylor is our style guru. We have such a respect for her and her taste level and trend knowledge and her vision in terms of fashion. She’s always been a tremendous supporter of the brand and we’re very excited to start this collaboration with her and see where it will evolve to,” Itzkowitz said of the new position.
Tomasi Hill added, “I’m looking forward to working together with Sigerson Morrison and contributing my ideas on the design aesthetic, while still keeping true to the brand heritage. With plenty of rich influences to draw from the archives, I’m confident this will be an exciting collaboration.”