News Article

Friday June 22, 2007                                                             

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Delaney’s Crowns Prince for the Fall

Orson Williams

Staff Writer

Designer Edward Prince debuted his new fall line last week in a runway show in Soho.  The upper crust of New York Fashion came out to view the designer’s latest efforts. 

            Prince first came on the scene with his spring line two years ago.  That line made a splash that is still rippling through the fashion industry today.  Virtually every designer today has tried to copy his easy flowing day wear, though few accomplish the same effect with the same ease.  This line shows a lot less skin than his previous efforts, but this is the first time that he has left designing for the summer months and started designing for colder weather. 

            There are no turtle necks here, or fur lined jackets.  His clothes are more casual than that.  He has done things with hoods here that no one has ever done before.  He has taken the casual charm of hipster chic and blended it with a kind of retro grunge aesthetic that has surprising impact.  His clothes are a study in contrasts.  The form fitting is paired with the baggy, satin with knits, drab with the colorful. 

            This will surely be a significant line, but the real story here is the bidding war that followed the show.  So far Prince’s clothes have been available only in high end boutiques, but this time around several major department stores have gotten into the mix. 

            The first offer on the line was made by Macy’s; Bloomingdale’s got into the ring as well, but in the end it was Delaney’s department store that won out.  Doris Applebaum, Delaney’s fashion director, was seen schmoozing with Prince all night.  When the result of the bidding war was announced rumors started to fly about a possible romantic link between Prince and Applebaum.  “Doris and Edward are just good friends.  There was nothing inappropriate about how Delaney’s acquired the line,” said a source close to the Prince design firm.  “It’s a match made in heaven,” said Applebaum.  “Prince represents the cutting edge of fashion for the contemporary working woman.  Delaney’s has always been the place for to shop for the contemporary working woman.”