Linea by Louis Dell'Olio

[NYCLatinaMe]

I love Louis and will miss him (and will cling to the hope he will come back again), but have a different take on this.  

I don't see this as qvc abandoning boomers in favor of millennials.  I think qvc shoppers are mostly people who watch TV, even if most of us probably don't watch qvc on TV anymore.  I shop online and rarely watch, but that is how I started.  But TV watching is declining, and I am just a TV legacy shopper.  And I am guessing that is a declining demographic.  So qvc is hemorrhaging customers.

QVC made an investment in a bunch of channels and at least 2 of them have failed.  They thought they would be THE beauty channel but they rarely have any beauty shows any more.  The channel is gone.  Before the Christmas season, they were showing us beauty on fashion shows, probably to move out inventory, which was very annoying.  There are many places to buy beauty products on the internet, and a million places to watch beauty videos, and the only reason to shop beauty at QVC is the special kits with many items at special prices.  No other reason.  And what were they thinking with QVC2?  Who knows, but they stopped programming and had to close a bunch of facilities, lay off staff, and lost money in the process.

I am a lawyer and my sister talked me into QVC in the 1990s, which she probably liked because they carried loads of plus sizing and she was a plus.  Shopping QVC has never been anything to brag about in my world.  I started with jewelry (a Latinx thing), and later tried some of the fashions because I am hard to fit, and QVC carried fashions that were an easy fit.  I then discovered Linea as the tailored line of QVC, and to me, it was an affordable replacement for department store lines Anne Klein, Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, Tahari, Donna Karan.  These fashion lines are now gone or close to.  Donna Karan, LDO's designer partner at Anne Klein stopped designing several years ago.   The sale of tailored clothing is in decline.  I dress more casually at work most of the time.  There was a small revival of tailored clothing after the great recession of 2008-2009, but now with work from home, tailored clothing will probably not come back as a strong seller.  I think businesses will embrace the WFH model and it will take hold.  Some of the other QVC brands have a few tailored pieces, and that is probably enough for QVC.

Most women now want comfortable clothing, even the "ladies who lunch," now represented at qvc by Laurie Feltheimer, wife of a Hollywood studio CEO.

So QVC is looking for something else.  We will see what that is.  If they wanted to sell to millenials they would be focusing on sustainability, which they are not.  I don't see Kim Gravel or Lisa Rinna as the future.  Maybe Barefoot Dreams and Peace Love World are more like it.

A QVC strength is the depth of their inclusive sizing, and I think this is something they are building on.  This is not a Linea strength.

But they are bringing QVC2 back, at least in a limited way, so maybe LDO has a chance yet.

[tristan111]

The Linea Ladies are a special breed- quality women who love quality clothes, and value our friendship with Louis and the other Linea Ladies. These are our values. We are just not convenient for QVC anymore.

[PodyPo]

My mother and grandmother wore designer clothing and taught me well about quality fabrics and tailoring. 

In 2010 I had cancer treatment of chemo and radiation and spent an unusual amount of time on my couch. I watched the QVC shows on gardening mostly, and by a quirk found the original thread "who are the Linea ladies?" Upon reading about Louis' designs, I quickly stocked up and started following.

I am most likely an unusual Linea Lady. I'm a designer and jewelry is one of my products and passions. I mostly purchased Linea jackets and whisper knit and tops, which I pair with jeans (ubiquitous in my industry, even in corporate jobs) and artisan jewelry. I love the mix of classic-with-arty-touches look.

Just yesterday, I pulled out an old but loved tarragon green leather and knit jacket and matching whisper knit tunic sweater. These classics just never go out of style.

I am sad to see the end of the Linea line, and from Louis' comments and others about his production people closing as well, I think our long and lavishly provided run of high quality designer clothing at really low QVC prices has come to an end.

My deep gratitude goes to Louis for all his and Jac's commitment to bringing high quality designer looks to us "everywoman" women.

[teachergal]

I am a retired elementary teacher.  I always loved classic designer clothes.  My mother has impeccable taste and dressed lovely everyday.  She taught me how a lady dresses for casual and professional events.  I found Louis Del Olio by accident when I was channel surfing one snow day in 2000.  Since then I have been "the best dressed" teacher at my large school.  I have since retired and still get asked about my Linea wardrobe when I go to appointments, vacationing, and visiting.  I am blessed to have had the opportunity to wear such quality fashions for 20 years. 

[Linmo]

Work environments have changed a lot over the years.  Many of us used to wear suits to work every day.  Now pretty much anything goes, even before work at home started.  But that doesn't mean we don't like to dress up or look more tailored sometimes.

IMO, Linea Ladies are ladies who know and appreciate designer quality at reasonable prices.

[thatgirl77]

I have to agree with your assessment....totally true....its about targeting a certain demographic ...and cheap materials, fabrications etc....

But so many bridge designer lines are all gone today  while the higher-end or couture lines are barely hanging on due to the 1%. 

And the influence of althleisure is sadly here to stay.....even famous couture designers who are srtill designing collections etc today lament the fact that the younger set no longer dress up the way we all grew up. And they abhor the direction "fashion" is going....so much streetwear or leisure is everywhere. its getting more and more difficult to be unique and different...it all looks the same...from the highest price points to home shopping network offerings.

Bob and Louis reperesent class and understated elegance like a few remaining Euopean deigners and a few American ones that have mostly licensed out their names...

@Foxee  ...I agree wholeheartedly...its all sad!

[thatgirl77]

AGREEEEEE!!!!!! 

Spoiler

I do not post on these boards much...obviously, since I was attempting to post a response to certain ladies/contributors. Sorry for any confusion...lol  I am better on other forms of social media. I shall  miss Louis greatl but I have faith he will find another way to continue to design.

[thatgirl77]

YEP

[busymom22]

It's a shame, but dressing up in our society has gone by the wayside.  Linea ladies represent a dying segment of women who still like to be fashionable and wear good designers.

I look at the younger generations. Even when I was young and starting out in my career I wore nice clothes. Suits, dresses, etc. Now fashion has become so very casual.  Athleisure is what is popular so Barefoot Dreams is a good example of brands that can still do well on QVC. 

With working from home becoming much more acceptable this trend will only continue. But it's not just limited to QVC, this is something seen across all of retail.  

[thatgirl77]

Agree...well stated...its happening to many retailors and fashion brands all across the board....Covid hasnt helped with the struggling brands either...