Increasingly, private label brands are becoming more than supporting acts. In fact, many are becoming stars in their own right, and Anthropologie’s Maeve brand is a testament to this. In August, Anthropologie elevated the 20-year-old private fashion label to a standalone brand, complete with its own website, social presence and stores.
The decision was based on more than just instinct, according to Anu Narayanan, President of Women’s and Home at the Anthropologie Group. She noted that the brand has been shopped by more than 2 million customers in the last year alone and is the most-searched brand on the Anthropologie website.
In this week’s episode of the Retail Remix podcast, Narayanan shares how Maeve is now evolving beyond Anthropologie — while still staying connected to its parent brand — as the first two standalone stores open.
Maeve will still be carried in Anthropologie, but fans who visit the new Maeve standalone stores in Raleigh, N.C. and Atlanta (opening soon) will find a differentiated boutique-style experience and a new set of brands not available in Anthropologie.
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“The beauty of what we do is curating a lifestyle for the customer,” said Narayanan. “So we’re going to offer that Maeve product, but if you love Maeve, then what are the other things that should sit alongside it that really complement your lifestyle? That’s how we’re really thinking about curating the collection, including new, exclusive brands that we’re offering, like Jennifer Fisher and Goop Beauty, that aren’t available in Anthropologie.”
In the episode, Narayanan also discusses:
- The strategic choice to open the first Maeve stores in markets like Raleigh, N.C. and Atlanta rather than major coastal cities;
- How Anthropologie is differentiating Maeve’s boutique store aesthetic from its core stores;
- Inside Maeve’s marketing engine, from TikTok and the company’s first Substack to a growing community of influencer “Mavens”; and
- The role of catalogs (yes, catalogs) in modern brand storytelling and customer engagement.
Tune in now here or anywhere you get your podcasts:
