L.L. Bean will unveil its new collection, entitled “L.L. Bean Signature,” at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10th at Willy Beans Bistro and Café in Lewiston.
The spring 2010 line has yet to be revealed to those outside of the L.L. Bean headquarters in Freeport, and the premier in Lewiston is expected to draw several major media outlets, including the Boston Globe.
The line was created by acclaimed designer Alex Carleton, founder of the Rouges Gallery, who has experience designing labels with Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren. Carleton was recently nominated in 2009 for GQ’s Best Men’s Designer and holds the title of Creative Director” for the L.L. Bean Signature line.
The preview is the brainchild of L.L. Bean executives and Charlie Carey ’13, founder of the specialized marketing firm Tremor Effect. Carey cited L.L. Bean and Carelton’s desire “to get feedback and opinion from the college demographic” to preview the never-before-seen collection at Bates. Carey described the line as “an updated, slimmer fit, while still maintaining L.L Bean’s classic outdoor heritage.”
Tremor Effect is co-sponsoring the preview event, which will include a pre-release of spring 2010 Signature catalogs, Signature gift cards, and free giveaways. Carleton will be in attendance to offer an opportunity for students to express their opinions and provide feedback on the line. Carey remarked that the preview is a “grass roots campaign” to market the line to a younger market.
The preview was originally intended to be held on the Bates campus; but College policy banning outside solicitation prevented the event from being held at an on-campus venue, according to Dean of Student Activities Keith Tannenbaum. In a statement to The Student, Tannenbaum said that the event could have been held in a different venue such as The Ronj, or sponsored by a club or organization.
L.L. Bean reported that the actual Signature line will be released by L.L. Bean to the general public on March 15th.
Chief Marketing Officer Steve Fuller ’82 described the preview as resulting from previously successful private store showings of the Signature line. He commented that people hold strong preconceptions of what L.L Bean represents even without visiting a store or opening a catalog, and that these events are a way “of getting people to see and experience the brand in a different way.”
For the past several years, L.L Bean has coordinated marketing projects on college campuses across the country in tandem with the development of the Signature line. “Based on that experience, we thought it would be interesting to show the final product to students to get their reaction,” said Fuller.
Fuller stated that the new Signature line is meant to complement L.L. Bean's “core” line, with a fit that is “more form-fitting and contemporary.” Fuller highlighted the expected presence of Carleton at the preview and encouraged any students interested in fashion design or the creative process to attend.
The preview of L.L. Bean’s Signature line is open to all Bates faculty, staff and students.
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